Buildner, in partnership with the Government of Dubai, has unveiled the results of the highly anticipated 2024/25 House of the Future competition. Following the remarkable success of its inaugural edition in 2023, this second iteration challenged architects and designers from around the world to conceive an affordable, expandable, and visionary prototype home. The design brief specifically catered to the evolving needs of Emirati families, emphasizing adaptability, sustainability, and cultural relevance.
The competition was a collaborative effort with the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation and the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme. It featured a generous prize fund of €250,000 (equivalent to 1 million AED), reflecting the importance placed on fostering innovative housing solutions. Winning designs are under evaluation for potential inclusion in the UAE’s national housing catalogue, which offers citizens a curated selection of pre-approved, cutting-edge home models that promise to shape the future of housing in the region.
Entrants were tasked with designing a prototype for a single-family home optimized for modern Emirati living. The prototypes had to be adaptable to future expansion, incorporate sustainable technologies, and be responsive to the UAE’s unique social and climatic conditions. Each design addressed a standard plot size of 450 square meters, encouraging practical yet imaginative solutions.
The response was overwhelming, with entries pouring in from individuals and teams across 122 countries. This global participation underscores the universal interest in the future of housing, especially within the dynamic and rapidly developing context of the UAE.
An esteemed international jury, comprising experts such as Alison Brooks (Alison Brooks Architects, UK), Ahmed Bukhash (Founder of Archidentity, UAE), and Will Plowman (Partner, Foster + Partners, UAE), among others, assessed submissions rigorously. They sought a balance between visionary concepts and practical feasibility. Jury members praised compact, thoughtful planning, clear circulation pathways, and the use of materials suited to local construction practices. Designs leveraging passive cooling techniques like wind towers and water features, when integrated meaningfully and effectively, received particular commendation. Proposals that featured strong street-facing frontages and coherent community layouts, while maintaining cost efficiency, were highly valued.
Among the top entries, the First Prize winner, “House of Courts” by Hamzeh Ahmad Hasan Al-Thweib and Luzia Magdalena Stallmann from Germany, impressed with its organization around a central circulation spine and three distinct courtyards. It creatively reinterprets traditional features such as wind catchers and mashrabiya screens within a contemporary framework aimed at multi-generational living. The house features sustainable circular materials, passive environmental systems, and an integration with decentralized water and energy networks, connecting individual homes to a resilient neighborhood framework.
The Second Prize went to “MODULOR: A Prototype for Evolving Homes” by Marc Izaguerri Serrano, also from Germany. This modular housing system supports incremental growth and adaptability over time, using prefabricated components to facilitate low-carbon living. With integrated renewable energy systems and water reuse, the design echoes traditional Emirati architecture while fostering dense, walkable communities with shared infrastructures.
Winning Third Prize, “FlexiCourts” by GN Architects from China, champions spatial flexibility and passive climate strategies for dense urban living. Featuring modular room layouts, layered courtyards, and traditional materials like AAC blocks, shading screens, and wind towers, FlexiCourts balances privacy, community, and environmental resilience within a compact footprint.
Other highlighted proposals demonstrate a rich spectrum of innovative thinking, blending heritage and sustainability in exciting ways. “HAYAT,” from the United States team Meisam Dadfarmay, Sina Memarian, and Saba Abdolshahi, reimagines housing through modular bricks elevated around underground, vaulted yards, integrating passive cooling, automated shading, and photovoltaic panels inspired by Emirati crafts.
Romanian architects Bogdan-Constantin Neagu, Ioana Maria Bogza, and Serban Ioan Nicoară Stoenescu presented “Inbetween Spaces,” combining traditional architectural principles with modern prefabrication and climatic responsiveness. It features curved and straight lines forming shaded areas and multiple private courtyards to optimize airflow and energy efficiency.
From the United Kingdom, Daniel Tayo Adeshile and Godwin Amada De Leon’s “Courtyard House” integrates traditional courtyard living with modern sustainability, including modular construction, rainwater systems, and photovoltaic energy, creating a flexible and climate-responsive dwelling.
The “Power Haus,” designed by Celso II Beringuel Creer from the UAE, proposes a self-sustaining workforce community model based on rooftop solar canopies generating energy. This innovative approach situates housing near employment centers, reducing commutes and emissions while fostering distributed, renewable energy systems.
Other notable entries include “Karam” by Sarah Baayoun from Lebanon, a compact, solar-powered home inspired by Islamic geometry, and “Community Wasl” by K2 Design Lab from Romania, which rethinks Dubai’s urban future through walkable, self-sufficient neighborhoods rooted in climate-sensitive design.
Polish architects Joanna Paulina Budner-Szuman and Damian Szuman offered “SENSE,” a spiral-formed home blending passive cooling, traditional wind towers, and rammed earth construction, reflecting desert dunes and indigenous material culture.
“Dar Almedyaf” by Lebanese architect Ali Jaber evokes desert traditions and innovative climate strategies with its introverted façade, guest wing, and qanat-inspired cooling systems—a home poised between hospitality and sustainability.
The breadth and depth of submissions across this competition highlight the exciting potential for architecture to shape a future that respects cultural heritage, environmental imperatives, and evolving family needs. Buildner continues to fuel this creative momentum through other competitions like The Unbuilt Award 2025, Kingspan Microhome Competition, and Kinderspace Competition, each championing visionary design with a global reach and a commitment to sustainability.
For those intrigued by the future of housing, the 2024/25 House of the Future competition stands out as a beacon showcasing global ingenuity, cultural sensitivity, and technological innovation in creating homes that are ready for tomorrow’s challenges.
