Architecture Competitions

Entering architectural competitions can be an exciting and challenging endeavor for architects and design professionals. These competitions provide a platform to showcase creative ideas, innovative concepts, and design skills while competing against other talented individuals or teams.

Competitions are important to keep the creativity levels of our staff high and give them an opportunity to express themselves in their designs in a manner that allows freedom and flexibility.  They are an excellent opportunity to create concept designs without the limitations certain projects or sectors can impose and are a great exercise to come up with designs that would typically not be feasible especially if the location of the site can be chosen by the team.

Norbord Off Grid 2030
The brief for this competition was to provide a single family home of the future integrating the Norbord Sterling OSB board as the key material used in its construction.  The BPG team designer a modular panel-build house which would allow the occupants to reconfigure to suit their needs or the expansion of their family.  The wood fibre board was used as part of a insulated panel which could be sewn together to create whole room units or partition walls.  The roof was designed to be orientated in the most ideal orientation depending on the site to best utlisie the natural lighting and charge the solar panels.  The structure can be easily deconstructed and relocated to other sites with minimal impact on the site and waste.

Norbory Nook

Our ‘Norbury Nook’ entry was designed for the West Fraser retreat competition.  Held by the same manufacturers as the off grid competition our entry had to again utilise the Sterling OSB board to design a retreat for up to 10 occupants set within a landscape of our choosing.  The design had to use the SterlingOSB Zero board as the focal material in the overall material strategy.  We decided to take a fabric first approach to our design creating a carbon neutral construction with the seperate residences (or huts) achieving a high level of air tightness.  We proposed that the osb board would be used as the primary material in the construction of the huts and also the lattice ‘waffle’ structure above the main hall used to simulate tree canopies.
Pavilion for All
The Brent Cross Town Pavilion for all competition presented the oppotunity to design a ‘landmark pavilion in one of Europe’s biggest regeneration projects’.  The brief was to create a net zero design that demonstrated our ‘commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, as well as cutting-edge design thinking.’  The pavilion is to be the centre piece of the Clitterhouse Playing Fields and provide a space for visitiors of the sports facilities a place to ‘sit, relax or spectate’.

Our concept created a design that was based on the different communities within London and how they can live in harmony with nature.

Buildner Childrens Hospice

This competiton revolved around the creation of a new childrens hospice that had no defined location although entrants were advised to choose a theoretical site from their home country.  The brief requested a few key functions for the conceptual hospice, including a common area with a gathering room, a games or play room, a small library, a Chapel, a kitchen and dining room, as well as a private area which could function as a nurse’s room and therapy room for psychological support.  Our design is situated on the Cotmandene in Dorking (a short walk from our office) allowing great views of the local landmarks and integrating the hospice into the local community.  The orientation of our design was carefully decided based on the oppotunity for solar access as well as the views that would be presented to the users of the facility.