Promotion: architecture competition organiser Buildner has launched a new initiative to design a forward-looking home for the city of Dubai that refreshes the current offering to locals.

Dubai's House of the Future international competition asks architects and designers to deliver a template for an "affordable, expandable, revolutionary, innovative, aesthetically pleasing" home suited to modern Emirati needs. The grand prize winner will receive €140,000.

Entries will be judged by an international jury including representatives from BIG, Zaha Hadid Architects, Foster + Partners, MVRDV, Calatrava International, Archidentity and Studio Seilern Architects.

Buildner hopes that participants will marry aspects of Dubai's history and current cultural context in their entries, which are also required to be self-sufficient and able to be built anywhere within Dubai, on a plot no bigger than 450 square metres.

"Dubai is a binary city," said Buildner. "On one hand, it is a city of the future that portrays innovation, technology and polished finesse. On the other, it is a city of the past that holds onto a rich architectural and cultural heritage."

"Designing for this context requires a nuanced understanding of these two spirits. 'Old' Dubai features historical and cultural gems, such as Bur Dubai, Deira, Al Nahda, Al Karama, and Al Garhoud, that have evolved into commercial and residential centres," Buildner continued.

"'New' Dubai features newly developed areas, like Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, Jumeirah Village Circle and Arabian Ranches, which showcase the modern, distinctive architecture and mega projects which include man-built islands and towering skyscrapers."

Houses designed for the competition should be able to operate without water or electricity for at least two weeks, according to Buildner. The organisation encourages the use of innovative, sustainable materials and for entrants to stay within a budget of €250,000 (1 million AED).

Those who wish to take part must submit their registration via the competition website by 30 September 2023 ahead of the 1 November 2023 project submission deadline. The competition is open to all and no professional qualifications are necessary.

The total prize money is €250,000 (985,000 AED) of which the winner of the grand prize will win €140,000 (500,000 AED) and see their project developed for construction. There will also be second and third prizes of €45,000 (200,000 AED) and €20,000 (100,000 AED) respectively, as well as a special self-sufficiency prize worth €45,000 (200,000 AED).

The Dubai's House of the Future competition is organised by Buildner and the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation and the Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Establishment. It is hosted in partnership with architecture firms Zaha Hadid Architects and Santiago Calatrava.

Buildner has organised upwards of 100 competitions over the last 10 years, including the Microhome and Affordable Housing competition series. It prides itself on fostering conceptual, material, technological and policy innovation in the industry, and creating location-specific solutions for the cities and regions it focuses on.

"As competition organisers, Buildner believes there is a real benefit of design competitions to the architecture industry," said Buildner. "Competitions present us with opportunities for creative licence that are otherwise greatly limited by traditional client-driven projects."

"Buildner seeks to push boundaries, ask loaded questions and continually move the industry forward through the competitions it organises."

To submit an entry, or to find out more about the competition, visit the House of the Future website.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Buildner as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.