The Home of Shadows / Edition #4

This edition challenges designers to rethink domestic space through shadow, light control, and sensory experience, using darkness as a fundamental design tool.

Bahattin Duran26 December 20251 Mins read44

Submission: Monday, April 13, 2026

Registration: Monday, March 2, 2026

Prize: €5,000

Type: Open

Fee: €120

Light is one of the most important factors when designing homes, and the use of natural light is vital in creating a space that feels both comfortable, inviting and practical. It could be said that lighting is a form of language that architects can use to communicate emotions in the spaces and structures they design.

As such, shadow plays as much a role in influencing the feel of a space as light. The harmony between light and shadow allows architects and designers to create spaces with depth and texture, creating different moods for different purposes. In many cases, it could come down to the simple placement of a single window or door.

For the Home of Shadows Edition #4 competition, participants are asked to design a home for a hypothetical couple with just one rule – there can be no artificial light within the home. The jury will be looking for designs that study how natural light can influence and shape architectural decisions.

Participants may select any theoretical site for their Home of Shadows and propose a design solution for the fully functional building.

PRIZES

3 winning proposals, 2 special award recipients and 6 honorable mentions will be selected. Buildner will award a total of 10,000 € in prize money to competition winners as follows:

1st Prize – 5,000 €
2nd Prize – 2,500 €
3rd Prize – 1,000 €

6 honourable mentions

Buildner Student Award – 1,000 €
Buildner Sustainability Award – 500 €

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Advance Registration: November 6, 2025 – January 14, 2026
Last Minute Registration: January 15 – March 2, 2026

Final registration deadline: March 2, 2026
Closing date for submission: April 13, 2026 (11:59 p.m. LONDON TIME)
Announcement of the winners: June 16, 2026

Sources:Competition Source

Written by

Bahattin Duran

Architect specializing in digital products and content creation. Currently managing learnarchitecture.online and illustrarch.com, offering valuable resources and blogs for the architectural community.