BuildFest 2026
Dezeen Competitions: BuildFest 2026 invites international university teams to submit ideas for timber pavilions and multimedia projects to be installed on the historic grounds of the 1969 Woodstock festival.
Buildfest 2026 is a five-day live-work festival that takes place in Bethel, New York. The event is committed to encouraging young people’s interest and access to the arts.
This competition is now closed
Organiser: Bethel Woods Centre for the Arts
Competition: BuildFest 2026
Judges: select members from Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, including curatorial, grounds, archaeological, and administrative staff
Submission deadline: 30 March
Winner announcement: 30 April
Prizes: proposals are organised into three typological scales: installations, activations and interventions. Awards ranging from $1,000 to $4,000 are available for each selected project, with a maximum of twelve proposals accepted
Competition overview
BuildFest 2026 invites university faculty in design, the humanities, or related fields to propose ideas for timber pavilions and multimedia activations to be installed on the historic grounds of the 1969 Woodstock festival.
Over the course of a five-day live-work festival, accepted participants will collaborate with self-organised student teams to build, install, and resolve on-site design challenges.
2026 marks the beginning of a three-year vision challenging designers and artists to collaborate on an interdisciplinary series of acts.
Each year will build on the previous one, creating an interconnected set of installations, activations, and performances. Act One (2026) staging will examine how construction can be intentionally organised to support unknown future uses and/or the planned disassembly and reuse of parts for subsequent structures.
Awards ranging from $1,000 to $4,000 are available for each selected project. A maximum of twelve proposals will be accepted.
Eligibility and judging criteria
All university faculty in design, the humanities, or related fields are eligible to apply.
Accepted candidates will be required to provide written consent from their department chair or supervisor before being granted the project. They are expected to bring self-organised student teams of 8 to 12 people each, depending on the project size, including project leads.
Candidates should be experienced in their medium and capable of coordinating and managing a design-build project and/or activation.
Accepted proposals will prioritise adaptivity: the ability of art/architecture to act as the foundation, catalyst, and stage for future activations and uses.
Proposals are organised into three typological scales:
- Installations (new construction projects utilising primarily timber)
- Activations (multimedia experiences)
- Interventions (which involve the adaptation or re-purposing of existing installations)
Successful proposals will engage critically with the festival theme and the historic site, demonstrate design competency and feasibility, showcase innovative methods in the artists’ field, and provide a clear off-site and on-site construction plan.
Proposals that incorporate prefabrication will be prioritised.
How to enter
Submissions can be sent to buildfest@bethelwoodscenter.org.
Proposals should include the following:
- A project statement
- Conceptual imagery, such as drawings, models, diagrams, or renderings that convey the project’s intent
- A timeline outlining both off-site construction and on-site installation
- A draft budget detailing expected material costs
- Bios of the faculty team, including links to past projects and research.
Further details can be found at www.buildingfestival.com.
Submission deadlines
The submission deadline is March 30, followed by shortlist interviews in April, with award notifications on 30 April.
About Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is located in Bethel, New York at the National Register Historic Site of the 1969 Woodstock festival.
The organisation is committed to building upon our rich history of peace and music by providing extraordinary experiences and access to the arts.
All images are by Fabio Castellanos.
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