Kinderspace: Architecture for Children’s Development
Dezeen Competitions: Kinderspace: Architecture for Children’s Development calls for designers to create a kindergarten that promotes the growth, creativity and wellbeing of young learners.
Buildner’s competition invites participants to develop a kindergarten for children aged from three to six. It aims to find designs that challenge traditional learning spaces and act as a nurturing ground for young children, encouraging their social, cognitive and emotional development.
This competition is now closed
Organiser: Buildner
Competition: Kinderspace: Architecture for Children’s Development
Judges:
- Jan Clostermann, founding director of CLOU architects
- Tommaso Calistri, principal architect at Killa Design
- Jake Heffington, founder of And Other Works
- Mikkel Hermann Sørensen, architect at Christensen & Co
- Danielle Reimers, principal at SAOTA
- Betsaida Curto Reyes, architect at Estudio Copla
- Yu-Ying Tsai, founder of ZJJZ Atelier
- Jan Vondrák, co-founder of Mjölk
- Edward Weysen, founding partner of WE-S architects
- Matthias Roller, architect at Dannien Roller Architekten + Partner
Submission deadline: 16 June 2025
Winner announcement: 23 July 2025
Prizes: There will be winning proposals, two special award recipients and six honourable mentions. There is €10,000 in prize money for competition winners as follows: 1st prize: €5,000; 2nd prize: €2,500; 3rd prize: €1,000; Buildner Student Award: €1,000; Buildner Sustainability Award: €500
Competition overview
The competition invites participants to develop a kindergarten that enhances children’s creativity and caters to their developmental needs.
The competition aims to find new approaches to educational architecture. It recognises the impact that physical spaces have on socialisation and early brain development and seeks to evaluate how architecture can create inclusive, stimulating spaces that foster children’s creativity, sense of community and connection with nature.
Eligibility and judging criteria
The competition is open to any individual over the age of 18.
No professional qualifications are required. Proposals can be submitted individually or by teams of up to four individuals.
Entrants should propose a kindergarten for children from three to six years old. The space should cater for 100 children, with thoughtful allocation for various age groups. Entrants should pick a real or imaginative site within their home country.
The proposals must also cater to children who have learning needs and physical disabilities – those who may find it difficult to interact and navigate a conventional educational environment. The proposals should foster a sense of belonging, support children’s needs and encourage active participation. They should be flexible and able to support a range of learning styles and activities.
Successful proposals will be sustainable and incorporate natural materials into the design. Interactive and sensory spaces that encourage curiosity should also be added.
How to enter
Submission requirements include:
- Four A2 landscape-orientated presentation board with renderings, plans, sketches, diagrams, and other presentation techniques to explain their proposal. Full details are on Buildner’s website
- No video files are accepted
- All information provided in writing must be in English
- Submissions must be uploaded to the online upload panel, which will provide participants with instructions on how to upload their presentation board
- Presentation boards must be anonymous and not include an individual’s or team’s identity
Submission deadlines
The final registration deadline is 15 May 2025. The competition is open to submissions until 16 June 2025 and the winners will be announced on 23 July 23 2025.
About Buildner
Buildner promotes international architecture competitions, providing a platform for designers and architects to showcase their work and shape the future of the built environment. For over ten years, the platform has published more than 140 competitions and had over 400 guest jury members.
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