La Madreselva – A Contemporary Retreat in the Argentine Countryside
Dezeen Competitions: TerraViva’s latest competition calls for creatives to design a series of communal spaces and small-scale lodging units within a historic property in Argentina.
Designers should ensure the communal spaces increase the site’s capacity to host up to 20 guests without changing its heritage.
This competition is now closed
Organiser: TerraViva
Competition: La Madreselva – A Contemporary Retreat in the Argentine Countryside
Judges:
- Marco Rampulla, architect and founder of Marco Rampulla Arquitecto
- Ana Lina Klotzman, architect and founder of Navello Klotzman Arquitectas
- Valerio Poltrini, architect and founder of Studio Nebbia
- Iuliia Tambovtseva, architect at Jayson Architecture
- Lara Andrea Pendino, architect and professor at UNR – FAPyD
- T R Radhakrishnan, architect at Interboro Partners
- Weiyu Xu, architect at Kohn Pedersen Fox
- Davide Casaletto, architect and founder of Fluidiforme
Registration deadline: 5 December 2025
Submission deadline: 5 December 2025
Winner announcement: 12 January 2026
Prizes: the first prize is €5,000, the second prize is €2,000 and the third prize is €1,000. There are also five golden mentions that will receive a coupon for free a TerraViva membership and ten honourable mentions that will receive a coupon for a free competition. Thirty finalists will be published on TerraViva’s channels
Competition overview
La Madreselva is a historic countryside property near San Antonio de Areco, known as the Cradle of Argentine Tradition.
Immersed in the culture of the gauchos and nestled in the rural vastness of the Pampas, the site offers an authentic landscape for rural tourism.
The competition invites participants to design a series of small-scale lodging units and communal spaces, expanding the site’s capacity to host up to 20 guests without compromising its rural soul.
Designers are encouraged to develop a project that merges architecture, landscape and cultural identity. TerraViva seeks an intervention that enhances the quiet presence of the original structures while providing new experiences for contemporary travellers seeking disconnection and immersive tradition.
Eligibility and judging criteria
The competition is open to architects, designers, students, engineers, artists, enthusiasts and anyone interested in the fields of design and architecture.
The intervention area lies within the northern portion of the estate, currently undeveloped. Proposals may include a flexible mix of architectural volumes and shared-use spaces. The site’s defining features, such as the century-old trees, the existing quincho and the iconic Australian Tank (currently a rustic pool), must be preserved and thoughtfully integrated.
Designs should respond to the local climate and make use of sustainable, context-sensitive solutions. Intermediate spaces like pergolas, terraces and patios are encouraged to create smooth indoor-outdoor transitions and year-round usability.
The jury will judge according to the following criteria:
- Originality of the concept
- Integration with the rural context
- Effectiveness in the adaptive reuse
- Innovative interior design solutions
- Landscape design
- Graphic representation
Projects that express a special sensitivity towards the integration of ancient and contemporary through quality architectural solutions will be highly valued.
How to enter
Participants are required to submit two A1 panels and a brief text describing the project.
For more information visit the competition’s website.
Submission deadlines
The deadline for registration is 5 December.
The project submission deadline is also 5 December and the winners will be announced on 12 January 2026.
About TerraViva
TerraViva is a platform dedicated to the organisation of international architecture and design competitions.
The organisation connects talented designers around the world with partners and stakeholders looking for high-quality projects to rehabilitate a building, redesign an urban plot, or transform an entire district.
In addition to the organisation’s focus on architecture, it also works on graphic design contests, providing the ideal platform for international creatives to showcase their visual communication skills and contribute to innovative projects.
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