Architectural Cases

Buildner's first annual 'Re-Form: New Life for Old Spaces' competition has concluded, celebrating groundbreaking designs that redefine existing structures. This international event invited architects and designers to reimagine small-scale buildings, typically around 250 square meters, located anywhere in the world. The core objective was to champion sustainable alternatives to demolition, focusing on reuse strategies that integrate contemporary social and environmental considerations. The competition encouraged innovative thinking across various scales and contexts, from precise urban insertions to imaginative rural transformations, all united by a commitment to resourcefulness and community benefit.

Detailed Project Insights

On December 22, 2025, Buildner proudly announced the recipients of its inaugural 'Re-Form: New Life for Old Spaces' competition. The judging panel meticulously reviewed a diverse array of international entries, ultimately selecting three primary winners, several special award recipients, and honorable mentions. The projects that stood out most distinctly transcended conventional preservation approaches, proposing novel hybrid or shared-use typologies and exhibiting remarkable clarity and restraint in addressing environmental performance. Collectively, these winning works powerfully illustrate how small-scale adaptive reuse can act as a catalyst for extensive urban and social metamorphosis, highlighting the enduring importance of existing buildings in an era of escalating environmental concerns.

The First Prize was awarded to Parisima Davoudi of Raah Studio (United Kingdom) for 'Edge of Presence.' This project envisions a profound spatial intervention within a desolate brick kiln landscape. It integrates a subterranean shelter, a transitional zone of medicinal plants, and a linear market, transforming a marginalized area into a topography of renewal, emphasizing concealment, memory, and regeneration. Using elemental materials like sun-dried brick and reclaimed stone, the design makes a powerful statement about land, identity, and quiet resilience.

The Second Prize and Buildner Student Award went to Lee Hyunwoo and Lee Hyeonbok from Myongji University (South Korea) for 'SINKTOPIA.' This proposal re-envisions South Korea's vulnerable semi-basement dwellings (banjiha) as hubs of environmental innovation and social revitalization. By integrating a stormwater collection and purification system, the design converts these spaces into smart farms and micro-marketplaces, reopening sealed facades to create sunken courtyards and fostering climate resilience and urban equality through localized transformation.

Third Prize recipients Damian Świerzbiński and Kamila Jagieniak from the University of Fine Arts in Poznań (Poland) were recognized for 'It Started with Grain.' This project reimagines a derelict grain silo in Poland as a vertical public pavilion. It functions as both a historical archive and cultural commentary, guiding visitors through layers of meaning from botanical growth metaphors to immersive installations. The design reactivates the surrounding site with landscape elements and educational programs, embedding the proposal within Poland's socio-political past and ecological future.

The Buildner Sustainability Prize was awarded to Hwanseo Lee, Kuenwoo Park, and Hyeonjin Cho from Politecnico di Milano (Italy) for 'Phototropism Chimney.' This design transforms a disused warehouse in Lagonegro into a hybrid living and co-working space. Inspired by phototropism, the design optimizes light and energy flow through a central chimney, maximizing daylight, passive heating/cooling, and the reuse of embodied resources while respecting the building's historical integrity.

Several other submissions were highlighted for their innovative approaches: Jun-Kai Tseng (Taiwan) with 'Earthen Sanheyuan Regeneration,' transforming a traditional U-shaped courtyard house using recycled local materials; Chang Suo and Di Meng (United States) with 'Guest Station,' converting an abandoned gas station into a community public space; Yen-Yun Huang and Tzu-Pei Chiang (Pratt Institute, United States) with 'The Path (Taipei Theater),' reinterpreting an abandoned theater as a site where urban history and ecological processes coexist; and Nataliia Murashova and Mariia Knutova (Belgium) with 'Art Center / Guild Arts,' transforming a historic brick complex into a contemporary center for craft and artistic exchange.

Buildner has also announced the launch of 'Re-Form: New Life for Old Spaces – Edition 2,' continuing its focus on small-scale adaptive reuse and inviting new proposals to further explore the reimagination of overlooked structures for modern purposes.

The 'Re-Form' competition illuminates a vital path forward for architecture and urban development. By showcasing projects that breathe new life into forgotten structures, it underscores the profound importance of adaptive reuse in fostering environmental stewardship, community resilience, and economic vitality. The winning entries serve as powerful reminders that sustainable design is not merely about constructing new buildings, but thoughtfully transforming the old, honoring history while forging innovative futures. This initiative inspires a re-evaluation of our built environment, urging us to see every abandoned space as a canvas for creative, sustainable intervention. It demonstrates that with vision and ingenuity, discarded places can become vibrant centers of activity, proving that true progress often lies in rediscovering and re-forming what already exists.

In Latin America, architectural renovation is undergoing a profound transformation, evolving from a simple act of preservation into a dynamic process of adapting existing structures to the rhythms of modern life. This shift reflects a deeper understanding that buildings are not static entities but living spaces that must respond to the ever-changing needs of their inhabitants. Instead of merely safeguarding historical integrity, contemporary projects in the region are ingeniously working with inherited forms, materials, and layouts to infuse them with new purpose and vitality. This approach prioritizes functionality, flexibility, and a seamless integration of old and new, ensuring that renovated spaces remain deeply connected to their origins while embracing forward-thinking design principles.

This innovative wave of architectural redesign is characterized by thoughtful interventions that reconsider elements like material palettes, structural compositions, and the interplay of colors and light. The goal is to reinterpret existing domestic environments, transforming them into functional and aesthetically pleasing spaces that align with contemporary lifestyles. For instance, traditional homes and apartments are being reconfigured to foster greater flow and continuity, enhancing social interactions and accommodating diverse routines. These projects demonstrate a keen awareness of how spatial arrangements impact daily rituals, seeking to create environments that are not only beautiful but also inherently livable and adaptable.

The meticulous nature of these renovations positions them as sophisticated architectural tools. Architects are leveraging techniques that maximize natural light, cultivate a sense of openness, and introduce flexibility into previously rigid layouts. This strategic emphasis ensures that each redesigned space can support a dynamic range of activities and preferences, evolving alongside its occupants. Rather than demolishing and rebuilding, which can be resource-intensive and culturally disruptive, the focus is on repurposing what already exists. This sustainable and context-sensitive methodology allows for the creation of unique, character-rich spaces that resonate with the distinct habits and daily practices of those who call them home.

Ultimately, this architectural trend underscores a commitment to sustainable urban development and cultural continuity. By giving new life to old structures, Latin American architects are contributing to a richer, more resilient urban fabric. These projects are testaments to the power of thoughtful design to honor heritage while addressing the demands of the present, forging a path toward future-ready living spaces that are both innovative and deeply rooted in their communities.