The future of human settlement will not be built from a single blueprint. It will be cultivated and homegrown from the unique soil of each place. From the dense informal settlements of Lagos to the vacant lots of Baltimore and Detroit, from the water-scarce communities of the Western Cape to the flood-prone neighbourhoods of New Orleans, the global housing crisis is universal, yet its solutions must be local.
Under the conference theme “Smart Futures: From Smart Villages to Smart Economies,” this competition challenges you to redefine “smart” from the ground up. We call on students and young professionals, individuals or teams, to design The Homegrown Habitat. Your task is to diagnose a local crisis and create a culturally resonant, climatically intelligent, and community-centric response.
The most powerful innovations are not imported. They are homegrown.
The core challenge is to move beyond providing shelter and instead create an integrated Homegrown Habitat. Your design must be an ecosystem that includes housing while actively fostering four key outcomes:
Your proposal must demonstrate how it is fundamentally invented for its place, creating a scalable prototype for a resilient, equitable, and thriving community. We are not asking for a house, but for a habitat rooted in its context.
Building for a Sense of Place and Belonging
Designing to Withstand Shocks and Stresses
Leveraging Innovation for Accessible and Scalable Solutions
Please choose one of the following categories for your submission. Your design should deeply address your chosen category’s specific challenges and opportunities while demonstrating integration of all four Core Design Pillars.
Re-imagining Density, Community, and Affordability in the Growing City
This category focuses on creating high-density, community-oriented housing within rapidly growing or transforming urban areas. Proposals should address the tension between density and quality of life, exploring infill development, transit-oriented design, and strategies to prevent displacement and gentrification, whether in a global megacity or a regional hub.
CATEGORY 2:
Designing Dignity and Systems for Self-Organised Communities
CATEGORY 3:
CATEGORY 4:
All entries must be submitted digitally as a single, multi-page PDF document. The document must be formatted to A2 size (420mm x 594mm), with a maximum file size of 20MB. The PDF must be clearly organized and anonymous; do not include your name, university, or identifying marks. Your unique registration ID must be displayed on every page.
REQUIRED PDF COMPONENTS (MAX. 10 PAGES TOTAL):
This section should visually and textually demonstrate your design’s response to the Core Design Pillars.
How seamlessly are the Core Design Pillars woven together into a unified proposal?
This criterion assesses the overall coherence of the design vision.
How profoundly does the design address its specific context and challenges?
This criterion assesses the rigour and significance of the design solution.
Does the proposal offer a novel and compelling approach?
This criterion assesses the creativity and forward-thinking nature of the concept.
Could this design be realised and replicated?
This criterion assesses the realism and potential for broader impact.
Is the proposal communicated powerfully and effectively?
This criterion assesses the ability to convey the project’s value.
All entries must be submitted digitally as a single, multi-page PDF document. The document must be formatted to A2 size (420mm x 594mm), with a maximum file size of 20MB. The PDF must be clearly organized and anonymous; do not include your name, university, or identifying marks. Your unique registration ID must be displayed on every page.
REQUIRED PDF COMPONENTS (MAX. 10 PAGES TOTAL):
The future of housing is not a destination we arrive at; it is a world we build through the choices we make today. It will be defined not by a single perfect solution but by a diverse ecosystem of homegrown habitats that are uniquely adapted, deeply rooted, and profoundly resilient.
This competition has been a call to move beyond universal blueprints and to champion local intelligence instead. You have been challenged to look at your place’s specific needs, whether in a bustling global metropolis or a quiet rural community, and to design a response that is culturally resonant, climatically smart, and community-centric.
The most powerful solutions are not imported. They are cultivated. They are homegrown.
Your designs are the seeds of this future. We challenge you to plant them.
Join the Challenge. Design Your Place. Cultivate the Homegrown Habitat.
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