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Vancouver's BLA Design Group has won an international architecture competition centred around sustainable microhome design. Bee Breeders, an architecture competition organizer based in Singapore, awarded first place to BLA's concept, which addresses the need for diverse housing typologies in an increasingly unaffordable market.
After issuing their verdict, jurors commended the proposal's "sensible linear plan layout" and remarked that "the project is depicted beautifully in plan and section, giving sense to the project's layout and form."
"The key requirement of the competition was to create a livable entry-level home that didn't exceed 25 square metres. In the context of the affordability challenges of Vancouver's housing market, this felt like more of a mission than an academic exercise," said Jerry Liu, co-founder of BLA Design Group. "We're incredibly humbled to have had our vision recognized by such a well-respected group of prominent architects and university professors, particularly given the strength the submissions by the short-listed competitors."
The MICROHOME International Architecture Competition jury panel consisted of world-renowned design studios, including OMA, Renzo Piano Building Workshop and SHoP Architects. Academics from post-secondary institutions, including the University of Oxford, University of Plymouth and University of Texas were also members of the panel.
"Bee Breeders serves a global community of 50,000 architects and designers and this MicroHome competition was intended to highlight for our industry that bigger isn't always better," said Jesse Basran, co-founder of BLA Design Group. "Our vision is that small-scale architecture can offer the opportunity of home ownership to many more people—and do that in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way."
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