Terraviva launches NIDOS DE AGUA, a new international architecture competition that invites participants to design a microarchitecture pavilion immersed in the wetland landscape of La Albufera Natural Park – Valencia.
Prizes up to 8.000 € will be awarded to the winners, selected by an international jury including Raffaella Laezza (IUAV), Sílvia Forns Castells (DomperCastells Architecture), Luca Bacilieri (Zaha Hadid Architects) and Isabel Li (Snøhetta), among others.
BRIEF
Nidos de Agua challenges participants to envision a microarchitecture pavilion within the extraordinary landscape of La Albufera Natural Park, one of the most significant wetland ecosystems in the Mediterranean basin.
Suspended between freshwater lagoon, rice fields and migratory bird habitats, this protected environment calls for architectural responses that are both sensitive and visionary. Rather than imposing form, proposals should frame the landscape, intensify perception and demonstrate how microarchitecture can act as a mediator between human presence and fragile ecosystems.
PRIZES
• 1st Prize: 3.000€
• 2nd Prize: 2.000€
• 3rd Prize: 1.000€
• 5 Golden Mentions: coupon for a free membership
• 10 Honorable Mentions: coupon for a free competition
• 30 Finalists: published on Terraviva channels
GUIDELINES
The competition invites designers to propose a small-scale pavilion capable of enhancing the visitor’s experience while preserving the ecological balance of the site. The program is intentionally open: the structure may host activities such as contemplation, environmental education, observation, rest or seasonal events related to the landscape. What matters most is the quality of the spatial dialogue established with the surroundings.
Participants may choose any location within the Natural Park, carefully defining how their intervention relates to water, vegetation, horizon and access. The pavilion could float, rise slightly above marshland, embed itself within rice fields or settle along the shifting shoreline. Scale is flexible, but environmental responsibility and contextual coherence are essential.
REQUESTED MATERIAL
One A1 panels (59,4 x 84,1 cm – horizontal) and a brief text describing the proposal (250-500 words).
JURY
• Raffaella Laezza (Venice, Italy) | IUAV
• Luca Bacilieri (London, UK) | Zaha Hadid Architects
• Sílvia Forns Castells (Lucerne, Switzerland) | DomperCastells Architecture
• Mine Özoğuz Arbay (Istanbul, Turkey) | Ozyegin University
• Isabel Li (New York, USA) | Snøhetta
• Sofia Nallino (Rosario, Argentina) | Oficina de Proyetos
• Pablo Castillo Luna (Las Palmas, Spain) |À la Sauvette Amparo Dominguez Soler (Valencia, Spain) | Open House Valencia
SCHEDULE
• Competition Opening: March 10th
• 69 € “Early” Registrations: March 10t – June 5th
• 99 € “Standard” Registrations: June 5th – July 31st
• 129 € “Late” Registrations: July 31st – September 11th
• Submission Deadline: September 11th, 2026
• Winners Announcement: October 12th, 2026
DOWNLOAD FULL BRIEF
REQUIREMENTS & ELIGIBILITY
The competition is open to students, architects, designers, artists, engineers, urban planners, makers and creatives of all kinds. Participants can compete individually or in teams.
More info at: www.terravivacompetitions.com
Contact: info@terravivacompetitions.com
Instagram: @terravivacompetitions
Facebook: Terraviva Competitions
LinkedIn: Terraviva Competitions
TikTok: @terravivacompetitions
The post NIDOS DE AGUA Competition appeared first on Competitions.archi.