MICRO LIVING Edition #1

Life no longer fits into fixed rooms. We wake up to glowing screens. We work from kitchen tables. We build relationships across time zones. We relocate without warning. Climate events interrupt routines. Ownership is shifting toward access. Privacy and community now overlap in unexpected ways. Our lives are fluid however our homes are not. Most housing is designed for stability: one job, one city, one predictable routine. Yet today, life transforms hour by hour, season by season. The way we live has evolved. The spaces we inhabit have not. This competition asks a decisive question: What if 250 square feet was all the city could give you? Micro Living invites you to design more than a compact house. It asks you to reimagine the logic of living itself to transform limitation into intelligence, and density into opportunity.

The Students Apartment

The Students Apartment challenges architects and designers to completely rethink a traditional two-bedroom apartment located in the heart of Pavia, one of Italy's most prestigious university cities. Situated on the sixth floor of a residential building in the historic centre, the unit offers panoramic views and a strategic position. The competition invites participants to transform this long-unused apartment into a contemporary home conceived specifically for two or three students. The goal is to redesign the internal layout and create an innovative design proposal capable of balancing flexibility, comfort, privacy and social interaction. The challenge goes beyond a simple renovation: it is an opportunity to imagine a new model of student living capable of transforming an overlooked apartment into an inspiring and functional domestic environment for a new generation!

Ruinas de Quilmes

Ruinas de Quilmes invites architects and designers to rethink the experience of the Sacred City through the creation of a contemporary Open-Air Museum. The competition calls for the design of a new Visitor Centre, conceived as the main gateway to the site, alongside a series of small-scale architectural and landscape interventions aimed at improving accessibility and enriching the visitor journey. The project goes beyond the design of a single building. Participants are asked to develop an integrated strategy that connects architecture, landscape and heritage, transforming the ruins into a coherent and engaging narrative. From pathways and viewpoints to informational devices and resting areas, every element should contribute to enhancing the understanding and perception of this unique cultural landscape. Ultimately, the competition seeks visionary proposals capable of strengthening the connection between past and present, offering a renewed way to experience one of Argentina's most significant ancestral sites.

Call of the sea

Call of the Sea challenges participants to design a small overwater accommodation in Torosiaje, a Bajau village off North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Hosting 6-8 guests, the project should offer an immersive experience connected to the community's culture, daily life and relationship with the sea. Rather than a conventional hotel, the proposal should explore hospitality that is simple, respectful and integrated into the existing environment. Designs should emphasise water-based living, local materials and sustainable strategies suited to coastal conditions. Participants are encouraged to consider how architecture can strengthen connections between visitors and residents while supporting the local economy and cultural identity. Proposals may range from a single structure to modular or dispersed systems, allowing flexibility in organisation and experience. The challenge is to create a design that balances environmental sensitivity, architectural quality and meaningful engagement with one of the world's most distinctive marine cultures.