Archcontest - Architecture and Design Competitions

1st Prize

Authors: Xinyi Lyu, Jiawei Yao
Country: China
5 in 1 Tent is inspired by traditional Inuit gut-skin parkas and reinterprets them as a lightweight, transformable micro-architecture for Arctic conditions. The project works as a single foldable and inflatable element that can become a tent, canopy, boat, or chair, adapting to the seasonal landscape of Chena Lake, Alaska. It combines protection, mobility, and cultural memory, transforming a garment into a temporary inhabitable space.

2nd Prize

Authors: Ruiwei Long
Country: China
Wilderness Airbag proposes an integrated inflatable tent designed for beginner campers and outdoor users seeking a more intuitive and reliable shelter. The project replaces rigid poles with a modular air-filled hemispherical structure, allowing the tent to be assembled simply by unfolding and inflating it. Its cushioned base improves terrain adaptability, while the rounded inflatable shell enhances stability against wind and harsh weather. Lightweight, expandable, and easy to operate, the design reimagines the tent as a soft yet resistant micro-architecture for temporary living in nature.

3rd Prize

Authors: Giulianno Camatta, Juan Rarez, Tarsila Salgado
Country: Brazil
CLOTHADO is a modular tent designed for the landscape of Monte Roraima, with the aim of minimizing the visual presence of architecture in nature. The project uses a reflective and adaptive membrane that absorbs the colors, light, and atmosphere of its surroundings, allowing the shelter to almost disappear into the landscape.
More than a simple tent, CLOTHADO becomes a light, temporary, and reversible architecture, capable of protecting the user without imposing an invasive presence. Its modular system allows the creation of single shelters or small settlements, while maintaining a silent and respectful relationship with the natural environment.