ArchiTrails has announced an innovative architectural competition challenging designers to create a revolutionary solution for climate displacement: a floating refugee village that can house approximately 1,000 residents. The competition, titled "Floating Refugee Village," seeks to reimagine humanitarian architecture by proposing self-sustaining communities that can adapt to rising sea levels and climate-induced displacement.
With rising sea levels and intensifying climate events affecting coastal populations worldwide, the competition addresses the unprecedented displacement of communities, creating a new generation of climate migrants. Traditional land-based refugee solutions are often temporary, resource-intensive, and fail to provide long-term dignity or stability for displaced populations. The competition challenges architects and designers to radically rethink humanitarian architecture by proposing a new paradigm: a buoyant, self-reliant community that serves as a permanent, adaptable, and thriving habitat.
The primary objective requires participants to design a modular and scalable floating village prototype that functions as a fully integrated, self-sustaining ecosystem. Key design components must include residential modules, community spaces, educational and healthcare facilities, and areas for commerce. Central to the design is the integration of closed-loop systems, including renewable energy generation through solar, tidal, and wind power, advanced hydroponic and aquaponic farms for food security, and innovative water desalination and waste management systems.
Participants must select a conceptual site located in a sheltered coastal region or a large, calm inland waterway susceptible to climate-induced displacement, such as a delta in Southeast Asia or a protected bay in the Pacific Islands. While the specific geography remains flexible, designs must respond to the chosen location's environmental conditions, including tidal patterns, sun exposure, prevailing winds, and potential storm surges. The proposed village should occupy a total water surface area ranging between 15 to 25 hectares, ensuring sufficient space for all programmed activities and potential future expansion.
All proposals must adhere to the principle of radical sustainability, using buoyant, durable, and eco-friendly materials while prioritizing recycled or bio-composite components. The entire village must operate completely off-grid, generating 100 percent of its energy needs through integrated renewable sources. Additionally, the design must feature a comprehensive food production system capable of supplying a significant portion of residents' nutritional needs. The village must function as a modular system, allowing for phased construction, scalability, and easy reconfiguration or relocation when necessary.
Submissions will be evaluated based on four key criteria, each carrying specific weight in the judging process. Innovation and Vision accounts for 30 percent of the evaluation, assessing the originality and strength of the architectural concept in addressing the climate migrant crisis. Sustainability and Self-Sufficiency, also worth 30 percent, evaluates the effectiveness and integration of energy, food, water, and waste management systems. Community and Livability comprises 20 percent of the assessment, focusing on quality of life for residents, design of social spaces, and creation of a dignified human-centric environment. Finally, Feasibility and Scalability represents the remaining 20 percent, judging the proposal's structural logic, cost-effectiveness, modular design, and potential for replication in different contexts.
While this conceptual competition operates without a fixed budget, proposals must demonstrate economic viability and long-term affordability for implementation by international aid organizations or non-governmental bodies. Participants are required to submit a preliminary cost-benefit analysis, outlining estimated costs per residential module and per capita. The design should prioritize low operational and maintenance costs through durable materials and passive design strategies, ultimately creating a model that proves significantly more cost-effective and sustainable over its lifecycle than traditional land-based displacement camps.
The competition registration and submission deadline is set for October 17, 2025, at 11:59 PM, with a registration fee of $28 USD. This global competition represents an opportunity for architects and designers worldwide to contribute innovative solutions to one of the most pressing humanitarian challenges of our time, offering hope for climate refugees through dignified, sustainable living environments that harmonize with aquatic ecosystems.
