Collage of digitally manipulated images by Judit Musachs and Pol Pérez selected by the curatorial team.Images captioned clockwise: Bangkok Oportunistic Ecologies, drawing by Animali Domestici; Reino Mineral, drawing by Lluis Alexandre Casanovas; Closer Each Day: The Architecture of Everyday Death for The Canadian Centre for Architecture, drawing by Comon Acounts; Athens By Hills, drawing by Point Supreme; Nora House, drawing by Atelier Bow-wow; P.A.R.C, drawing by Adrià Escolano & David Steegman; Isometric Fence Mount Fenell 1950; Phyla, drawing by TAKK; Jardins Elementaires, Villa Medici, drawing by Michel Desvigne; Cover from Athenian Primitivism, drawing by Al White.

Catalysts of Resilience

The organisers of the UIA 2026 Barcelona World Congress of Architects, the Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España (CSCAE) and the Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC), invite architecture students worldwide to participate in the international single-stage ideas competition “Catalysts of Resilience.”

The competition is organised and conducted in accordance with UNESCO Standard Regulations for International Competitions in Architecture and Town Planning and the UIA best practice recommendations in the framework of the UIA 2026 Barcelona World Congress of Architects that will take place on 28 June – 2 July 2026.

Register here

Prizes

  • 1st prize 5000€ and a certificate.
  • 2nd prize 4000€ and a certificate.
  • 3rd prize 3000€ and a certificate.
  • 4th prize 2000€ and a certificate.
  • 5th prize 1000€ and a certificate.

Theme and objectives

Participants are invited to engage with the theme “Catalysts of Resilience” by addressing vulnerable places at risk of future habitational discomfort, inequality, or collapse. The competition calls for spatial interventions that support resistance and adaptation to foreseeable threats resulting from political shifts, social transformations, and climate change. Proposals should explore how resilience can be fostered by using time as a design tool.

Key criteria

The criteria, in no particular order of importance, include: 

  • Relevance to the theme: Alignment with Catalysts of Resilience and the use of time as a design tool. 
  • Site analysis and context: Depth of understanding of the site’s vulnerabilities, potential, and cultural/ecological layers. 
  • Innovation and adaptive strategies: Creativity and effectiveness in proposing time-based, resilient interventions. 
  • Clarity and communication: Strength of narrative and effectiveness of visual representation. 
  • Scalability and impact: Consideration of multiple scales and long-term transformative potential.

Jury Members

  • Josep Ferrando (Spain), Architect – Jury Chair
  • Tatiana Bilbao (Mexico), Architect
  • Marianna Rentzou (Greece), Architect
  • Sumayya Vally (South Africa), Architect – UIA Representative
  • Wtanya Chanvitan (Thailand), Architect

Alternate Jurors:

  • Donn Holohan (Ireland), Architect
  • Alejandro Vargas Marulanda (Colombia), Architect – UIA Representative

Eligibility

The competition is open to any full-time registered students (individual or team) around the world. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged. Only students of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design or urban planning can register as authors or co-authors. Students from other disciplines can register as collaborators. Participants may not be accompanied by tutors or teachers.

Key dates

2025-07-15 Competition launch
2025-09-15 Deadline for questions
2025-09-24 Deadline for answers
2025-11-07 Submission deadline

Reference documents

Competition brief
In Progress
Open
Student