MAUNSELL FORTS

Architecture Competition

Brief

MaUNSELL fORtS:Future Living on Water, uNITED KINGDOM

  • The Maunsell Forts were built during World War II to defend Britain’s coast from enemy aircraft.

    Constructed in the 1940s, these massive steel and concrete structures rose out of the sea like small cities on stilts — strong, functional, and completely self-sufficient.

    Today, the forts are empty, weathered by salt and time, standing as monuments of human ingenuity and resilience.

    They remind us how architecture responds to urgent needs — and how even in crisis, design can be bold, experimental, and transformative.

    By reimagining the Maunsell Forts, this competition invites participants to learn from history, to look at what these structures represented, and to explore how we can reuse them for a new purpose in the age of climate change.

    Your task is to transform the Maunsell Forts into a new form of living.

    The design should:

  • Reuse the Existing Forts

    Transform the Maunsell Forts by keeping their structure and adding new modular extensions using recycled and durable materials suitable for marine conditions.

  • Create Resilient Living Spaces

    Design self-sufficient, flood-resistant habitats that show how people could live on water.

  • Design Sustainable Systems

    Integrate renewable energy, water collection, and food production to make each fort energy-independent and environmentally circular.

  • Make It Modular and Replicable

    The design should be flexible, movable, and scalable — a prototype that could be applied to other coastal or flood-affected areas around the world.

Download the full Brief
Download the Materials (2D & 3D)

tIMELINE

All key dates and deadlines for the competition are outlined in the timeline below.

01 nOVEMBER

REGISTRATION STARTS
23:59 Central European Time

15 January

SUBMISSION ENDS
23:59 Central European Time

01 mARCH

WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
23:59 Central European Time

Prizes

All awarded projects will be featured on websites, in magazines, and across architectural platforms.

600 eURO

First winner

300 eURO

Second winner

100 eURO

Third winner

OUR JURY

Each jury is carefully selected, bringing together professionals whose expertise directly relates to the focus of the competition.

Read more

  • Black and white photo of a woman smiling outdoors, with sunlight on her face, and trees in the background.

    Lucia Oberfrancová

    Research assistent & teacher at Hochschule Wismar

  • Black and white portrait of a young woman with curly hair, wearing a plaid long-sleeve shirt and earrings, smiling at the camera.

    Maged ELBANNA

    Architect, Computational Designer and AI specialist

  • Black and white portrait of a smiling man with short dark hair, a beard, and wearing a collared shirt, sitting in front of a window with blurred outdoor scenery.

    Paula Quintero

    Lighting Designer at Foster + Partners 


  • Black-and-white photo of a man outdoors near water, wearing a cap and a scarf.

    Maria Ulashchenko

    Founder of SKALA SOCIAL, Architecture M.Sc. Student at Politecnico di Milano

  • A woman with curly hair smiling, wearing earrings and a necklace, in front of a blurred background.

    Radovan Szabó

    Architectural designer at Büro Hacke 

  • Black and white portrait of a smiling man with light-colored, wavy hair, wearing a white collared shirt, against a plain background.

    Johana Mendoza Rodriguez

    Architectural designer, Oslon Kundig

FAQs

  • Click Here or Click on Register Button under

  • Participation is open to all Students and Professionals.

  • We offer free entry for a limited number of spots. After these are filled, participants can still register by paying a contribution fee of 5 euro only! to help us collect the prize money.

  • Yes, teams (Max 4 members) can participate, but be sure to list all team members during registration.

  • Participants can submit one project per competition. Additional projects can be submitted by paying an additional fee of 10 €.

  • The accepted file format is strictly limited to PDF/JPG/PNG with a maximum combined file size of 20 megabytes. If you encounter any issues, feel free to contact us directly, and our support team will help you.

  • Design criteria vary per competition and are provided in the competition Brief.

  • Winners are chosen by a panel of experienced architects and designers. They evaluate submissions based on criteria that aligns with the competition’s theme, ensuring a fair assessment for all entries.

  • Yes, we use Instagram platform to showcase the outstanding participants’ Submissions. and other several international media Platforms in the industry.

Be Part of It!

After that, you can still Register by contributing just 5 € — your contribution goes directly toward the prize fund !

Be among the first 50 participants to join absolutely free!

Join on 1st of November and help make this event amazing!

0 / 1000 €