Rome Rain Rooms , Rom / Italien

 

Buildner Architecture Competitions

 

Rome Rain Rooms invites architects, designers, and visionaries from around the world to reimagine how cities live with water. As climate change reshapes weather patterns, Rome faces longer droughts followed by sudden, intense downpours — moments of abundance that often go to waste. This competition challenges participants to transform those fleeting storms into civic rituals, turning rainfall into both a shared experience and a sustainable resource.

 

Participants are asked to design small, reversible pavilions that harvest and store rainwater while offering comfort and delight to the public. Each “rain room” should collect at least five cubic meters of water per storm and direct it to where it is most needed — neighborhood trees, gardens, or non-potable fountains. Beyond its technical function, each pavilion must celebrate the sensory and social dimensions of rain: its sound, reflection, mist, and movement through space. Architecture here becomes a medium between people and climate — something that makes weather visible, touchable, and communal.

 

There is no fixed site. Designers may choose any location within Rome that supports their narrative — from a courtyard or market edge to a quiet corner of a piazza. Proposals may also take the form of modular systems that can be installed in multiple settings, adapting to different scales and communities. The focus is not on monumental construction but on light, reversible, and context-aware design — interventions that respect Rome’s historic layers while addressing its environmental future.

 

The expected outcome is a collection of ideas that show how design can turn necessity into beauty. The most successful proposals will combine environmental logic with emotional resonance — demonstrating that architecture can teach, cool, and inspire all at once. Rome Rain Rooms seeks visions that turn the storm into a civic moment, reminding the city that resilience, generosity, and imagination can still flow together.

 

The competition is open to all. No professional qualification is required. Design proposals can be developed individually or by teams (4 team members maximum). Correspondence with organizers must be conducted in English; All information submitted by participants must be in English

 

Closing date for registration: 28 May 2026

Closing date for project submission: 29 June 2026, 23:59 (LONDON TIME)

Announcement of winners: 15 September 2026

 

Total Prize Fund: 10,000 €

 

1st Prize: 5,000 €

2nd Prize: 2,500 €

3rd Prize: 1,000 €

 

Buildner Student Award: 1,000 €

Buildner Sustainability Award: 500 €

 

6 Honourable mentions & certificates