Students Apartment Competition 2026
Terraviva Competitions
📌About the Event
The Students Apartment Competition 2026 is an international architecture and interior design contest organised by Terraviva Competitions. Participants must redesign a long-unused, traditional two-bedroom apartment located on the sixth floor of a residential building in the historic centre of Pavia, Italy. The objective is to transform it into a flexible and contemporary home for two or three university students while balancing study, rest, privacy, storage and social interaction.
ℹ️ Event Details
- Competition category: Architecture and interior design
- Mode of conduct: Online registration and digital submission
- Project location: Pavia, Italy
- Design challenge: Redesign the apartment’s internal layout as a contemporary residence for two or three students.
- Participants are encouraged to explore:
- Flexible and adaptable spaces
- Multifunctional furniture
- Efficient storage solutions
- Comfortable study and rest areas
- Privacy within shared accommodation
- Spaces that encourage social interaction
- Submission requirements:
- One horizontal A1 presentation panel measuring 594 × 841 mm
- A brief text explaining the design proposal
- Projects will be submitted through Terraviva’s online submission platform.
📅 Important Dates
- Competition launch and early registration opening: May 20, 2026
- Early registration deadline: September 4, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. CET
- Standard registration period: September 4 to October 16, 2026
- Standard registration deadline: October 16, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. CET
- Late registration period: October 16 to November 6, 2026
- Final registration deadline: November 6, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. CET
- Project submission deadline: November 6, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. CET
🎯 Eligibility & Rules
- Eligibility:
- The competition is open to participants from all countries, including India.
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
- Eligible participants include:
- Students
- Architects
- Interior designers
- Urban planners
- Engineers
- Artists
- Makers
- Activists
- Architecture and design enthusiasts
- Participants may enter individually or as a team.
- There is no nationality or country-of-residence restriction.
- Under a single competition registration, there is no stated limit on the number of team members.
- Entries submitted through a monthly membership may include the team leader and up to four additional members.
- Companies and architecture firms may also participate.
- Competition Rules
- Each paid registration provides one identification code for submitting one project.
- A separate registration is required for every additional project.
- Entries must be new, original and created by the registered participant or team.
- Submissions must remain anonymous and must not display participants’ names, university names, office names or other identifying details.
- Presentation text and submitted material must be in English.
- Participants must follow the prescribed file format, naming rules, deadlines and upload procedure.
- The composition of a team cannot be changed after the project has been submitted.
- Submitted work must not be publicly released before the official announcement of the results.
- Participants with a close family relationship or recent direct professional connection with a jury member may be disqualified.
- Late, incomplete, non-original, incorrectly formatted or non-anonymous submissions may be removed before jury evaluation.
- Registration fees are generally non-refundable after participants access or download the competition material.
🏆 Benefits for the Participants
- Total prize pool: €8,000
- Total cash prizes: €6,000
- First prize: €3,000
- Second prize: €2,000
- Third prize: €1,000
- Five Golden Mentions: Free Terraviva membership coupons
- Ten Honourable Mentions: Coupons for free registration in another Terraviva competition
- Thirty finalists: Publication of their projects across Terraviva’s communication channels