UIA International Student Competition

Participants will be challenged to design spatial interventions that enable resistance and adaptation to predictable threats related to political shifts, social transformations and climate change, among other concerns. This competition asks students to think beyond conventional design methods, using time as a design strategy to catalyse resilient futures.

The call is aligned with the UIA2026BCN’s central theme: Becoming. Architectures for a Planet in Transition, which will shape the Congress programme as a platform to explore innovative perspectives, interdisciplinary approaches and transformative ideas that address contemporary challenges.

Students are encouraged to think of architecture not as a final result, but as a dynamic and adaptive process. Rather than proposing static projects, participants are encouraged to consider careful, time-based processes of transformation that respect and nurture the physical and cultural realities of the chosen site.

This single-stage student ideas competition is organised and conducted in accordance with the UNESCO Standard Regulations for International Competitions in Architecture and Town planning and the UIA best practice recommendations. The competition brief has been developed by the UIA2026BCN Curatorial Team and organised by the Higher Council of the Orders of Architects of Spain (CSCAE) and the Architect's Association of Catalonia (COAC).

An international jury:

An internationally renowned jury will evaluate the proposals, composed of Tatiana Bilbao (Mexico), Josep Ferrando (Spain, Jury President), Marianna Rentzou of Point Supreme and Sumayya Vally of Counterspace (Greece) and Wtanya Chanvitan of Bangkok Tokyo Architecture (Thailand), with two alternate jurors —Alejandro Vargas of Entropia Studio (Colombia) and Donn Holohan of Superposition (China) —alongside the curatorial team and an observer appointed by the UIA. The jury will ensure that submissions respond rigorously to the theme “Catalysts of Resilience”, assessing conceptual coherence, contextual sensitivity, clarity of presentation and long-term transformative potential.

An international context:

The UIA World Congress of Architects 2026 Barcelona is a unique international event for architectural dialogue, bringing together renowned architects, researchers, and leading figures from various disciplines. It is organised by the International Union of Architects (UIA, by its French acronym), a non-governmental organisation that unites national associations of architects from over 100 countries and represents more than one million professionals. The Congress takes place every three years in a different city. In 2026, it will be held in Barcelona, and the city has consequently been designated by UNESCO as the World Capital of Architecture 2026.