Buildner launches “Iceland Slow Sauna” competition at Lake Mývatn, Iceland

Buildner’s latest competition invites designers to submit proposals for a sauna and greenhouse set on the shores of Lake Mývatn in North Iceland. Entries are expected to unite the sauna and greenhouse into one seamless experience, and will be evaluated for material sensibility and climatic resilience.

Key information

Organiser: Buildner
Competition: Iceland Slow Sauna
Judges: To be announced
Submission deadline: 11 May 2026
Winner announcement: 7 July 2026

Prizes

1st prize: €5,000
2nd prize: €2,500
3rd prize: €1,000

Additional awards include the Buildner Student Award (€1,000) and the Sustainability Award (€500). The jury will also grant six honourable mentions.

Competition overview

Buildner invites architects worldwide to participate in Iceland Slow Sauna, an exploration of how architecture can shape rituals of heat, light, and renewal. Set against the mystical landscape of Lake Mývatn, participants are challenged to design an intimate retreat that merges sauna and greenhouse into a single, continuous experience.

The brief asks how space, material, and atmosphere can heighten the rhythm between warmth, silence, and growth—and how a small-scale project can become a crafted sanctuary, extending the ritual of renewal beyond the sauna itself.

Organised in collaboration with Óli and Bianca, the couple behind Slow Travel Mývatn, the competition reflects a philosophy of sustainability, authenticity, and slowness, seeking architecture that is thoughtful, resilient, and deeply attuned to nature.

Eligibility and judging criteria

The competition is open to all. Projects will be assessed using the following criteria:
Integration with nature; human scale and intimacy; thermal rhythm; material sensibility; climatic resilience; energy and sustainability; craft and feasibility; atmosphere and poetics.
These criteria are intended as guiding principles rather than restrictions, and participants are encouraged to interpret them creatively.

How to enter

Participants must upload proposals via the competition’s online upload panel.

Deadlines

The final registration deadline is 8 April 2026. The closing date for submissions is 11 May 2026. Winners will be announced on 7 July 2026.

About Buildner

Buildner specialises in creating and managing architecture competitions, providing a platform for architects to showcase innovation and engage with a global community. Its mission is to support creativity and professional growth across the architectural industry.