Courtyard Stories – TerraViva Architecture Competition
Courtyard Stories – TerraViva Architecture Competition is now open for entries!
Competition Details
Brief Overview
Courtyard Stories, recently launched by TerraViva Competitions, invites creatives worldwide to reimagine part of a historic courtyard complex in Calcinate, Italy, as a contemporary single-family home exploring the relationship between architectural heritage and everyday living.
Competition Details
Courtyard Stories is an international architecture competition organised by TerraViva Competitions , focusing on the transformation of part of a historic courtyard complex in Calcinate, near Bergamo, Italy.
Participants are invited to connect the main building, an adjoining structure and a private garden within a coherent residential proposal. Once associated with rural life, these spaces now offer an opportunity to explore how existing architecture can accommodate contemporary domestic needs while retaining a meaningful connection to its setting.
The challenge extends beyond renovation to consider the experience of inhabiting a compact home. Relationships between levels, circulation and openings towards the garden become opportunities to shape everyday routines, bringing together interior spaces and outdoor living.
With no prescribed number of bedrooms or fixed arrangement of living and sleeping areas, the programme encourages experimentation with flexible rooms, integrated furniture and inventive spatial connections. Participants can explore alternatives to conventional residential layouts, developing a personal interpretation of the home.
Natural light, materials and exposed timber structures contribute to this architectural exploration. The aim is to develop a distinctive dwelling in which contemporary interventions and inherited spaces support a thoughtful, unified approach to domestic life.
Submission requirements
Participants must submit two horizontal A1 panels (841 × 594 mm) presenting their project, accompanied by a 250–500-word description explaining the proposal. Consult the official brief for detailed submission instructions.
Eligibility
Open worldwide to students, architects, designers, engineers, artists, urban planners, makers and other creatives, participating individually or in teams.
Benefits
The €8,000 prize pool comprises €6,000 in cash awards and €2,000 in mentions awarded as coupons, alongside a public exhibition.
➜ First Prize: €3,000
➜ Second Prize: €2,000
➜ Third Prize: €1,000
➜ Five Golden Mentions: free membership coupons
➜ Ten Honorable Mentions: free competition entry coupons
➜ Thirty Finalists: publication on TerraViva channels.
Entry fees
➜ Early: €89 - November 3, 2026 to February 5, 2027.
➜ Standard: €109 - February 5 to April 9, 2027.
➜ Late: €139 - April 9 to May 7, 2027.
Fees include VAT. Use COU15XTVC for 15% off early registration until November 16, 2026.
