Initiated by the United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES), the House of No Waste competition (HØW) calls upon aspiring young architects, engineers, planners, scientists, and designers to engage in a global competition. The vision for the HØW Competition is to develop proposals for groundbreaking public projects that not only embody circular economy principles and human-centred design, but to also set a new standard for how we manage resources and avoid wasting resources in construction. Submissions can take the form of a building concept, an urban planning strategy, a building or material system, a construction technology or process, or a product relating to the built environment. Participants have the freedom to define a site, context, or target user group for their submission.
The deadline for timely submission of all entries to the competition is Monday, 1 December 2025, 14:00 CET. Project authors must be young professionals or students with a maximum age of 40 years at the opening of the competition (date of birth must be later than 31 August 1984). Participation of professionals in mixed, transdisciplinary teams is encouraged. Prize-winning projects of the HØW competition will receive UNU recognition and public promotion, as well as monetary prizes. The total net amount of at least 30,000 euros is allocated for prizes and acknowledgements, split between three main prizes and three acknowledgements. Participation in the competition is free of charge.
The official launch of the competition is on 1 September 2025. Until then, future participants can already register for the competition online at: houseofnowaste.org
Additional links:
- Learn more about members of the Jury and Advisory Board
- houseofnowaste.org
- United Nations University: Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES)
- More UN Competitions and Contests