Habitare Design Competition 2025
rules
Messukeskus and Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, are organising a design competition in two stages. The competition is intended for students studying architecture, design and art in Finland.
The theme of the competition is Domestic Islands.
1. The Design Brief
The task is to imagine and design a domestic island –the focal point of relaxation, creativity, laziness and rest. It is intended for the home environment, with the primary purpose of enabling tactile experiences of relaxation, creative leisure, and rest.
The aim of this contest is not to design a traditional living room sofa or armchair as such, but to reinvent a furniture, set of furniture, items, modules or space that serves this function in a new way.
Use adequate means, possibly including reused or recycled elements or materials. The 1:1 outcome/prototype should not exceed 2m x 2m x 2m space dimension.
2. Evaluation Criteria
The Jury will evaluate the competition entries based on their artistic and design quality. The entries will also be assessed based on their functional, material and structural characteristics.
3. Who can participate?
The competition is open to entries from people studying design and architecture in
Finland, as well as University of the Arts Helsinki students or teams of students. Team size is not restricted. The competition organisers encourage contestants to assemble
multi-disciplinary teams that can approach the brief with an open mind. The
contestants, including all team members, must be enrolled at the institutions
mentioned above at the time of the competition launch, on 9 Dec 2024.
4. The Jury
Stage 1
Tomek Rygalik, designer and Aalto University Professor.
Pentti Kareoja, architect and Aalto University Professor
Simo Puintila, industrial designer, Lecturer, Aalto University
Päivi Helander, the chair of the jury, Creative Lead at Habitare and Lecturer, Aalto University
Stage 2
The Head Judge of the competition will be announced later
5. The Competition Schedule
The competition is launched on December 9, 2024, and will take place in two stages. The deadline for submitting entries for the first stage of the two-stage competition is 25 April 2025 at 4 pm, by which time all entries must be submitted both digitally and by post. The jury will select the finalists, whose competition entries will be displayed at Habitare from 10 to 14 September 2025.
Stage 1
In the first stage of the competition, participants must present their competition entries on two A2-sized placards. The placards should briefly explain the entry’s design concept and the materials used. The entries must be displayed in such a way, that the jury can make their assessment according to the competition’s evaluation criteria. 3–5 entries will be selected to proceed to the stage 2 of the competition.
The 1 stage entries must be delivered to ida.agren@testimessut.fi
Stage 2
In the stage 2 of the competition, the 3–5 selected participants are required to build a 1:1 scale outcome/prototype of their competition entry.
6. The Prize
The Habitare Design Competition 2025 has a grand prize of €5,000, donated by the Finnish Fair Foundation. The winner of the competition will be chosen by the head judge, who may choose to award this prize to one finalist or divide it among several entries.
The jury will select the finalists, whose competition entries will be displayed at Habitare from 10 to 14 September 2025.
All the finalists will be displayed at the Habitare 2025 fair, held at Messukeskus on 10–14 September 2025, and the results will be announced, and the prizes awarded on the 10th of September 2025.
7. Utilization of competition results
Expo and Convention Centre will place finalist proposals of the competition, i.e., the proposals selected for the 2nd stage, on display in connection with the Habitare design and interior fair 2025 and uses the competition material for domestic and foreign marketing and communication about the event.
8. More Information about the competition
Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre, producer Ida Ågren, ida.agren@testimessut.fi