International design competition platform Volume Zero has announced the results of the Tiny House 2025 Architecture Competition.

The Tiny House Competition invited visionary ideas aimed at redefining the idea of “home”, not just as a shelter, but as a versatile personal space that balances comfort, sustainability, and innovation.

The Tiny House Architecture Competition challenged participants to rethink the conventions of modern living and explore how architecture can respond to the evolving idea of “home.” Participants were invited to design a fully functional tiny home for two individuals within a maximum built-up area of just 300sq. ft., while addressing the growing need for flexibility, sustainability, and intentional living in today’s world.

Participants from more than 37 countries contributed valuable concept ideas to the contest, which was evaluated by a panel of international experts. 

Volume Zero Competition thanks all the competitors for participating in this competition and for contributing to this competition's research.

The esteemed jury for judging this competition consisted of Antonio Yemail Cortés (Yemail Arquitectura), Cheng Tsung Feng (Cheng Tsung Feng Design Studio), Fernando Weber (Weber Arquitectos), Gonçalo Marrote (Madeiguincho), Greg Faulkner (Faulkner Architects), Hiren Patel (Hiren Patel Architects + Design), Marie Combette & Daniel Moreno Flores (LaCabina dela Curiosidad), Nicolas del Rio (DRAA), Rob Brown FAIA (Casey Brown Architecture), Sergio Araneda (SAA Arquitectura + Territorio), Shabna K (Zero Studio), Sham Salim (Aslam Sham Architects), Srikanth Reddy (23 Degrees Design Shift), Vinh Phuc Ta (ROOM+Design & Build), Yong Ju Lee (Yong Ju Lee Architecture).

The top three winners and Best Student were awarded total prize money of $4,500 while ten entries received Honorable Mentions. Here are the winning entries. 

The full result for the Tiny House 2025 Architecture Competitioncan be found at volumezerocompetitions.com.

FIRST PLACE

Housing is a Human Right
Han K - Taiwan

From Water Tower to Affordable Micro-Living Unit

New York City, home to over eight million residents, is experiencing one of the most severe hosing crises in history, driven by a persistent shortage of housing-particularly affordable units. This imbalance has fueled rising rents, escalating home prices, and an increased cost of living, making secure housing increasingly unattainable for many residents. Between 2000 and 2020, the city underproduced more than 340,000 housing units, significantly intensifying the current crisis.

Amid this shortage, New York’s iconic wooden water towers represents an underutilized urban resource. These structures are ubiquitous across the city and contribute to its distinctive skyline. Typically constructed from cedar or redwood, wooden water towers are lightweight, durable, and naturally insulating, preventing freezing and outperforming metal alternatives in outdoor conditions. Although long-lasting, they are periodically replaced due to aging, structural deterioration, or safety concern. New York City is estimated to have between 10,000 and 15,000 functioning water towers, with older units routinely decommissioned.

SECOND PLACE

Pasang
Malvin Bastian Sendi & Selina Sunardi - Indonesia

PASANG – Where Tides Rise and Spaces Assemble

Muara Angke is a dense coastal district and one of Jakarta’s most important fisheries hubs. Over the past five years, tidal flooding has become increasingly frequent and severe. Seawater now reaches homes, streets, and places of work, making flooding part of daily life.

In a context of economic vulnerability, one job is rarely enough. Homes function as both living and working spaces; where fish are sold, mussels are processed, catches are dried, boats are repaired, and neighbors gather. Pasang responds with a flexible terrace module, allowing a single space to support multiple household and community activities.

THIRD PLACE

Aanehaadu
Akash & Bhushan M - India

From Kannada: Ane, elephant. Haadu, the path of moving through.

The mahout rides and commands. The kavadi, his assistant, bathes the elephant each morning, stores its fodder, keeps watch through the night. Together they tend a kumki, a trained elephant deployed to locate and calm wild herds deep inside Nagarahole, the word itself from the Persian kumak, meaning aid. It is one of the oldest profession in this forest. It has never had adequate housing.

Anehaadu addresses that directly. The structure lifts off the forest floor on bamboo and timber stilts, keeping the men above predators and flood, giving them sightlines across the canopy. Below sits a bathing pond for the elephant and a granary for its feed. The building material is entirely local: bamboo, timber, mud plaster, stone. The asymmetric roof harvests rainwater, made potable on site. Solar panels on the upper face power the unit off-grid. The woven bamboo façade regulates heat without mechanical assistance.

STUDENT AWARD

Attach - e
Siddharth Laddha, Samyukta Tati & Sadhavi - India

/It latches on (attach) and unfolds (attaichi; Hindi: suitcase)/

Two field researches live and work along the mangrove tributaries of the Sundarbans near the Arpangasia River. Their research focuses on the fragile ecological interface where birds hunt fish along tidal riverbanks. Following seasonal shifts in fish populations and migratory bird activity, they travel slowly along the river’s edge, relocating every few weeks to obsever new feeding grounds. Their lifestyles is nomadic and immersive-living within the ecosystem they study, far from urban infrastructure. The house must therefore function as self-sustaining research outpost, enabling two scientists to observe, record, and inhabit the dynamic landscape of mangrove forest and water.

Honourable Mentions:

Honourable Mention 1: Water Collector Refuge
Fan faruin & Filippo Vajra - Mexico

Honourable Mention 2: A Medical Hut
Tejas Manoj Thariyan & Priyanshi Shah - India

Honourable Mention 3: inbox
Maria Patmanidou, Katerina Koulouri & Sofia Kalakou - Greece

Honourable Mention 4: FLOFO
Preethika Shalini M & Jayanth Kumar - India

Honourable Mention 5: AT
Camila Belen Aylinne Fernandez Vega & Elena Amanda Quintana Araya - Chile

Honourable Mention 6: Kavad
Summy Kumar & Arathi Anand - India

Honourable Mention 7: muk’ta luch house
Haptica Lab, Daniela Marmolejo Limon & Fatima Garcia Alvarez - Mexico

Honourable Mention 8: REROOTED
Julia Stepska - Poland

Honourable Mention 9: ICE VEIL
Mohamed Ahmed Abdallah, Kareem Mohamed & Jana Tamer - Egypt

Honourable Mention 10: KHAIM
Satria Putra Wibowo, Arya Armand & Alif Mahesa - Indonesia