Architopia 2.0, presented by DiscoverArch, invites architecture students to explore the idea of a Dream Dwelling A house that goes beyond walls and roofs to become a reflection of personality, lifestyle, values, and aspirations.

This year’s theme encourages participants to design a house for a person or personality of their choice. The client may be a real individual (artist, architect, writer, sportsperson, social reformer, entrepreneur, etc.) or a fictional/imagined persona with a clearly defined character and lifestyle. 

The competition focuses on concept-driven residential design, where architecture becomes a medium to narrate a story. Students are expected to translate human emotions, habits, beliefs, and dreams into spatial experiences, while ensuring functionality and contextual sensitivity.

Architopia 2.0 is open to architecture students who wish to showcase creativity, out of the box thinking, and architectural storytelling through a well-resolved house design.

The theme “Dream Dwelling” focuses on designing a residence that is uniquely tailored to its user. The house should emerge from a deep understanding of the chosen personality’s profession, daily routine, interests, emotional needs, and philosophy of life. Every design decision from spatial zoning to material selection should be justified as a response to the client’s identity.

The design should clearly communicate who it is designed for and why it could belong to no one else. Participants are encouraged to explore how architecture can evoke emotions, support creative processes, encourage reflection, or enhance everyday living, depending on the nature of the chosen client.

The challenge is to design a house that represents the dream home of the selected personality. The project should include all essential residential functions such as living, dining, kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms, along with additional spaces that respond specifically to the client’s lifestyle. These may include studios, libraries, workshops, meditation spaces, galleries, or leisure areas.

The emphasis is not on size, luxury, or budget, but on the quality of spaces, conceptual clarity, and the relationship between the inhabitant and the architecture. The house should feel intentional, meaningful, and experientially rich.

Participants may choose a real or hypothetical site with a maximum area of one acre. The site can be located in an urban, suburban, rural, coastal, or hilly context, depending on what best suits the chosen client. Site selection must be justified in relation to climate, orientation, accessibility, surroundings, and lifestyle requirements.

The relationship between the site and the built form should be clearly articulated, showing how context influences planning, views, privacy, and spatial organization. Basic local by-laws and climatic responses should inform the design approach.

Submission

• The submission should include a concept statement and client profile 
• Site plan showing the orientation and connection to the building 
• Floor Plans Showing interior spatial arrangements and zoning.
• 3D Representations: Perspectives & renderings
• Elevations and sections of the building/site.
• Materials and innovative design details or features.

Maximum of 2 A1-size sheets in PDF format

The sheet must be marked with your unique identification number, written clearly in the top right corner on the sheet.
No names, logos, or institutional identifiers should appear on the sheets.

We invite all students from undergraduate to post-graduate candidates currently enrolled in architecture and design programs worldwide to join this competition and showcase their innovative ideas. Participants are welcome to submit multiple entries; however, each entry needs to be registered separately.

Both individual and team entries are accepted, with a maximum of four participants per team.

A TEAM COULD BE OF

• One member
• Two member
• Three member
• Four member

FACULTY MENTOR

While registering, you can also include a Faculty Mentor (optional).

If your project wins or receives an Honourable Mention, the Faculty Mentor will also be featured across all DiscoverArch social media platforms and publications as a token of appreciation for their guidance and contribution.

*The Faculty Mentor is not counted as one of the 4 team members.

Register here

JURY

AR. BHADRI SUTHAR - Co Founder & Co Principal Designer, tHE gRID Architects | Research & Design Studio
AR. HILONI SUTARIA - Founder, HSC Designs
AR. MAHESH RAMESHWAR BANGAD - Founder, Studio7.inc and Chairman, AESA pune
DR. NARESH CHHATWANI - Head of Department IDEA, Indus University
AR. SHAILESH PATEL - Founder STUDIO 926, Assistant Professor, SVIT Vasad
AR. HIMMAT BHATIA - Professor, Lovely Professional University

PRIZES 

1st: 10000 Rs

2nd: 6000 Rs

3rd: 4000 Rs

*Selected students will get an internship opportunity in tHE gRID ARCHITECTS/ HSC Designs

10 HONORABLE MENTIONS 

Honorable Mentions will receive Certificates of Appreciation, and their work will be published on the DiscoverArch website

TOP 50 SHORTLISTED PROJECTS

Certificate of Appreciation, acknowledging their achievement

PARTICIPATION CERTIFICATES

To show our appreciation, all the participants would receive a participation certificate.

SCHEDULE

28 FEB: Competition Starts
01 APR: Early Bird Registration Ends
03 MAY: Standard Registration Ends
17 MAY: Late Registration Ends
05 JUN: Submission Deadline
16 AUG: Winner Announcement

REGISTRATION

Early Bird Registration (28 Feb 2026 - 01 Apr 2026): INR 150/Member For Participants from India | USD 2.0/Member For Participants outside India
Standard Registration (01 Apr 2026 - 03 May 2026): INR 300/Member For Participants from India | USD 4.0/Member For Participants outside India
Late Registration (03 May 2026 - 17 May 2026): INR 500/Member For Participants from India | USD 6.0/Member For Participants outside India

Register here

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY

The top three winners will be offered an internship opportunity at our knowledge partner firms. (tHE gRID ARCHITECTS / HSC Designs)

Please note that if the first-place entry comprises multiple participants, the internship opportunity will be extended to the team collectively. In such a case, the internship opportunity will not be extended to the second and third winning entries.

ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY

Each participant will have the exclusive opportunity to attend a live webinar. This interactive session will provide valuable insights into design innovation, sustainable practices, emerging technologies, and forward-thinking strategies shaping the built environment today.

Participants will gain firsthand knowledge from professionals, engage in meaningful discussions, and discover practical approaches to solving real world architectural challenges.