The contest is part of the thematic series “The Contemporary Home”, developed in partnership between Buildner and ArchDaily to explore new ways of living.
In the context of climate change in which Rome is experiencing longer periods of drought, followed by brief, intense rains, the competition proposes transforming these storms into civic rituals, turning rain into a shared experience and a sustainable resource.
Designing pavilions to experience the rain in the city
Proposals from Rome Rain Rooms must take the form of small reversible pavilions that offer shelter and comfort to the public, while collecting and storing rainwater to direct it where it is most needed: neighborhood trees, gardens, or non-potable fountains.
Beyond its technical performance, each rain room is designed to celebrate the sensory and social dimensions of water: the sound of the drops, the reflections, the mist, and the movement of water through the space, using architecture as a mediator between people and the climate.
There is no single predetermined location. The brief specifies that you may choose any location within the city of Rome —from a courtyard or the edge of a market to a quiet corner of a square— or to propose modular systems that can be installed at different locations, always as lightweight, reversible interventions that are mindful of their urban and historical context.
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Architectural concept: rain as an urban resource
As specified in the competition brief, each pavilion must function as a small, self-contained water system. At a minimum, the following is required:
- A collection surface (roof or canopy) that collects rainwater
- One or more tanks or cisterns with a total minimum capacity of 5 m³ for storage
- A visible and audible flow of water (through chains, channels, fountains, perforations, or other means)
- An overflow channel that directs the excess water toward trees, gardens, or a small tap or non-potable fountain in the immediate vicinity
In addition, each proposal must be capable of capture at least 5 cubic meters (5,000 liters) of rainwater per storm, store it for reuse, and make the flow of water inside the pavilion visible to visitors.
The brief also specifies a maximum footprint of 50 m² for each pavilion. Within that limit, teams are free to define the geometry and design of the roof, provided that they facilitate efficient and expressive rainwater harvesting.
Awards and international recognition
The total prize pool for Rome Rain Rooms amounts to €10,000, distributed as follows:
- First prize: €5,000
- Second prize: €2,500
- Third prize: €1,000
- Buildner Student Award: €1,000
- Buildner Sustainability Award: €500
- 6 honorable mentions, along with their corresponding certificates
Buildner recognizes all the winning entries and honorable mentions with Certificates of Achievement, and accompanies the announcement with a promotional campaign that includes the publication of results on its official website —which receives over 1,000,000 unique visits annually— and promotion through its social media channels—with over 800,000 followers combined— and newsletters sent to the industry, with over 200,000 subscribers.
Winners also have the opportunity to submit an interview and a video about their project, and Buildner relies on a broad network of specialized media outlets to amplify the contest’s results across multiple platforms in the fields of architecture and design.
As part of the partnership between Buildner and ArchDaily, the winning projects will also be featured on ArchDaily, one of the leading international architecture news platforms, thereby increasing their visibility to a global audience of professionals and enthusiasts.
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Key Dates for the Rome Rain Rooms Contest
According to the official contest schedule, the key dates are as follows:
- Registration deadline: May 28, 2026
- Deadline for questions (Q&A): June 2, 2026. No new questions will be answered after that date.
Who can participate and in what language
Rome Rain Rooms is a competition open to the general public: no professional qualifications are required to enter. Proposals may be developed individually or in teams of up to 4 members.
All communication with the organization must be conducted in English and all information submitted by participants—including panel texts and supporting documentation—must also be written in English.
The brief also states that the submission must be uploaded via the upload panel on the contest’s official website and that the boards may not include names, logos, or any information that could identify the team; proposals that do not meet these conditions may be disqualified without a refund of the registration fee.
According to the official document, Buildner offers special rates for group student registrations (three or more registrations from the same university or school), which must be processed through faculty members with institutional email addresses. Only recognized members of the university staff may request this reduced rate.
Since the competition is open to the general public and does not require professional qualifications, students and graduates of the Faculty of Architecture at Universidad ORT Uruguay may submit proposals individually or as a team, provided they meet these same conditions.
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Submission Format
For submission, the contest requires uploading one (1) A2 panel in landscape format, with a maximum file size of 10 MB, which may include floor plans, sections, elevations, schematics, diagrams, and other graphic resources that explain the proposal.
All submissions must be made through the upload portal specified by the organization and strictly comply with the format, language, and anonymity requirements outlined in the guidelines.
Registration and more information
The complete rules, updated information on registration fees, and access to the upload portal are available on the contest’s official website.
Before registering, please review the brief and the PDF document to familiarize yourself with all the eligibility requirements, submission criteria, and terms and conditions of the contest.
If you’re interested in climate-responsive design, experimenting with water as a design material, and participating in international competitions, Rome Rain Rooms offers a concrete framework for exploring these issues through architectural design.