Buildner is pleased to announce the results of the Howard Waterfall Retreat Competition — an international architecture ideas competition inviting architects and designers to envision a multi-generational family retreat in the forested landscape of Howard, Pennsylvania, USA. Set beside a dramatic waterfall, the competition encouraged designs that harmonize with nature, respect the site’s history, and embrace sustainable, forward-thinking architecture.
Organized in collaboration with the Howard Family Trust, the competition inspired a wide range of creative proposals exploring the relationship between architecture, memory, and landscape.
The first prize was awarded to Mathieu Henri Pierre Nouhen from France for Strata House, a sensitive design that preserves elements of the original cottage while introducing new communal spaces shaped by the terrain. The second prize went to Aleksandra Zofia Forystek, Min Kyu Kim, and Zehua He from the United States for Branch House, which reinterprets the traditional cottage form through branching volumes that blend with the forest. Third prize was awarded to Jamie Kevin Willmer and Maureen Armida Vivienne Soupe from the United Kingdom for Triptyque, a composition of three wings that reflect the rhythms of daily life and the beauty of the site.
The Student Award went to Matěj Čech and Filip Ježdík from the Czech Republic, and the Sustainability Award to Weichen Wang, Mengyu Zhao, and Viktor Fomin from the United States for Nature Within, which integrates the historic cottage into a broader ecological design. Buildner congratulates all winners and extends appreciation to every participant whose thoughtful proposals celebrated the harmony between architecture, nature, and legacy.
See all winners, honorable mentions, and shortlisted projects on the Buildner website.
1st Prize – Strata House (Mathieu Henri Pierre Nouhen)
2nd Prize – Branch (Aleksandra Zofia Forystek, Min Kyu Kim, Zehua He)
3rd Prize – Triptyque (Jamie Kevin Willmer, Maureen Armida Vivienne Soupe)
Student Award – Roll The Dice! (Matěj čech, Filip Ježdík)
Sustainability Award – Nature Within | Forest Around (Weichen Wang, Mengyu Zhao, Viktor Fomin)
