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Participation Guidelines

Eligibility & Team Composition

Who can participate

The ISA-iSUN Design Challenge is open exclusively to accredited architecture and engineering institutions worldwide, including universities, colleges, schools of architecture and other recognised academic institutions offering relevant programmes.

Institutional registration

Registration is at the institutional level. Each participating institution shall register using its official institutional name, institutional email address(es), and country of the institution. Each registration will be assigned an Institution Code upon completion of the process.

Entries per institution

Institutions may make their submissions for one or more of the SIDS locations and/or site design options. Each institution may submit a maximum of three entries, i.e. one entry per site.

Team Composition

Institutions may determine the composition of their teams based on the requirements of their proposed design. Each team shall comprise participants from the following categories:

Core Team - Required
2-8 Students enrolled in the participating academic institution.
2 Faculty Members / Academicians (mandatory) from the institution.
The team must be supported by external advisory experts, which should include:
Practising architect registered with the country's recognised architecture council
Solar industry professionals, representing relevant industry expertise
Note: An association / endorsement letter must be submitted from each advisory expert listed above.

Evaluation

Parameters & Design Principles

Seven weighted parameters guide the jury's assessment. Hover or focus a parameter to see what the jury looks for.

25% Planning, Passive Design & Climate Response

Orientation, zoning, circulation, form and shading to local sun and wind; ventilation and daylighting that cut loads; thermal mass and envelope for a hot, humid island.

20% Solar Integration & Energy Performance

BIPV over rooftop retrofits; solar tiles and shading doing a second job; battery storage; generation, self-sufficiency and reliable supply.

15% Scalability & Replicability for SIDS

Works across islands of different sizes and budgets; modular, documented, affordable to repeat; local skills and supply chains.

13% Disaster Resilience

Withstands cyclones, storm surge, flooding and seismic risk; keeps power running through an event; fails safe and recovers quickly.

12% Sustainability & Environmental Impact

Treats land as a scarce constraint; manages waste; harvests rainwater; local, low-embodied-carbon materials.

10% Adherence to SIDS Policy Frameworks

Supports NDCs and code commitments; eligible for finance and incentive routes; reduces permitting friction.

5% Community, Inclusion, Livelihoods & Innovation

Community and livelihood integration; social inclusion; genuine design innovation.

Assessment

Submission Deliverables

The submission of entries is planned in two phases. Phase 1 submission covers the design concept, passive and solar strategy, and the replicability logic; Phase 2 submission adds detailed drawings, energy performance, resilience detailing, materials analysis for shortlisted participants from Phase 1.

Phase 1 ALL ENTRANTS

Preliminary concept submitted via the secure platform, evaluated anonymously by Jury Panel 1. Covers the design concept, passive & solar strategy, and replicability logic.

Deliverables

Masterplan
Design concept and architectural plans, elevations and sections
Passive & active low-impact design strategies
Solar / active energy strategy including BIPV approach, indicative generation and storage
Replicability and scalability logic for the module and resort system
Views, perspectives & additional visuals
Phase 2 SHORTLISTED TEAMS

Refined submission by shortlisted teams, evaluated by Jury Panel 2. Adds resolved drawings, energy performance, resilience detailing and materials.

Deliverables

Detailed architectural drawings including plans, elevations, sections
Detailed documentation of passive and active low-impact design strategies
Energy performance analysis comprising generation, demand, self-sufficiency and storage
Resilience detailing for cyclones, storm surge, flooding, seismic risk and marine erosion
Materials strategy including local, low-embodied-carbon sourcing
A walkthrough of the interior and exterior spaces
Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) Bonus
Cost estimation Bonus
Note: The list of deliverables mentioned above is indicative. Teams may submit any additional supporting documents that may help explain the submission better.

Rules

Submission Guidelines

Submission Requirements

Design submission proposal to be submitted as per the following guidelines:

Phase 1
  • 4 x A1 Landscape Sheets (841 x 594 mm each)
  • Design Presentation (maximum 25 slides)
  • AutoCAD drawings (optional)
  • An association/endorsement letter must be submitted from each advisory expert listed above
  • Duly signed and stamped declaration forms of competition terms & conditions (for each site).
Phase 2
  • 4 x A1 Landscape Sheets (841 x 594 mm each)
  • Design Presentation (maximum 40 slides)
  • 1 x Walkthrough Video of 60-90 seconds, MP4 format, showcasing the key interior and exterior spaces and demonstrating the relationship between architecture, landscape and environmental systems.
Final Shortlisted Entries (Award Ceremony)
  • Printouts 4 x A1 Landscape Sheets (841 x 594 mm each)
  • Physical model of the proposed design, at an appropriate scale
Institution Code

Your Institution Code, which is a Unique Identification Number, along with the Site Code will have to be mentioned on all submissions. You will receive your Institution Code after completing your registration.

Anonymous

All submissions must be anonymous. No personal information such as name, college, organisation or contact details should appear; failing which may lead to disqualification.

English only

All text must be in English.

Any technique

Proposal may be presented using any technique of your choice (sketches, diagrams, 3D visualisations, model photos, CAD drawings, etc.).

Metric units

All dimensions should be in metric units.