Objective
Open Ideas National Competition 2025, organised by INHAF and Sustainability Initiatives, seeks to challenge the assumption that affordable housing must compromise on design quality. Instead, it encourages innovative architectural and planning approaches that make small, affordable homes functional, dignified, and climate-resilient.
Key Messages:
- Low-income housing should not automatically mean poor design. ‘Vertical slums’ are not inevitable.
- Smaller spaces conditioned by affordability constraints could be overcome through creative design.
- The principle of incremental growth can also be adopted in multi-story buildings.
- Design for sustainability – water, energy, waste management, must not escape affordable housing projects. Aspects of optimum usage, minimum waste, maximum recycling, and easy and low-cost maintenance must weigh more in the project.
Competition Brief
Participants are invited to submit design proposals that:
- Improved livability of small, cramped houses with efficient space planning and better detailing for safety, protection, and maintenance.
- Foster better social interaction and community life among neighbours.
- Offer cost-effective and resource-conserving planning and efficient delivery of services such as water, electricity, and waste disposal.
- Incorporate green building concepts and sustainable construction principles with greater aesthetic sensitivity that reflects in shaping new urban landscapes.
This competition seeks to address the pressing challenges in delivering livable, affordable housing in India, moving beyond just quantity to reimagine quality, sustainability, and community well-being.
Competition Verticals
Participants can submit their proposal under any one of the following verticals:
A. Affordable Urban Housing
B. Rural Housing
C. Slum Improvement and In-Situ Slum Development
D. Furniture and Interior Design
Eligibility
Open to all (in India and outside India)
No team size restriction
Teams may be formed between members of any of the groups mentioned below (Interdisciplinary teams encouraged (e.g., architects + engineers + NGOs, furniture designers, etc.). No role restrictions.)
- Practising Professionals: Architects, Interior Designers, Planners, and Engineers
- Senior students of the above-mentioned disciplines
- NGOs with relevant experience
Deadlines
Last Date of Registration: 15th July 2025
Submission: 15th August 2025
Awards
1st Prize: ₹ 75,000 (for each vertical)
2nd Prize: ₹ 50,000 (for each vertical)
Special Mentions by Jury Prize: ₹ 40,000 (for exceptional innovation)
For more information
For details on each competition vertical’s brief, requirements, formats of submissions, sheet templates, and other requirements, please check the attached design brief or visit the INHAF website.
