Student Competition Textile Roofs 2027

Building a Membrane Structure

In conjunction with the upcoming "Textile Roofs 2027" workshop (May 23–25, 2027), the organizers and their partners are hosting a student competition focused on membrane construction and textile architecture.

Objectives: The goal is to provide participants — in addition to their theoretical university education — with access to valuable practical experience and the opportunity to engage and network with the international membrane construction community at an early stage.

Student teams from various universities work on a jointly defined project during the 2026/2027 winter semester, engaging in a practical, hands-on competition. A distinguished jury selects the top three entries. The winning design will then be constructed on-site by the students themselves during the Textile Roofs 2027 event (May 22nd–25th). 

The entire process—from initial design and modeling to the final presentation—is supported and evaluated by industry experts. Our international TR experts provide professional guidance during the practical realization of the winning design and offer the students valuable, diverse feedback from a wide range of perspectives.

Spanning four days (May 22–25, 2027), the event offers a unique opportunity to engage directly with national and international experts in membrane construction and textile architecture, attend outstanding specialist lectures, and participate in social gatherings. With representatives from architecture, industry, engineering, and skilled trades, the event also provides excellent networking opportunities.

Student groups may submit designs developed during the 2026/2027 winter semester until April 15, 2027.

Target Group:

The competition is aimed at students of architecture, civil engineering, landscape planning and related disciplines who are taking courses in design and/or structural engineering at their universities. Independent student groups with a connection to these fields may also participate in the competition outside of such courses. Participation is open to students (B.Sc., M.Sc., and PhD) from national or international universities.

Requirements:

Proficiency in professional communication in English is required. And of course your status as a astudent.

 

Required Deliverables:   Competition entries must be submitted in English not later than four weeks prior to the start of the Textile Roofs event. Submissions must include documentation of the design—comprising structural analysis and details—in the form of text, plans, and pictures of the model.

 

Task Limitations:

The organizer and their partners provide the materials for implementation in appropriate quantities. The specific space designated for the lightweight structure will be determined in advance. 

  • Do not exeed the given dimensions (and amount of available material)
  • Use stiff elements only, if unavoidable
  • It is essential, that yor design realistically could be build within 3 days 
  • Your design should be reuseable, flexible and sustainable and of course visually amazing 😉 

Procedure:

Following the announcement of the topic, students—in consultation with their instructors— work on a competition design during their courses in the 2026/2027 winter semester; this design has to be submitted to *Textile Roofs* by the deadline. An international, multidisciplinary jury then evaluates the submissions based on the important feasibility within a three-day timeframe, assessing the design, structural calculations, detailing, construction, and fabrication aspects. Students  travel to Berlin the day before the official start of *Textile Roofs* to discuss their designs with the jury on the morning of May 22, 2027. Subsequently, the jury will announces the winning design, and the students begin realizing it on-site. All student groups collaborate on the realization of the winning design leading up to the official award ceremony on the afternoon of May 25, 2027. Throughout this process, they receive continuous support from experts participating in *Textile Roofs*, drawing upon the diverse expertise of architects, engineers, fabricators, material manufacturers, and others.

 

 

The award ceremony on the final day begins with a presentation of the top three designs and a discussion regarding the process of the preceding four days—culminating in the completion of the winning structure—and  concludes with the presentation of prizes and participation certificates, followed by a "closing drink."

Prizes:

The prizes are provided by our partners.

Costs:

Participation in the competition is generally free of charge. However, a participation fee of € 300.00 (net) applies to students traveling to Berlin for the final judging, the implementation phase, and the official award ceremony. This fee covers all necessary work materials and supplies, as well as participation and meals throughout the three-day Textile Roofs event, including some social events.

 

Registration: For your registration or any kind of questions please contact mail@textile-roofs.com or send us a message using the form.

You also may call:
+49 175 4145520