Vancouver’s BLA Design Group has won the inaugural microhome international architecture competition by Bee Breeders. The sustainable microhome design is intended to provide an alternative, entry-level option for the city’s increasingly unaffordable housing market.

The project titled ‘Shifting Nests’ is a prefabricated housing solution consisting of a plywood, metal cladding, and corrugated polycarbonate on a series of simple frames.

In a statement, the jurors said they were “impressed by the sensible linear plan layout,” and that “the project is depicted beautifully in plan and section, giving sense to the project’s layout and form.”

“The key requirement of the competition was to create a livable entry-level home that did not exceed 25 m² [269 sf]. In the context of the affordability challenges of Vancouver’s housing market, this felt like more of a mission than an academic exercise,” said Jerry Liu, co-founder of BLA Design Group. “We are incredibly humbled to have had our vision recognized by such a well-respected group of prominent architects and university professors, particularly given the strength the submissions by the short-listed competitors.”