ISA-iSUN Design Challenge

The ISA-iSUN Design Challenge is an international student design competition inviting architecture and engineering institutions worldwide to reimagine climate-resilient island tourism through innovative, solar-integrated architectural solutions.

It is hosted by the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and executed by GRIHA Council. The Challenge is powered by the ISA Multi Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), with the support of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

It brings together architecture, renewable energy and sustainable design to address the environmental and infrastructural challenges faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

The challenge

Three distinct sites are offered, in the Maldives, Mauritius and Fiji. Participants develop resort design proposals that respond to local climate, culture and resources, while placing solar energy at the heart of the architecture.

The Challenge encourages a holistic approach to passive design, resource efficiency and disaster resilience, moving beyond conventional solutions towards scalable and replicable models for sustainable island development.

An international jury of experts in architecture, sustainability, renewable energy and resilient infrastructure selects design ideas that demonstrate innovation, environmental responsibility and the potential for wider application across island contexts.

Who can participate

This competition is open exclusively to accredited architecture and engineering institutions worldwide, including universities, colleges, schools of architecture and other recognised academic institutions offering relevant programmes.

Registration is at the institutional level. Each institution registers using its official institutional name, institutional email address and country, and is assigned an Institution Code. Individual students cannot register on their own.

Each team must comprise:

• 2 to 8 students enrolled in the participating institution;
• at least one and at most two faculty members, which is mandatory;
• optionally, a practising architect registered with the country's recognised architecture council, met either by a faculty member who is a registered architect or by an external advisory architect.

Institutions may submit for one or more of the three site options. There is no registration fee.

How it runs

The Challenge runs in two phases. Phase 1 submissions close on 15 November 2026, and shortlisted entries are announced on 21 December 2026.

Shortlisted teams then proceed to Phase 2, which closes on 20 February 2027, followed by the final jury from 21 to 26 February 2027. The date of the winners' announcement and award ceremony is yet to be declared by the organisers.

Registration and submission are handled on the organiser's own website. UNI lists this competition and is not involved in running it.