The UIA-HYP CUP 2026 International Student Competition in Architectural Design is now open for registration.
Now entering its 15th consecutive edition, the UIA-HYP CUP is the only UIA-endorsed international student architecture competition held annually in mainland China. Organized by the School of Architecture, Tianjin University; the School of Architecture, Inner Mongolia University of Technology; and Urban Environment Design (UED) Magazine, the competition provides a global platform for architecture students to engage with contemporary architectural, urban, and environmental challenges.
The competition operates under the overarching theme of Architecture in Transformation, while the specific topic is proposed each year by the Jury Chairman.
For 2026, the Jury Chairman is Professor Philip Cox (Founding Partner of Cox Architecture and Officer of the Order of Australia), who has set the topic:
Villagers: Urban, Suburban, Rural
In the competition brief, Philip Cox reflects on the continuing rural drift to cities, the future of community and social units, and the emergence of self-sufficient and sustainable communities. Participants are invited to select one of three ways of living—urban, suburban, or rural—and demonstrate how communities can be created that have relevance.
The brief explores questions of identity, belonging, social interaction, sustainability, and the evolving relationship between people, place, and architecture in a rapidly changing world shaped by environmental concerns, technological innovation, remote working, and artificial intelligence.
Participation is free of charge and open to architecture students worldwide.
