Karin Dom Building – International Architecture Competition

Karin Dom Foundation, with the support of VELUX Foundations, Varna Municipality, the Chamber of Architects and the Union of Architects in Bulgaria is hosting an international architecture competition.

All architects from all over the world who are willing to work on, and are interested in social projects, are invited to participate in the competition for a new Karin Dom building.

A total of 10,000 Euro will be awarded to the best three projects — First prize is 5,000 Euro + contract + publications; Second prize is 3,000 Euro + publications and Third prize is 2,000 Euro + publications.

The competition aims to find the most inspired, innovative and at the same time functional and appropriate project for a new building for Karin Dom, that will serve as a model for services for children with special needs and their families and will include a training center.

Bulgaria is a country in Southeastern Europe that is in process of development of inclusive education and early intervention services for children with special needs and their families. One of the leading NGOs, actively involved in this process is Karin Dom Foundation.

Karin Dom is among the first organizations in Bulgaria to create alternative to the institutions model for services and care for children with special needs and their families. It was established in 1994 by the diplomat Ivan Stancioff, who attracted and inspired donors and specialists in order to prove that there are not “uneducable” children. Currently, Karin Dom supports over 300 children and families and trains over 1200 specialists and parents per year. All these activities are carried out in an old building that doesn’t meet the needs of the organization for development.

The competition aims to find the most inspired, innovative and at the same time functional and appropriate project for a new building for Karin Dom, that will serve as a model for services for children with special needs and their families and will include a training center through which this model could be disseminated.

Submitted projects will be evaluated by a nine-member international jury.

The first-ranked participant will be invited to sign an agreement for development of a technical and working investment project and author’s supervision for the new building in the amount of 100,000 Euro.