CIBSE MENA Student Design Competition 2026

Integrated Lifestyle Communities: Engineering Net Zero Districts by 2050

The 2026 Competition Has Officially Launched

On 20 May 2026, CIBSE MENA officially launched the CIBSE Student Design Competition 2026, bringing together students, academics and industry professionals from across the region to mark the start of this year’s competition.

The 2026 competition invites the next generation of engineers, architects and sustainability professionals to look beyond individual buildings and consider how entire neighbourhoods and districts can become connected, resilient and future-ready communities.

This year’s theme is:

Integrated Lifestyle Communities — Engineering Net Zero Districts by 2050

The theme challenges students to rethink the built environment at a district scale, exploring how energy, water, mobility, digital infrastructure, carbon, health and social wellbeing can work together to support the transition towards net zero.

The competition is aligned with the ambition of achieving Net Zero by 2050 and encourages solutions that are relevant to the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region.

Launch Event

The launch event featured contributions from leading academics and CIBSE MENA representatives, including:

Dr. Bhakti More, Manipal University, Dubai
Dr. Hassan Ali, University of Birmingham, Dubai
Syed Atam Hayat, CIBSE MENA Education Liaison Lead
Imran Shaikh, CIBSE MENA Chair

The proceedings were officially opened by Imran Shaikh, who reflected on the growing relevance of the competition and introduced this year’s theme.

In his welcome, Imran highlighted the importance of moving beyond the traditional building-scale approach and encouraged students to reimagine neighbourhoods and districts as integrated, living systems — balancing energy, water, transport, digital infrastructure and social wellbeing while progressing towards net zero outcomes.

A Challenge Beyond the Building

The 2026 competition asks participants to explore how future-ready districts can be designed around integrated systems and infrastructure.

Proposals should consider the relationship between:

Energy • Water • Waste • Mobility • Carbon Lifecycle

while incorporating smart infrastructure and data-driven systems.

Key areas of focus include:

District Energy Systems
Smart Infrastructure
Low-carbon Mobility
Water & Circular Resources
Climate Resilience
Health & Wellbeing

Students are encouraged to consider innovative approaches such as microgrids, district cooling, smart mobility and digital tools for continuous improvement, while demonstrating better energy performance and a lower carbon footprint.

The competition is intended to encourage solutions that combine innovation, inclusivity, resilience and sustainability, with clear relevance to the MENA context.

Who Can Participate?

The competition is open to:

Undergraduate and postgraduate students
Students currently enrolled at universities with architecture and engineering curricula
Graduates within the last 24 months
Individuals or teams of up to three students from the same university

Cross-disciplinary teams are particularly encouraged, bringing together perspectives from:

Engineering • Architecture • Environmental Science • Sustainable Design

The competition is open to participants from across the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region.

Entry Fee

There is no entry fee.

All submissions must be original work, clearly presented and submitted in English using the metric system, with appropriate references where required.

Entries will be assessed by regional and industry experts against the published assessment criteria.

What Are We Looking For?

The competition seeks proposals that demonstrate how integrated district-scale thinking can contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future.

Successful proposals should demonstrate:

Improved energy performance and reduced carbon footprint
Integration of smart infrastructure and data-driven systems
Consideration of energy, water, waste, mobility and lifecycle carbon
Innovation and practical relevance to the MENA region
Resilience to future climate and environmental challenges
Consideration of health, wellbeing and inclusivity
A clear pathway towards future-ready, net-zero communities

The challenge is not simply to design a better building — it is to explore how buildings, infrastructure, technology and communities can work together as one connected system.

Competition Timeline

20 May 2026

Official Competition Launch

The 2026 competition was launched with students, academics and industry professionals from across the region.

1 September 2026

Submission Deadline

Time is running out to enter. Students are encouraged to begin developing their proposals now and allow sufficient time to refine and present their strongest work.

15 October 2026

Shortlist Announcement

The shortlisted entries will be announced following the assessment process.

28 October 2026

Celebration & Recognition Event

A special in-person event will bring together this year’s shortlisted students, previous competition winners and members of the wider CIBSE MENA community for an evening of recognition, learning and inspiration.

The event will include reflections from past winners on their competition experience and the impact it has had on their professional development. A panel discussion featuring judges and industry experts will also provide insights into the profession and guidance for students preparing to enter the workforce.

Judges to Be Announced

The 2026 judging panel will be announced shortly.

The panel will bring together respected voices from across the region’s engineering and sustainability sectors, providing participants with the opportunity to have their work assessed by experienced professionals.

Stay tuned for the announcement of the 2026 judges.

Prizes & Recognition

The competition offers significant opportunities for students to gain recognition for their work.

First Prize

AED 7,500

Runner-Up

AED 5,000

Second Runner-Up

AED 2,000

In addition to the prize awards, competition winners will benefit from:

Publication of winning submissions on the official CIBSE website
The opportunity to present their work to the CIBSE UAE Technical Committee
Recognition across CIBSE and CIBSE MENA social media platforms
A feature across CIBSE / CIBSE MENA communication channels
The opportunity to present a synopsis to the CIBSE MENA Technical Committee

Recognition for Every Entrant

Every participant will receive a CIBSE participation certificate.

Full-time students can also access free CIBSE student membership, while students studying part-time can access membership at a significantly reduced rate, providing an opportunity to connect with the wider professional community and access additional CIBSE benefits.

Why Enter?

The CIBSE MENA Student Design Competition provides students with an opportunity to take on one of the built environment’s most pressing challenges: how we design and engineer sustainable communities for the future.

For participants, the competition offers the opportunity to:

Think differently
Move beyond conventional building-scale solutions and explore integrated district-level thinking.

Apply technical knowledge
Bring together engineering, architecture, sustainability and digital approaches to address a complex real-world challenge.

Build your professional profile
Gain recognition through CIBSE and CIBSE MENA communication channels and the publication of winning work.

Connect with industry
Engage with experienced professionals, judges, academics and members of the CIBSE MENA community.

Gain professional recognition
Present your work to the CIBSE UAE Technical Committee and compete for recognition and prize awards.

Join the CIBSE community
Access CIBSE student membership opportunities and connect with a wider professional network.

Looking Back: 2025 Competition

The launch also provided an opportunity to recognise the success of the 2025 competition.

Last year’s programme celebrated:

2025 Winners: Manipal University, Dubai
Runner-Up: Higher Colleges of Technology, Dubai
Highly Commended: University of Birmingham, Dubai

The event also acknowledged the sponsors who supported the 2025 programme and contributed to its success.

The achievements of previous participants demonstrate the value of bringing student ideas, technical innovation and industry engagement together — and set the stage for another exciting year of competition.

Start Engineering the Future

The challenges facing the built environment require new ideas, integrated thinking and the confidence to look beyond conventional approaches.

The CIBSE MENA Student Design Competition 2026 invites students across the region to take on that challenge and explore what the net-zero districts of tomorrow could look like.

Whether through innovative energy systems, smart infrastructure, low-carbon mobility, circular resource strategies, climate resilience or approaches that place people and wellbeing at the heart of design, we want to see how the next generation will shape the future of our communities.

The challenge is set. The future is yours to engineer.

Ready to participate?

Full submission guidelines, assessment criteria and eligibility details are available from the CIBSE MENA team.

For enquiries and further information:

Email:
[email protected]
[email protected]

Submission:
Entries should be submitted to the CIBSE MENA team on the above emails.

Start engineering the future.

CIBSE MENA Student Design Competition