While Airbnb offers plenty of regular ol’ apartments, houses, and cottages to stay at while you’re away on business or vacation, they also have plenty of unique listings that offer something a bit more unconventional, like staying in this Portuguese wine barrel or the fact that you can rent Twilight‘s Bella Swan’s house. If you’ve always appreciated something a little more out-there, you might want to sign up for Airbnb’s new competition which is giving away a million bucks to people who can design some out-of-this-world accommodation.
- So how does it work? Airbnb has $1 million to invest in some new houses but they don’t want them to be your classic brick and mortar abodes. Instead, they want to give 10 people $100,000 each to bring the wildest, wackiest places they can even imagine to life so that people can stay there during their travels. Sounds simple enough, right?
- What are they looking for? According to the Airbnb website, the competition’s aim is to find “unusual shapes, unexpected locations, immersive concepts, spaces with a story.” They add, “We’re on the hunt for people who will challenge the very idea of a house.” Think you’re up to the task?
- You should get creative but stay realistic. While it’s tempting to design something that will blow people’s minds, it also has to actually be possible and relatively affordable (i.e. within that $100,000 budget). While Airbnb says that when it comes to ideas, “the wilder, the better,” they also point out that you need “plans rooted in reality.”
- It’s important to consider how your house will affect its local environment. The Airbnb competition isn’t just about design—they’re concerned with sustainability too. In coming up with your plans, you should aim to be as eco-friendly as possible with your building and also consider how it will serve the environment in which it’s built. All of these things will be taken into consideration by the judges when choosing their winners.
- There are some pretty cool people judging this competition. Airbnb has pulled together a stellar team of judges, from Pose‘s Billy Porter and Airbnb Superhost Kristie Wolfe to contemporary architecture firm MVRDV. Don’t you want to impress them all?!
- So how do you enter? All the information you need can be found on the Airbnb website HERE. That’s all the official rules, but your entry form will need to be completed by April 15, 2020 and winners will be announced around May 15, with houses being built before the end of the year. Good luck, everyone!
