Artefact Architects' Rain-Harvesting Hotel Design Wins NOT A HOTEL Competition
Steven Chu, founder of Artefact Architects in Melbourne, has secured the top honor in the 2026 NOT A HOTEL International Design Competition with his innovative project titled 'Sound of Rain.' Selected from over 1,000 global submissions, this design will be realized on Yakushima, a picturesque island off Japan's Kyushu. The conceptual building boasts a distinctive bowl-shaped roof to harvest rainwater, offering a serene getaway. Interior features include a living area, bedroom, a circular terrace with a sunken fire pit, and a uniquely curved room designed to enhance rainfall sounds. Following his victory in April, Chu is advancing the project, which is also a finalist at the World Architecture Festival in Fort Lauderdale.
Key facts
- Steven Chu of Artefact Architects won the Grand Prize in the 2026 NOT A HOTEL International Design Competition.
- The winning design, 'Sound of Rain', was selected from over 1,000 entries from 112 countries.
- The project will be built on Yakushima, an island off the southern coast of Kyushu, Japan.
- The design features a bowl-shaped roof that collects rainfall and directs runoff.
- The interior includes a living space, bedroom, circular terrace with a sunken fire pit, and a curved bedroom.
- Chu's design philosophy aims to strengthen connection to place through atmosphere, materiality, ritual, and rain.
- The project is in design development and has been named a 'Future Projects' finalist at the World Architecture Festival in Fort Lauderdale.
- The competition was held by NOT A HOTEL, a boutique hotel brand.
Entities
Artists
- Steven Chu
- Sou Fujimoto
- Jean Nouvel
Institutions
- Artefact Architects
- NOT A HOTEL
- World Architecture Festival
- UNESCO
Locations
- Melbourne
- Australia
- Yakushima
- Japan
- Kyushu
- Fort Lauderdale
- United States
- Ishigaki