CTBUH Funding and Competitions

CTBUH offers the following annual funding and prizes for professionals and students to engage in design and research projects.

International Student Tall Building Design Competition

The goal of the competition, which is open to all students who are currently enrolled at the university level, is to shed new light on the meaning and value of tall buildings in modern society. Participants should engage with the exploration and resolution of the synergistic relationship between a tall building and its urban setting.

International Research Seed Funding

The goal of the International Research Seed Funding initiative is to assist talented researchers in developing projects/ideas to a level that would secure additional, more significant, funding—in conjunction with CTBUH. Research proposals should directly relate to the tall building typology and/or urban habitat, but can come from any topic/discipline.

International Student Research Competition

The goal of the CTBUH International Student Research Competition is to assist talented students, working in groups under the guidance of a professor, to focus on a relevant research question, and create an engaging output as a response. It is up to the students to interpret the theme, and outline how their research will address it, including how the funds will be used to support the intended outcome.

Traveling Student Design Studio 

The winning group of students, from the new Masters of Tall Buildings and Vertical Urbanism Program at the Illinois Institute of Technology, travel to study the sponsor's site and design a hypothetical tall building/urban project on that site. US$20,000 of sponsor funds are used to support travel and studio expenses, with the sponsor's direct involvement as the designs develop.

Student Design-Build Studio 

This funding supports a group of students, under the direction of Prof. Frank Flury at the Illinois Institute of Technology, to travel to an underserved community, to design and build a community structure. Past locations have included Ghana, Indonesia, Puerto Rico, Chile and, most recently, Vietnam.

Mass Timber Student Design Competition

This competition, which is open to all students who are currently enrolled at U.S. and Canada-based institutes, focuses on the use of mass timber in multi-story buildings through the lens of affordable housing that emphasizes rapid development. It is also suggested that participants consider prefabricated components or volumetric modular approach.