The Healthy Buildings Design Competition began in 2022 with its first edition, originally titled the Healthy Homes Design Competition. Organized by REHVA with support from the VELUX Group, it challenged students to design a healthy, climate-resilient apartment complex consisting of approximately 20 housing units in a Rotterdam suburb. The competition focused on indoor air quality, thermal, acoustic, and visual comfort, while also promoting energy efficiency and environmental responsibility. Participants submitted proposals that were evaluated during the CLIMA 2022 conference in Rotterdam.

Winners included Martina Heilig and Levin Kümmerle from the University of Applied Sciences Augsburg for their “Horizontal Living” concept, and a team from Aalborg University for their “Healthy and Resilient Homes” design. Caroline Reich and Amelie Reiser, also from Augsburg, earned recognition for their socially focused “re²thinktank” project.

The second edition, held in 2025 and rebranded as the Healthy Buildings Design Competition, shifted the focus from new construction to the renovation of existing infrastructure. Teams were tasked with reimagining a 1972-built primary school in Milan, aiming to improve occupant well-being, energy performance, indoor environmental quality, and economic feasibility through innovative and sustainable design. Sponsored by SMAY ventilation systems, this edition highlighted the importance of advanced HVAC solutions in achieving healthier indoor environments. The competition emphasized a multidisciplinary approach, inviting students from architecture, engineering, and building sciences to collaborate. Finalists presented their concepts at the 15th REHVA HVAC World Congress in Milan in June 2025. 

The winning team, Mindful Retrofitters, was composed of four students from Delft University of Technology: Gaspard Marteau (France), Catalina Marina Persunaru (Romania), Alejandro Mendiola De la Peña (Mexico), and Sana Hafsa (India). Their multidisciplinary approach combined passive design principles, circular strategies, smart systems, and material innovation. Their user-centered renovation concept stood out for thoughtfully integrating children's physical and emotional well-being, offering a balanced solution that addressed technical performance, sustainability, and social value, all tailored to the specific context of a Milanese school.

Through both editions, the competition has demonstrated REHVA’s ongoing commitment to empowering the next generation of engineers, architects, and designers, while driving forward innovation for healthier, more sustainable buildings.