Antrax IT marks its 30th anniversary with THE HOT SPOT, an architecture competition dedicated to the design of a 22-square-metre tiny house immersed in nature. Conceived as both a conceptual and buildable project, the initiative invites architects and interior designers to explore the relationship between architecture and landscape, minimal living, sustainability, and territorial regeneration.
COMPETITIONS
The proposed site lies within the Valle delle Fate in the Venetian Prealps, a transitional territory between plains and mountains. Surrounded by historic landmarks such as the Tempio Canoviano in Possagno and the Rocca di Asolo, the location frames the competition within a culturally layered landscape. Rather than serving as a symbolic setting, the valley will host the realized project, with construction of the winning proposal scheduled to begin in 2027.
Antrax IT has selected ten invited studios to participate in the final phase of the competition: AMDL CIRCLE, Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia, Dante O. Benini Architects, Giuliano Andrea Dell’Uva, Lissoni & Partners, Parisotto + Formenton Architetti, Christophe Pillet, Matteo Thun & Partners, Victor Vasilev, and Marco Zito Studio. These practices will compete alongside an equal number of international studios chosen through an open call.
Participants must design the tiny house in its entirety, including architectural envelope, interior layout, materials, spatial optimization, and heating solutions incorporating Antrax IT radiators and accessories. The dwelling may rest on the ground or rise above it, unfold across one or multiple levels, and include an outdoor deck. Fully equipped with kitchen and services, it must accommodate between two and four occupants.
Alberico Crosetta, CEO of Antrax IT since 2008, frames the initiative as an expansion of the brand’s long-standing design research. “Antrax IT has always been a pioneer in design research,” he states. “For thirty years, we have worked to give the heating world a form, a function, and a character that previously did not exist. Now we want to go further. To create not just a product but a place, a destination for contemporary architecture, a ‘micro-scale’ building that can serve as a model, an inspiration, a space to be visited and experienced.”
Paolo Scoglio, architect, lecturer, and founder of the ne[s]t studio, acts as scientific coordinator of THE HOT SPOT. He will oversee feasibility studies and ensure that the selected proposal translates into a viable, built structure. The project aims to operate as a catalyst for local revitalization, reinforcing the value of inland territories within what Mario Cucinella has described as “Arcipelago Italia.”
The jury reflects the initiative’s cross-disciplinary ambition, bringing together figures from architecture, design media, and hospitality. Among them are Gilda Bojardi of INTERNI, Elena Dallorso of AD Italia, Nicola Leonardi of The Plan, Livia Peraldo of Elle Decor Italia, and Mauro Santinato of Teamwork Hospitality.
With THE HOT SPOT, Antrax IT extends its design vision beyond product development into architectural authorship, positioning the tiny house as both an experimental laboratory and a destination embedded within the Venetian landscape.
