Download PDF Poster
Theme2026 [Milan, Italy]
Neo-Città Studi Milano — Layers of History and Innovation
This is an international design competition for students to compete amongst each other in designing an innovative architecture, bridge and city design using BIM/CIM & VR technologies. Every year students compete for the top prize which is given to an outstanding work outlining a predefined theme in the aspect of design, innovative idea, and creativity. They plan and design their work based on the theme and then run a simulation. Their final model will be presented to the judges in a form of a script for evaluation.
Based on the theme of the year, applicants are asked to complete their works utilizing BIM/CIM data that combines at least two or more design results, such as VR simulation, transportation, bridge/tunnel/road structure, building structure, environment, disaster prevention/evacuation, etc. We would like you to use FORUM8's BIM software and VR technologies by all means and consider this competition as an opportunity to create your masterpiece.
We encourage students from different departments majoring in different field of studies to make a team to work on their model together to demonstrate that BIM/CIM can be used in various discipline. To assist students with the production of their work, we plan to carry out workshops and seminars. We will also support the students who will make use of software from now on.
Milan, with almost 2500 years of history dating back to the Roman Empire, became the economic hub of northern Italy's industrialisation from the 19th century onwards. Following the post-war development known as the Italian Miracle, it emerged as a global centre for fashion and design. ...Read more
[Free rental software]
■VR CG software UC-win/Road
A 3D Realtime Virtual Reality Software available in multiple languages including Japanese, English, Chinese, etc. It can be used for various simulations such as traffic, roads, construction, environment, disaster prevention and evacuation.
■UC-win/Road Assessment Plugin
Environmental assessment plug-in enables to perform VR and simple assessment by using a variety of real-time simulation functions of UC-win/Road. It is possible to assess the green view rate and sunshine obstruction, and predict light reflection from solar panels.
■3D CG software Shade3D
Comprehensive 3D CG software supporting BIM/CIM. The all-in-one package includes functions for modeling, rendering, animation, and 3D printing.
■Civil Engineering Design CAD UC-1 Series
Seismic design and reinforcement design, 3D bar arrangement, and drawing programs for civil engineering and building structures; such as Abutment, Pier, BOX Culvert, UC-1 BIM/CIM Tool, etc.
■Environmental / Energy analysis DesignBuilder
Software that supports environmental simulation of light, temperature, CO2, etc., and energy-saving building design.
■Seismic and structural analysis FEM software Engineer's Studio®
■Integrated BIM solution for building and civil engineering Allplan
■EXODUS/SMARTFIRE Analysis Support Service, Evacuation Analysis Support Service
Project Prof., Univ. of Tokyo, Faculty of Engineering, Dept. of Architecture, Architecture Information Lab.
Prof., Tongji University, Design Creative Academy
National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
Associate Professor in the School of Architecture and Planning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Wed. April 1 - Tue. June 30, 2026
Wed. April 1 - Fri. Nov. 20, 2026
Screening: Tue. July 7, 2026
Result notification: Fri. July 10, 2026
Fri. Sep. 18 - Fri. Sep. 25, 2026
Tue. Oct. 6 - Mon. Oct. 12, 2026
Tue. Oct. 13, 2026
Thu. Nov. 19, 2026
Venue: Shinagawa Intercity Hall (MAP)
World Cup Award (1 work)
Prize 300,000JPY
Excellence Award
Prize 100,000JPY
Honorable Judge Award (About 4 works)
Prize 50,000JPY
Nomination Award
Souvenir
Up to 3 members from the area other than Kanto area and 2 members from overseas in each team are scheduled to be invited.
Theme 2026 [Milan, Italy]
Neo-Città Studi Milano
— Layers of History and Innovation
Milan, with almost 2500 years of history dating back to the Roman Empire, became the economic hub of northern Italy's industrialisation from the 19th century onwards. Following the post-war development known as the Italian Miracle, it emerged as a global centre for fashion and design. ...Read more
The copyrights to all data, works, and products created through this competition shall remain the property of the authors.
FORUM8 shall have the right to edit and process the data, works, and deliverables created by the author, and shall have the right to use them for secondary purposes, such as publishing and distributing them on its website, e-mail news, PR magazines, books, magazines, newspapers, etc., as part of external announcements, research presentations, sales activities, and public relations activities.
The use of UC-win/Road is required for the production of the work. In addition, contestants must use at least one more FORUM8 software/solution to create their project. BIM/CIM data and posters explaining the results of these linkages and design/analysis will be submitted. Data and posters explaining these linkages and the results of design and analysis will be evaluated in terms of the degree of use of BIM/CIM and VR, creation period and quality, logic and technical skills, aesthetics and originality, and presentation techniques, and how the software was used to create a new design.
Date: Thu. November 19th, 2026
Venue: Shinagawa Intercity Hall (MAP)
Nominated teams will be asked to participate in the open judging and give a five-minute presentation. If you do not participate, you will not be eligible for an award.
The winning award works will be selected through the final judging committee and judge on cloud via VR-Cloud® and the Award Ceremony will be held.
The competition result will be also announced on the FORUM8 website.
Please register and submit your work plan in English during the entry period (Wed. April 1st – Mon. June 30th, 2026).
Judging will be conducted anonymously. The name of the team or work should not identify the individual or group, such as the name of the country or school.
To register, please complete the page accessible from the button below with your team name, team members, etc.
Please click the link below to download the Entry form, *complete the form, and upload it.
*Make sure to present your work with an explanation of the overview of your work (in 100 words in English) and images.
The following information will be sent to you by e-mail after the entry has been accepted.
- Entry ID
- URL to download the data and materials provided for the production of the work
- Information on how to apply for seminars you wish to attend
The preliminary screening will be held on Tue. July 7th, and the selection results will be announced on Fri. July 10th.
Only teams that enter before the deadline and pass the qualifying round will be allowed to submit their works. Please submit your work by the submission deadline on Fri. September 25th, 2026 using the dedicated URL that will be sent to you at a later date.
[Documents to be submitted]
- Data created by the software solution used
UC-win/Road VR data (data that violates copyrights is prohibited.)
* Scripts (automatic presentation) need to be set in the UC-win/Road VR data. Please observe the following points.
- Create a 30-second main script to convey the main idea of the work, like a commercial.
- In addition, you may optionally create multiple scripts of about 15 seconds each, but please ensure that your work can be understood by watching the main script alone.
- Give your script a unique name.
- Cloud screening will be conducted at a resolution of 768x432. Please note the font size.
How to make your script (PDF, 523KB)
- "Data" created with FORUM8 software (2 or more data files)
- PDF file of A1 sized poster (oriented horizontally)
* In English
Please create your poster with margin of 10mm on the left, right, top and bottom.
FORUM8 Co. Ltd. Tokyo Head office Virtual Design World Cup Section
Shinagawa Intercity A-21F, 2-15-1 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan 108-6021
TEL:03-6894-1888 FAX:03-6894-3888
E-mail:bim@forum8.co.jp
URL:http://www.forum8.co.jp/english/
Wed. April 1 to Fri. November 20, 2026
* The rental duration, license restrictions and format provided will depend on the individual product.
* Rental licenses allow the use of all the functions that each applicable software offers, but they cannot be used for purposes other than the competition.
(Planned rental products)
◎:Required software
○:Please select at least two software products with a white circle in front.
◎UC-win/Road
(including Aimsun Linkage, VISSIM Linkage, Micro Simulation Player, Parking Lot, Assessment, Tsunami, Debris-Avalanche, Point Cloud / As-built drawing management plugins)
Allplan
Integrated Civil Construction BIM Solution
○Engineer's Studio®
3D Plate Dynamic Non-linear Analysis
○UC-1 Series
Civil engineering design CAD (Pier 3D bar arrangement, Abutment design 3D bar arrangement, BOX Culvert, 3D bar arrangement CAD, Parking Drawing System, Vehicle Trajectory Mapping System, UC-1 BIM/CIM Tool, etc.)
○UC-1 Cloud Auto Design Series
○DesignBuilder
Building Energy Consumption Calculation
EXODUS / SMARTFIRE Analysis Support Service, Evacuation Analysis Support Service *1
○Wind and Heat Movement Analysis Support Service *1
○Municipality solution *2
○Parking solution *2
○VR city planning system *2
*1 Simplified analysis service with BIM data is provided.
*2 Various solution/service (analysis/rendering, etc) are available for a limited time for application in BIM. Advance counseling about the purpose of use is required.
Applicants can also participate in training and seminar (free or paid) on this software held by FORUM8.
Echoist, National Institute of Technology, Toyota College (Japan)
AIroha, National Institute of Technology, Tokuyama College (Japan)
Beast, HANOI ARCHITECTURAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (Vietnam)
Dreamer, VNU University of Engineering and Technology (Vietnam)
Zoo Link, National University of Kaohsiung (Taiwan)
Caffeine and nap, National University of Kaohsiung (Taiwan)
MTKL, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) (China)
The Lunar Emissary, University of Engineering and Technology – Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU-UET) (Vietnam)
HOCHIKIs, Nihon University (Japan)
T-ZOO, Takushoku University (Japan)
Chimney Squad, National University of Kaohsiung(Taiwan)
Meshloop, Kagawa University(Japan)
Traffic coders, Beijing People's Police College (China)
Virtual Design World Cup
The 15th Student BIM & VR Design Contest
Theme 2025
The Road to the Zoo
- Public Entertainment Promenade
Virtual Design World Cup
The 14th Student BIM & VR Design Contest
Theme 2024
A City Living with Non-Human Agent
Virtual Design World Cup
The 13th Student BIM & VR Design Contest
Theme 2023
Two Major Reversals Brought to Japan's Original Landscape
-The Future of Mobility and Lifestyle in Ena City
Virtual Design World Cup
The 12th Student BIM & VR Design Contest
Theme 2022
A city where humans and smart mobility coexist
- Western Sydney Airport Terminal Neighborhood
Virtual Design World Cup
The 11th Student BIM & VR Design Contest
Theme 2021
Phuket Smart Resort Design Challenge!
Virtual Design World Cup
The 10th Student BIM & VR Design Contest
Theme 2020
Future Mobility Lifestyle in Kalimantan, Indonesia's New Capital known as the "Forest City"
Virtual Design World Cup
The 9th Student BIM & VR Design Contest
Theme 2019
"OSAKA Dream Island, the Future City for Entertainment"
Virtual Design World Cup
The 8th Student BIM & VR Design Contest
Theme 2018
"Sharable urban system of future Shanghai"
Virtual Design World Cup
The 7th Student BIM & VR Design Contest
Theme 2017
"Yangon -Aiming for an ideal and sustainable Asian city"
Virtual Design World Cup
The 6th Student BIM & VR Design Contest
Theme 2016
"Extension of the central city Melbourne"
Virtual Design World Cup
The 5th Student BIM & VR Design Contest
Theme 2015
“Redevelopment of Keelung Station Area in Taiwan”
Virtual Design World Cup
The 4th Student BIM & VR Design Contest
Theme 2014
“Sustainable Olympic Town in Tokyo Bay 2020”
Virtual Design World Cup
The 3rd Student BIM & VR Design Contest
Theme 2013
"Sustainable Station Front in Global Metropolis"
Virtual Design World Cup
The 2nd Student BIM & VR Design Contest
Theme 2012
“Sustainable Design of Marine City”
Virtual Design World Cup
The 1st Student BIM & VR Design Contest
Theme 2011
“ SHIBUYA Bridge”