Robert Bird Group are proud to announce their role in the winning team awarded first prize in an international competition to design the master plan for Hunnu City in Mongolia. The competition attracted 43 teams from 21 countries, challenging participants to envision a future city that harmonises with its unique cultural and ecological context.
In an international team alongside Atelier Ten, another member of SJ Group, the winning master plan provided a fully regenerative vision of the city, grounded in a guiding question: How would nature lead the design? Drawing inspiration from the rhythms and intelligence of the Mongolian steppe, the team embraced a Living Story methodology, listening to the land’s narrative rather than imposing fixed assumptions. This approach informed every aspect of the master plan – shaped by water flows, topography, ecological corridors, and seasonal variability.
The proposal reflects a deep respect for the Mongolian culture, climate, and identity, creating a city that is not only sustainable but regenerative – strengthening soil health, supporting biodiversity, and reinforcing the principle that design is an ongoing dance with nature.
“Hunnu City represents a bold vision for sustainable development in one of the world’s most challenging climates. Our role was to ensure that the structural and civil infrastructure strategies not only respect the landform but protect the unique existing assets to enhance the ecosystem, developing for a resilient future. We’re proud to have collaborated with an exceptional global team to help shape a city that harmonises with its cultural and ecological context.” – Glynn Irvine, Director, Robert Bird Group
Atelier Ten contributed regenerative design, environmental design and biomimicry expertise to the project, while Robert Bird Group provided civil and structural engineering. Both members of parent company, SJ Group, they were joined by a number of our firms to create the winning team, including Bechu & Associés (planning), SOA Architecture (associate architect), MIC-HUB (mobility and flows), Parcnouveau (landscape), EMBIX (smart-grid design), The Climate Company (climate adaptation), Future Food Institute (food resilience) and IQP Italdesign (architecture).
Both Robert Bird Group and Atelier Ten are member companies of SJ Group. This achievement highlights the strength of SJ Group’s regenerative design expertise- combining Atelier Ten’s environmental and regenerative design leadership with Robert Bird Group’s advanced engineering capabilities, alongside SJ Group’s global network, to catalyse the transition to a regenerative future.