Architects who were short-listed for Living Steel's 2nd Architecture Competition for Sustainable Housing were given a detailed brief to which they had to design a suitable concept for the particular country locations:

• Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
• Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China
• Thames Gateway, UK

Each competition brief set forth criteria that needed to be addressed. For example, one of the criteria for Recife was to build on poor soil in a high water table area. In the Thames Gateway, architects had to consider the possibility of flooding, building in a brown field, and for a high-density site. In Wuhan, architects needed to provide a concept that would deliver affordable housing that addressed China's unique culture. All had to provide affordable, efficient housing for low to middle income residents.