Dean’s Awards 2025 handed out

Each year, the Dean’s Award is given for outstanding semester projects, diploma projects, and theoretical or research works, and serves as a reflection of the quality and direction of teaching at the faculty. This year, 19 first-year projects, 62 studio projects, 27 diploma works and 8 theoretical and research works were nominated. The winners were selected by two expert juries. The jury for studio and diploma projects was composed of Martin Stára (chair), Jan Čtvrtník, Štěpánka Endrle, Marie Gelová, Dalibor Hlaváček, Zdeněk Chmel and Magdalena Rochová. The jury for theoretical and research works consisted of Cyril Říha (chair), Nina Bartošová, Michaela Brožová, Karel Hájek, Dalibor Hlaváček, Irena Lehkoživová and Petr Vorlík.

The authors of the winning works received crystal statuettes designed by FA graduate Klára Janypková. In addition, winners of studio projects received a financial award of CZK 25,000, while the winner of the diploma project received CZK 50,000.

Dean Dalibor Hlaváček commented: “The Dean’s Awards annually show the breadth and quality of student works at our faculty. This year again they confirmed the extraordinary level, sensitivity and social relevance of the awarded projects. I thank the juries for the careful evaluation and congratulate all nominees, awardees and their teachers.”

The award for the best first-year studio project was given to Iva Filipová for Reziduum / VODOJEM 2.0: experimental housing from the ZAN Buřičová studio. The jury considered the work unusually strong and mature, showing discipline and architectural sensitivity, and praised the sensitive use of materials and the high-quality graphic presentation.

The Dean’s Award for a studio project in the architecture category was given to Lucie Hájková, Barbora Kolaříková and Anna Reidlová from the Havlová–Nikerle studio for their project Manuál Obydlení. The jury appreciated the project’s complexity and its potential relevance for similar types of buildings, noting that it also offers a broader reflection on systemic issues in existing building stock.

The award for a studio project in the urbanism category went to Rebeka Jechová from the Zmek–Krýzl–Novotný studio for Too hot to handle Holešovice. The jury highlighted her clear and accessible definition of the core problem and praised the quality of the analysis, which is understandable even to the wider public while maintaining professional depth. The project explored spatial possibilities for expanding green infrastructure in an urban environment.

The award for the best diploma project was given to Štěpán Macek for Místo zotavení – samota Kluk from the Girsa studio. The jury described the project as exceptionally successful in all aspects: thoughtful, conceptually strong and sensitively designed in relation to the landscape.

The Dean’s Award for theoretical or research work was awarded to Alexander Kuric for Úspornost a energie v architektuře české avantgardy, supervised by Matúš Dulla. The jury appreciated its balanced perspective, contributing to a deeper understanding of modernism, challenging stereotypes and encouraging a historically grounded view of architecture. The author’s detailed knowledge of materials and technologies, as well as the critically informed approach to the topic, were also highlighted.

An honorary mention was given to Tomáš Vojtíšek for organizing a workshop on containers for menstrual products and for his cooperation in the production and presentation of the winning proposals at the faculty.

In the categories of landscape architecture and design, no Dean’s Awards were given this year. Photographs from the award ceremony are available in the “Life at FA” gallery.

Studio Project, 1st Year

Iva Filipová – RESIDUUM / WATER TOWER 2.0: Experimental Housing – ZAN Buřičová

Author’s statement:
The project Residuumm presents a sensitive conversion of a water tower that has ceased to serve its original function and is given a new role as a multifunctional residential and artistic space. The building is defined by its characteristic octagonal floor plan and a strong vertical axis that enables the layering of diverse functions. The interior layout works with the contrast between the closed, intimate spaces of the lower reservoir and the open, light-filled studios and experimental living areas on the upper floors. The flexible arrangement supports both individual creative work and community activities. The name Residuumm refers to what remains — a trace, remnant, or imprint. In this space, time, experiences and memory accumulate, forming the sediment of a new identity for the building.

Jury evaluation:
The jury praised the project as exceptionally strong and mature. The author managed to grasp the fundamental form of the water tower and maintain the design within clearly defined limits, demonstrating a high degree of discipline and architectural sensitivity. The use of the building’s inherent potential is particularly successful: both the spatial layering and the functional solutions work with the complex octagonal shape, which has been handled with lightness and elegance. The jury also highlighted the sensitive use of materials and the high quality of the graphic presentation.

Studio Project, 2nd–5th Year – Architecture

Rebeka Jechová – Too hot to handle Holešovice – Zmek–Krýzl–Novotný Studio

Author’s Statement:

HOLEŠOVICE – Lower Holešovice is one of the biggest urban heat islands in the capital city of Prague. This fact has been known to experts since the beginning of the 19th century. PARIS – since the beginning of the 21st century, it has been struggling with extreme summer temperatures. The city management decided to put together a plan, which it updates over the years, but most importantly, it implements it. GOAL – interventions in the public space aimed at gradually cooling down this part of Prague.

Jury Evaluation:

The jury appreciated that the project addresses a current topic in Holešovice. It provides a stimulating contribution to the public discussion on the matter. The author managed to clearly and intelligibly describe the core of the problem and present an analysis which, in its simplified form, makes the topic accessible to the wider public without losing its professional value. The proposal examines the spatial possibilities for expanding green infrastructure in the urban environment. The overall solution is simple, accurate, and well-executed. The graphical aspect of the project was also positively evaluated.

Dean's Award for Diploma Thesis

Štěpán Macek – Place of Recovery–Kluk Hermitage – Girsa Studio

Author’s Statement:

A house has always served man as a refuge from the outside world. We now live in an era where, conversely, the landscape can offer us refuge from our inner world. This diploma thesis proposes the concept of a place of recovery in the natural environment of the Mácha region. The project explores the potential of the place – the house and the landscape – for the recovery process. Here, refuge is understood in a broader sense – a space not only for solitude, peace, and reflection, but also for communal sharing and therapy in the context of nature. The landscape here becomes an active therapeutic element, offering opportunities for contemplation and rediscovering inner peace.

Jury Evaluation:

The jury evaluated the diploma thesis as exceptionally successful in all respects. It is characterized by complexity and depth, while demonstrating a high degree of sensitivity in the concept design of the place and a thorough understanding of the landscape context. The diploma student produced quality research and created unpretentious architecture in a picturesque setting. Overall, the work is harmonious, highly cultivated, and at a professional level.

Dean's Award for Theoretical and Research Work

Alexander Kuric – Economy and Energy in the Architecture of the Czech Avant-garde – Thesis supervisor: Prof. Ing. arch. Matúš Dulla, DrSc.

Author's Statement:

The relationship of the modernist avant-garde to energy efficiency is often evaluated negatively. In confrontation with today's requirements, it seems that energy efficiency was at the bottom of the priorities for the architecture of that time. However, research focused on the avant-gardes of some countries shows that this relationship was often more complex. The aim of this dissertation is to verify whether this is also true for the Czech avant-garde, and to what extent an interest in operational energy efficiency issues was or was not evident in it. The research broadly follows the themes of materiality, spatial arrangement, and technological equipment of the building. Examples supporting the negative view can be found in these areas. The avant-garde often prioritized hygiene, for which it was willing to sacrifice energy efficiency. It was often superficially interested in the theory of thermal engineering and uncritically trusted new insulation products, which, however, did not necessarily prove effective in reality. The design practice had key shortcomings in terms of operational energy. However, there were also examples to the contrary. An active debate took place on a number of energy-related topics, to which some personalities of the avant-garde themselves contributed. This concerns, for example, thermal engineering or the issue of insolation. At other times, architects criticized the work of their colleagues from the perspective of energy efficiency, and some sought to incorporate these aspects into the form of building details. The overall picture is contradictory, changing over time and across individual personalities. The work identifies and describes these specifics in detail. In the background there are also different contemporary requirements for insulation capabilities and thermal comfort compared to today. Although much of the criticism remains legitimate, as a whole, the avant-garde was more interested in energy problems than is commonly assumed.

Jury Evaluation:

The study deals with the relationship of the Czech modernist avant-garde to energy efficiency – a topic that is fundamental in architecture today. Although it is often stated that the avant-garde neglected energy issues, Alexander Kuric's research shows a more complex picture. Besides well-known shortcomings, such as weak insulation or the emphasis on aesthetics and hygiene at the expense of efficiency, the author also points out contemporary professional discussions on insolation and thermal engineering. The attitudes of the avant-garde were not uniform – they differed over time and among individual creators. Today's strict standards then retrospectively influence the evaluation and renewal of these buildings. Kuric's work brings a balanced view and contributes to a deeper understanding of modernism. It calls for a revision of stereotypes and for perceiving architecture in its historical context. We appreciate the author's detailed knowledge of materials and technologies and his critical approach to the topic.

Jury's Honourable Mentions

Pavlína Hudcová – Měděnec – The Memory of the Ore Mountains Mining Landscape – Efler Studio

Author's Statement:

This analytical part of the pre-diploma and diploma thesis deals with the analysis for the subsequent proposal for the regeneration of the municipality of Měděnec and its connection with the surrounding Ore Mountains mining landscape, including the Mědník Hill, which was recently inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The expected increase in tourism brings new opportunities and risks, and the goal of the urban concept is to create the missing visitor facilities in the municipality, support housing development, and provide lacking civic amenities, all while preserving and promoting the cultural and natural values in the area. The project analyses work with the memory of the place on several scales, from making the traces of the cultural landscape present and interpreting the vanished urban structure, to the detail of public spaces.

Jury Evaluation:

Pavlína Hudcová's pre-diploma project presents a comprehensive and above-average scope of work on the assigned topic. The author demonstrated a high level of analytical approach, examining the issue from many different angles. The analytical part is thorough and processed to an excellent standard; the work would benefit from formulating hypotheses based on the identified problems, and a final synthesis. The absence of a summary and a clear conclusion complicates the understanding of what key findings the author reached and what further steps should follow in the design phase. Overall, however, it is a quality work that, by its scope and depth of processing, exceeds the standard of a pre-diploma thesis.

Tomáš Vojtíšek

Jury Evaluation:

The jury decided to recognize Tomáš Vojtíšek for his selfless effort to improve the environment at the Faculty of Architecture, Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU). His initiative and personal commitment in organizing workshops show that the quality of the academic environment lies not only in architectural or artistic outputs but also in caring for the everyday functioning of the faculty and the comfort of its students and employees. The jury therefore awarded a special mention as an expression of appreciation for this valuable activity.