Strength, stability, connection. The award for the best European wooden buildings was designed by an FA student

In recent months, the European WoodPoP initiative, which brings together 28 member states and regions, sought a design for its new prize—the WoodPoP Dara Award. The goal was to create a symbol embodying the values of sustainability, innovation, and the beauty of working with wood. Since autumn 2025, 22 students from the Faculty of Architecture at CTU and the Higher Professional School of Applied Arts worked on the award's design. Six finalists were selected and presented their work to WoodPoP representatives in March. The project by Julie Kratěnová, from the Fišer–Nezpěváková design studio, emerged as the winner.

The design impressed the expert jury with its purity and symbolism. The award is designed to reflect the growth, layering, and strength of wood as a material of the future. It consists of two frames interconnected at a single point using a structural joint. The morphology is based on the Celtic Dara knot, whose symbolism represents strength, stability, and connection, while also being inspired by the structural principles of buildings. In contrast to this stable wooden construction, a tilted glass element is added, referencing the Czech glassmaking tradition.

The first presentation of the awards in this new form will take place during the upcoming European WoodPoP forum, where the winning object will become a permanent part of the presentation of the best in European timber construction.