Innovative approaches, unconventional principles. Urban Design Award winning projects announced

The winners were announced on Thursday, 4 April 2024, in the presence of Dalibor Hlaváček, Dean of the FA CTU, Jakub Vorel, Head of the Department of Spatial Planning, and Jan Mužík from the Department of Urban Design, Town and Regional Planning of the Faculty of Civil Engineering CTU. The jury, composed of experts from all participating countries and selected universities, evaluated a total of 69 entries for the academic year 2022/2023 in two rounds. "We feel the desire among the submitted projects to solve real problems of specific places and to describe and develop their values well - including natural ones," says the chair of the jury Eva Němcová. This year also included a special award - a special mention from the jury.

Maja Stankowska and Mateusz Baranowski's proposal for the revitalisation of the Walbrzych district won an award for its thorough analysis, revealing the natural potential of the sites along the Pelcznica River. Thanks to small interventions, it becomes something that cultivates the environment of the district as a whole while preserving the existing spirit of the place. "The submitted plan contains well thought out urban interventions in the form of additions in an appropriate form and scale. An important element of the project is the analysis of the potential impact of the solutions adopted on improving the quality of life of the area's residents," the jury highlighted.

Our students Mária Dvorská, Timotej Hlaváček, Mário Melek took second place with their project Below 350. Their proposal is dedicated to the revitalization of the former industrial city of Náchod. The jury appreciated the complexity of the work - the analysis of the area, the graphic representation, but above all the application of appropriate urban planning principles that can bring a new quality to the city and increase its sustainability. "Considering the scope and quality of the work, this is an exceptional piece of work that undoubtedly deserves the attention of the city's representatives and residents," said the judges.

The third place is shared by the student team of Lukáš Motl and Jan Vařečka from the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the CTU with their project Miris Garden, which proposes a new resort in Croatia, and the team of Flóra Fanni Imre and Hanga Izabella Reppert from the Faculty of Architecture of BME Budapest for their work Rivulus Houses - a project of a new residential area in a developing location in Budapest.

The exhibition of the awarded projects is on display on the ground floor of the FA CTU until 18 April. All awarded projects can also be found on the competition website. Photos from the award ceremony can be viewed in the gallery Life of FA