Architecture Competition Modular Home Design Challenge 2021 Green prize winners – Warsaw University of Technology

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the Green prize winners of our “Modular Home Design Challenge 2021” competition – Julia Ciężar, Matylda Wolska and Alicja Bakalarska from Poland!

Julia Ciężar, Matylda Wolska and Alicja Bakalarska from Poland

We are students in our 3rd year of Architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology. Privately, we can define ourselves as a group of close friends who met while studying. After some time, we started to think about designing together. We try to promote sustainable architecture with our actions. For this reason, we are members of the Climate Crisis Architecture Science Club. There, we can apply our ideas onto real experiences.

Brief information about the projects that you/your company have been involved with. For instance, what scale have you focused on/preferred, any significant projects where the company/ individuals have been Involved?

This is the first architectural competition in which we participate. Our previous lessons came only from the projects we completed as part of our studies. During our short experience, we tried to make architecture accessible to everyone. We assume that every idea should be realistic and based on the principles of creating sustainable architecture.

What does architecture mean to you and what is the role of an architect in your society?

Matylda: I believe that the role of an architect is not limited to designing and building aesthetic buildings. It is about solving contemporary problems and shaping a better reality, by people for people. Architecture should not be an exclusive field but should equalize social differences and living standards within modern society without harming future generations.

Alicja: When I move around my city, I am constantly surrounded by buildings. At some point, they become a background for everyone’s life. The quest of an architect is to make that background not only a set of aesthetically satisfying forms, but primarily a safe and functional space. Architecture means taking responsibility at all levels of its complexity and focusing on designing the best context for people’s lives.

Julia: I think that architecture is a continuous analysis of the all-present context and changing circumstances. Thanks to its multidimensionality, it concerns every area of human life. It combines topics, ranging from aesthetic aspects to psychological considerations. In this definition, an architect plays the role of a comprehensively educated adviser available to everyone. He is able to translate the perceived needs of people into optimal solutions.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

As we are at the very beginning of our architectural journey, we wanted to face a real competition task on our own. We want to provoke discussions on topics important to us in architecture and society. Thanks to competitions, we can reach a larger group of recipients.

What advice would you give to individuals who struggle to decide whether it would be beneficial for them to participate in architecture Competitions?

First of all, architecture competitions give us the opportunity to test ourselves and our beliefs. They stimulate us to constantly search for new solutions. They allow us to contribute to the discussion of what architecture should look like.