The Dean's Prize is awarded annually to outstanding semester and diploma theses. It is also a reflection of the quality and direction of teaching at the faculty. This year, a total of 18 first-year projects, 45 studio projects and 19 theses were nominated. The winning works were decided by a seven-member jury consisting of Dalibor Hlaváček, Peter Jurkovič, Michal Marcinov, Jiří Opočenský, Petr Stanický, Lucie Vogelová and Tomáš Zdvihal.
The authors of the winning works received glass statuettes designed by FA design graduate Klára Janypková. In addition, the Dean's Prizes for studio projects were awarded with a cheque for CZK 20,000, CZK 30,000 for the diploma thesis and CZK 10,000 for an extraordinary achievement .
"Once again, the third year of the competition showed the diversity of our faculty and the breadth of topics that our students are working on. We recognized the outstanding student work and the passion our students and faculty have for architecture and urban planning, landscape architecture and design. Congratulations once again to all the winners and nominees, they were selected from nearly 2400 works that are produced at our faculty every year," says Dalibor Hlaváček, Dean of Faculty of Architecture.
In the category of the first year studio work, Alžběta Pisoňová from the Bébarová studio won with her design of a chess set for the blind. The jury appreciated the strong theme, execution and aesthetic appeal of the design.
The first place in the Architecture category went to Nelávka by Petra Bilikova, Tereza Smažinková and Matěj Střecha. The design was created in the Mádr studio as part of the cooperation between the Institute of Design II and the KRNAP Administration. According to the jury, the footbridge artfully uses raw materials and discovers hidden beauty in them.
Nikol Stojanová and Radek Vladař from the Plicka-Škrna studio won the Urbanism category for their work analysing the possibilities of integrating the Nisa River back into the structure of Jablonec nad Nisou. The jury highlighted the complex treatment of different levels of intervention.
The best studio landscape project was developed by Kristýna Tesková from studio Sitta. The project deals with the seafront in Reggio di Calabria in southern Italy and according to the jury it is a visionary study that provides food for thought and discussion about the use of the landscape.
The coffin for pets made from MYKOFIN mycelium by Vojtěch Vydržel is the best work in the design category, the project was created in studio Fišer. "A clearly described process from analysis through the various stages of design to the final product. Everything fits together," said the jury.
The best diploma thesis of last year at CTU FA was The Concept of Landscape Design for the Revitalization of the Upper Lusatian Nisa River Basin by Ruby Pavoučková from the Salzmann Studio. It won thanks to its professionally managed analytical and design part, exceptional scope and quality craftmanship.
The Dean's Award for Outstanding Achievement in the category of Sustainability and Experimental Project was awarded to a team of 39 authors who developed a design for Biotopia - a city of the future, where people can live in symbiosis with nature.
Studio project of the 1st year
Alžběta Pisoňová – Chess set for the blind – ZD Bébarová
Author's report: The idea to design a chess set for the blind was initiated by my (not)recent visit to the Museum of the Blind, where I had the chance to play with various games, including chess. Even when I started, I noticed a few things that bothered me or even made the game uncomfortable. I consulted with special education students, who also work on this topic during their studies, for suggestions, but I did not have the opportunity to consult with a blind person. This topic is very difficult to process and more research would be needed.
Jury's evaluation: The jury agreed that the chess set for the blind is an innovative idea not only for the handicapped. The author of the project tackles a strong topic in a complex and unexpected way, showing that it is possible to design chess accessible to all. She has bravely mastered the problem of placing, storing and recognizability of chess pieces and created a user-friendly and aesthetically appealing object. Such chess would be a joy to play with!
Studio project of 2th - 5th year - Architecture
Petra Biliková, Tereza Smažinková, Matěj Střecha – Pitcher – studio Mádr
Author's report: the subject of the project was to design a new footbridge over the Friesova Gorge on the hiking trail along the Little Elbe River. As we are located on a forest hiking trail, the aim was to create an unobtrusive object that would blend in with the surrounding nature. This is how the concept of Nelávka was created, which is connected to the hiking trail by its walking surface. The construction of the footbridge is designed in such a way that the load-bearing part of the footbridge forms a bathtub, into which a drainage layer is inserted and on top of it a walking layer that visually corresponds to the hiking trail. The tub is made up of 3 pieces of sheet pile wall that are laid horizontally side by side and connected by steel connectors. Around the circumference are welded sidewalls, which are formed from the sheet metal of the cut sheet wall. The railings are formed from bent steel.
The jury's evaluation: the project of the footbridge to the Krkonoše Mountains, which was developed by 5 studios of the Department of Design II, deserves an award as a whole and it is great that the students had the opportunity to bring some of the designs to realization, which gradually cultivate the most valuable places in our country, where one would not expect any architecture in the first place. The name of the footbridge, Pitcher , speaks for itself. The footbridge artfully uses raw materials - sheet piling and concrete reinforcement - and discovers the hidden beauty in them. The authors have neglected the architectural expression of the structure, the aim being to create an unobtrusive object that blends in with the surrounding nature.
Studio project 2th - 5th year - Urban design
Nikol Stojanová, Radek Vladař – Jablonec along Nisa river – studio Plicka–Škrna
Author's report: Jablonec nad Nisou, a town that bears in its very name the name of the river that morphologically influenced its urban structure and is thus an inherent part of it. The name seems to tell us a crucial piece of information about the relationship between the town and the river - it is simply above it. The river is below the city in a paved stone bed, the city turns its imaginary back on it, and often the river is merely a barrier. This approach has affected the entire riverbed environment. There are exceptions, but as a rule the river just flows through the town. It doesn't stop for a moment. It does not make contact with people and animals, it does not provide a pleasant atmosphere and microclimate. Hidden in its bed, it quickly runs away from Jablonec. So the main thesis became: "The river is a potential, not just a barrier. Jablonec should not be above the Nisa, Jablonec should be along the Nisa."
Jury's evaluation: the work dealt with the flow of the Nisa River, which it tries to integrate into the structure of the city. The work is comprehensive, dealing with different levels of interventions - lines, areas and points - from road networks, to areas adjacent to the river, to acupuncture urban interventions.
Studio project 2th –5th year - Landscape architecture
Kristýna Tesková – Fata Morgana / Museum of Lost Species – studioSitta
Author's note: The assignment deals with the unusual theme of the seafront in Reggio di Calabria in the very south of Italy. The project is a visionary study dealing with the development of a densely urbanised area. It works with the idea of a museum of lost species - a memorial to the mute victims of human development. And how else to honour them than by making sure that no more species disappear, at least in Reggio? The project connects the sea with the mountains, works with migration and biodiversity and introduces nature-friendly revitalisation processes. It creates a dignified environment for the memory of lost but mainly present species. It works with energy sustainability as well as with new innovative processes of naturalization of urbanized areas.
Jury's evaluation: the project deals with the waterfront in Reggio di Calabria in the very south of Italy. It is a visionary study dealing with the development of a densely urbanised area. It exploits the potential of contact with water, integrating contemporary and often contradictory themes into the design, such as water management, working with local flora and fauna, accessibility, connectivity or energy generation. It provides food for thought and discussion on the use of the landscape.
Studio project 2th –5th year – Design
Vojtěch Vydržel – MYKOFIN / Coffin for pets – studio Fišer
Author's note: In the summer semester 2023 we are working on the REBORN DESIGN competition assignment in the studio. One of the competition categories is the challenge of working with biocomposite mycelium. MYKOFIN is a collection of coffins and urns for pets. The shape of the coffin is ergonomically adapted to the sleeping position of the most common pets and the material used allows up to ten times faster decomposition.
Jury's evaluation: an experimentally tested design that aims for a sustainable distribution of the coffin in the soil. A great combination of material and function. Clearly described process from analysis through the different design phases to the final product. Everything fits together.
Dean's Award for Master's Thesis
Ruby Pavoučková – Landscape design concept for the Revitalization of the Upper Lussetion Nisa river basin – studio Salzmann
Author's report: the thesis deals with the concept of revitalization of a selected sub-basin of the Lusettian Nisa river, located in the upper part of its catchment area. The selected area lies between the densely built-up Liberec and Jablonec and has a high flood risk. Through a general analysis of the natural conditions of the entire upper catchment area and an analysis of the changes in the cultural landscape of the Lužické Nisa valley from its source to Liberec, the thesis comes to map the current state of the watercourses and the associated cultural landscape. On the basis of this analysis, a concept of landscape design for revitalisation is developed. The concept is structured from the overarching vision, goals and principles of watershed development, through strategies and tools for revitalizing watercourses, the water environment and revitalizing the retention capacity of the suburban agricultural landscape, to examples of conceptual revitalizations of selected parts of the river and stream landscape and the adjacent agricultural landscape.
Jury's evaluation: professionally managed analytical and design part, from which you can feel the strong interest of the student in the chosen topic of landscape regeneration. The thesis could also serve as a general manual for the treatment of headwater streams in the Czech landscape. It is an exceptionally extensive and well developed project.
Dean's Award for Outstanding Achievement in the category of Sustainability and Experimental Project
Team of 39 authors – Biotopia – studio Maas
Author's report: For centuries, design has focused on objects with a single meaning: everything was architecture. More recently, we have come closer to finding new meanings at every scale, from the very small to the very large: everything was urbanism. Nowadays, design has finally - tentatively - begun to understand the meaning of the word "green": everything was landscape. Today - more than ever - everything is biology. Everything is nature.
Jury's evaluation: we were impressed by the complexity of the work, which was created in a studio-wide team. The project is very well presented, also thanks to the multimedia presentation. The form of the message becomes a visual experience. The theme sounds the alarm that the current human exploitation of the planet is unsustainable. We like the exploration of experimental forms and goals.
Photos from the announcement, visualizations and other materials can be downloaded via this link. Courtesy of: FA ČVUT