The Active House Award 2017 competition knows its winners

Brno - The VELUX company announced the winners of the international architecture student competition Active House Award 2017. The expert jury evaluated student designs on the theme "Kindergarten of the Future." In addition to the expert jury awards, a children's jury award was also presented. The winner was chosen by children from the Dagmar Children's Home. The festive announcement took place on December 13, 2017, in the Stiassni Villa in Brno.


Architecture students presented their vision of a new standard for future preschool childcare facilities built on the principles of the active house as part of the Active House Award 2017 competition. Their perspective on the topic was assessed by an expert jury consisting of Kamil Mrva (Kamil Mrva Architects), Michal Krištof (Chybik + Kristof Architects & Urban Designers), Martin Jančok (Plural), Klára Bukolská (VELUX ČR), and Lone Feifer (VELUX, Active House Alliance). In addition to the quality of architectural and urban planning solutions of individual proposals, the jury also evaluated the students' work
with natural light, sufficient fresh air supply, energy management, and overall environmental impact.

"The Active House Award competition gives university students the opportunity to think about building design not only from the perspective of architectural quality but also in terms of indoor environment quality and a sustainable approach to building design. It was very enlightening for us to see how many different opportunities for improving the lives of preschoolers and their surroundings the students found and processed. I believe that the 2018 theme - FUTURE LIVING will receive as much interest from students as in the case of kindergartens," stated Klára Bukolská, chief architect of VELUX ČR.

The main award of the expert jury was awarded to Máté Asbóth and Josef Borák. "We all went to kindergarten, so we had a certain idea of what those spaces generally look like. Our personal experience made it easier for us to decide what materials to use, into what environment to place it, and how the windows should be oriented," describes the preparation of the project Máté Asbóth. The second place was taken by the winning pair’s classmate, Tomáš Jozefík. The total rewards amounting to €6000 were distributed among the competitors.

Active House Award 2017: Jury Evaluation

1st place - Máté Asbóth and Josef Borák (SR)
The Kindergarten Leonardo design impressed the competition jury the most. The urban concept of rays in the ground-floor building became the foundation of the proposal's success. Individual pavilions intersect at the center of the building’s layout. Natural contact between the exterior and interior is enhanced by the glazing in the intersection of the classroom pavilions. The jury appreciates the simple, readable graphic presentation, including the Active House Radar. Congratulations to the winner!

2nd place - Tomáš Jozefík (SR)
The asset of the design is its universal nature, which allows it to be applied practically anywhere. This is achieved through the modular composition of individual elements that make up the kindergarten.
This concept allows for quick changes in the size of the kindergarten as well as changes in internal use. The design includes well-designed interior spaces that are specific to individual activities. The question remains regarding the ubiquitous reference to the traditional shape of the gable roof.

Special Jury Award - Martin Odehnal, Jakub Marek (Czech Republic)
The design significantly captured the jury's attention. The "amoeba-like" shape of the building ideally embeds the kindergarten into greenery, creating a continuous space for children both indoors and in the outdoor play area. A very successful concept that provides children with everything a modern kindergarten should offer - plenty of light, safety, and a generous landscape for playing inside and outside. The jury recommends one thing: a spatial representation of the interior was missing, which was more dependent on the jury's imagination and reading of the drawings rather than an authorically articulated spatial representation.

Honorable Mentions

Tereza Zvolská / Ivona Uherková

Jakub Brahmi / Karolína Langnerová / Marieta Malíková

Lenka Baková

Kamil Gross / Markéta Němcová

Children's Jury Award

The Children's Jury Award was attributed by the children from the Dagmar Children's Home to the design of Dávid Magyarics.
The children were captivated by its colorful design, sufficient size, closeness to nature, large windows with a view
and plenty of opportunities for fun. In all designs, the children especially appreciated the unconventional shapes of the rooms and the connection between the interior and nature.

The VELUX company has a long-term partnership with the Dagmar Children's Home. "For us, this collaboration means not just financial support. We want to meet with the children, involve them in our activities, and pass something on to them. That is why we chose the theme of the competition to be the Kindergarten of the Future. We asked the children to choose their favorite among the competition designs – the kindergarten they liked the most and where they would like to go. At the same time, we explained the principles of healthy living to them," said Petr Král, marketing manager of VELUX ČR.

"It was inspiring to see the enthusiasm with which the children took on the role of jury members in the competition and what arguments they deemed important from their perspective. In a playful way, we also helped them gain insight into the creative process and thinking of architects of modern healthy buildings. We believe that if children become enthusiastic about architecture and understand its purpose, the overall quality of our built environment in the future will be at a much higher level. Working with children was a great enrichment for this year's competition, a reason to look at individual proposals through their eyes, and not just from an architect's perspective," added Klára Bukolská, chief architect of VELUX ČR.