XI. Bohuslav Fuchs Prize - ceremonial announcement

On May 25, 2016, the XI. edition of the student project competition at the Faculty of Architecture in Brno - Bohuslav Fuchs Award - took place. In the morning, all members of the expert jury gradually gathered at the faculty, consisting of Ing. arch. Peter Jurkovič, Ing. arch. Radko Květ, and Ing. arch. Ondřej Synek. From the student side, Linda Boušková, Bc. Karolína Melichárková, and Bc. Daniel Struhařík were present.
After a brief outline of the day's schedule, the jury unanimously elected Ing. arch. Radko Květ as the chairperson. They then toured all the rooms of the faculty where the exhibited works were located. After that, the jury set off along their own route towards the first selection round of the projects. At 1 PM, everyone met in the courtyard of the faculty, where an outdoor seating area and a homemade lunch awaited them. After a proper break, the jury continued with the second round of project evaluations. The outcome of numerous votes and especially discussions resulted in three winning projects and seven honorable mentions. The jury then carefully composed a verbal evaluation for each of the selected projects.
The ceremonial announcement took place with a slight delay at 7 PM, hosted for the first time this year at the premises of Prague / Forum for Architecture and Media. To open the event, the dean of the Faculty of Architecture, doc. Ing. arch. Jan Hrubý, CSc., spoke before handing the word over to the prepared six-member jury. They gradually evaluated the past day. This was followed by the announcement of the awarded and winning projects, whose authors received not only material prizes and a statue of the Bohuslav Fuchs Award but also a scholarship from the dean of the faculty.
After the concluding words from the representatives of the Student Community of the Faculty of Architecture, the organizers of the entire event, the sounds of the DJ duo Cementi filled the air, and free entertainment with plenty of good food and drinks flowed both outdoors and indoors. At midnight, a surprise followed - a two-minute presentation composed of random shots from each winning and honored project, which the authors had to comment on without preparation.
The organizer of the Bohuslav Fuchs Award is the Student Community of the Faculty of Architecture (SOFA).
The event was sponsored by the Faculty of Architecture, Xella, Legia, Archiweb. Special thanks go to the versatile cultural space Prague / Forum for Architecture and Media, where the entire event could take place.

WINNING PROJECTS

MERTOLA GALLERY / Bc. Radomír Feňo, 1st year of MSP, Ing. arch. Jan Mléčka
Jury evaluation: “The delicate line of the bridge on the stone pillars of the former Torre de Rio. A line that bridges the river and transforms into a dynamically shattered gallery above the river on the opposite bank. A new connection, a new gallery. A simple and decisive concept. Composed views of the city from the gallery's roof, its space, and the abstract exterior of the building all fascinated the jury.”

BORDERS / Petra Holíková, 3rd year of BSP, Ing. arch. Barbora Ponešová, PhD.
Jury evaluation: “Categories:
1) The border is and should be.
2) The border is and should not be.
3) The border is not and should be.
4) The border is not and should not be.
The author's contemplation of the border is considered excellent. She does not perceive the border as positive or negative, but as a tool for changing the situation in a village, city, actually anywhere. The form of the border can be anything, a stream, a wall, a line on the ground.”

HOUSE WITH SOCIAL SERVICES OPATOV / Bc. Jakub Slováček, 1st year of MSP, Ing. arch. Pavel Jura
Jury evaluation: “The house captivated the jury in several respects. Primarily, it radiates calm and certainty, which seems appropriate to the concept of old age and its limitations. The clever use of the footprint of the original granary at the edge of the slope, hiding operational facilities in a stone base, and creating quality surrounding spaces with a second house, which is merely a simple repetition of the first, seems very smart to us. At the same time, it is a contemporary, non-banale house that does not attempt to enter the context by simply copying gabled roofs, but confidently creates a new situation. What the jury does not appreciate, however, is the connection that unites the two parts of the house. This disrupts the calm, banalizes it, and does not take advantage of the interesting situation the connection of the houses offers. Here, the house speaks a different language than the rest.”


HONORABLE MENTIONS

BUNKER ARCHEOLOGY II / Bc. Ondřej Bělica, 5th year, Ing. arch. Barbora Ponešová, PhD.
Jury evaluation: “Is it architecture? Is it not a work of art in the landscape? It is funny, interesting, thought-out... but it is land art! And we think it is good.”

BREAK POINT / Bc. Lukáš Kvaššay, 1st year of MSP, Ing. arch. Jan Mléčka
Jury evaluation: “Exclusive. Exclusive location, exclusive program, exclusive solutions, exclusive materials, exclusive visuals and models, exclusive...”

HOUSE WITH SOCIAL SERVICES OPATOV / Bc. Filip Malý, 5th year, Ing. arch. Jan Sochor
Jury evaluation: “We like the urbanism of the two ‘residential’ houses. Actually, anyone could live here. Two solid houses in a garden with a firm boundary at the site of the former granary.”

STUDENTS IN THE CITY! / David Menšík, 2nd year, Ing. arch. Bohumila Hybská, prof. Ing. arch. Petr Pelčák
Jury evaluation: “Designing an apartment building, or more precisely, student housing in a narrow, tucked-away alley, in a place that does not allow for the use of tested typological models is difficult. At the same time, however, such a task effectively showcases the architect's capabilities, this is where the bread is broken.
A beautiful house with an disproportionate expression.”

STUDENTS IN THE CITY! / Blanka Šťuříková, 2nd year, Ing. arch. Bohumila Hybská, prof. Ing. arch. Petr Pelčák
Jury evaluation: “Designing an apartment building, or more precisely, student housing in a narrow, tucked-away alley, in a place that does not allow for the use of tested typological models is difficult. At the same time, however, such a task effectively showcases the architect's capabilities, this is where the bread is broken.
A student house with a good layout, quality common spaces. An urban house with a proportionate expression.”

GHETTO IS OUR HOME / Alexandra Sýkorová, Matěj Halinár, 5th year, Ing. arch. Jan Kristek, PhD., Ing. arch. Jaroslav Sedlák
Jury evaluation: “The theme of completing, modifying, and transforming the ghetto in Cejl is very important. At the same time, however, we consider the proposed solution to be dangerous. Contributing to the ghetto by adding more elements that reinforce and develop its form, such as the demolition of the house at the entrance, filling in the gap with a skeleton where everyone can build their own unit, tearing down additional houses in the framework of improving permeability through the block? We think that a sustainable path is different, perhaps even the opposite. And that's why we chose this project among the ten selected.”

SOCIO-CULTURAL CENTER WITH TOWN HALL IN BRNO-KOHOUTOVICE / Paula Závacká, 2nd year, Ing. arch. Vítězslav Nový
Jury evaluation: “We simply like the town hall, but we doubt the placement of the building in the context, as if it does not know where it stands. Where is it actually heading, where does it lead?”


SPECIAL AWARD

Fundamentals of Architectural Design / doc. Ing. arch. Jiří Palacký, Ph.D.
Jury evaluation: “The jury awards a special prize to the Fundamentals of Architectural Design by doc. Palacký. The jury was particularly pleased with the overall approach of the studio leadership. Large hand-drawn plans, large models, plaster, and above all, the assignment itself.”