The theme of the third year of Builder was Hospice - a home for the terminally ill. The task of the participants was to design a facility that could accommodate up to fifteen visitors and five staff members, including basic spaces such as a common area with a library, a common room, a chapel, a kitchen, a dining room, a nurse and a therapy room for psychological support. They were invited to choose a theoretical site in their own country, which allowed them to integrate local cultural, environmental and social contexts into their designs. The goal of the competition was to show how thoughtful design can provide comfort and support in challenging times.
The Faculty of Architecture and Design of STU in Bratislava has achieved international success. Samuel Andrejčák and Lukáš Bím won first place in the international competition organized by the Buildner server. Their diploma thesis Hospice - Home for the terminally ill prepared under the pedagogical guidance of prof. Ing. arch. Vladimír Šimkovič, PhD. became the absolute winner. The Buildner server also implements the rankings of universities. Our university moved to 47th place in the global ranking with 370 points. aBulidner also interviewed Lukáš and Andrej, which you can read below.
Buildner collaborated with an experienced international jury: Alan Dunlop (an award-winning architect known for the Hazelwood School for children with dual sensory disabilities and a member of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland), Dr. Nirit Pilosof (architect and researcher at Sheba Medical Center focusing on health care and technology, with faculty positions at Tel Aviv University and University of Cambridge), Rubén García Rubio (co-founder of the VRA study, is an assistant professor at Tulane University with two Ph.D. in architecture), Arturo Mc Clean (Communication Manager at Miralles Tagliabue EMBT, contributes to projects such as the Kálida Sant Pau Center for cancer patients), Rion Philbin (founder of No So Studio, emphasizesplayful design, exemplified by Casa -mac for a blind woman), Susanne Siepl-Coates (former faculty member at Kansas State University, researching the connection between architecture and human well-being), Sonsoles Vela Navarro (co-founder of the VRA studio, has 15 years of architectural experience and is an assistant professor at Tulane University ), Steven Wright (Principal at Perkins Eastman who specializes in healthcare design with degrees from the University of Virginia and Yale University).
Samuel Andrejčák and Lukáš Bím
Please tell us about your company (when it was founded, where it is based, how many employees, etc) Alternatively, if you do not have a company, please give us some insights on your own professional/academia background.
We are a group of friends studying at Faculty of Architecture and Design STU in Bratislava. We know each other practically since the beginning of our studies and since the first time we have met we became friends as well as colleagues with identical perspective on architecture. We are currently in the last year of our studies and beside our studies we all work on projects of different scales and different assignments in active studios. We love being a part of different architectural competitions and enjoy the feedback we can get this way. It pushes us further a helps us to get better at what we do. We try to work as a team at every opportunity we get at our university, but also other projects. In the future, we would like to open our own studio after graduation. At the end, we would like to personally thank our mentors that helped us develop as architects during our studies, prof. Marius Žitňanský and prof. Vladimír Šimkovič, for their valuable advices and time.
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?
We enjoy practically all scales of assignments and always try to find the right answer and solution. The connection between person and space or a building in a landscape are important to us. Most often we work on scales similar to this competition, but we have done interior design projects and on the other side we have done urban design projects as well. We have also been part of designing a number of exhibitions displays where we have realised how important the form of presentation of a particular idea is, which is generally true in our profession.
What does architecture mean to you and what is the role of an architect in your society?
First and foremost, for us, it's about creating a quality space and environment for people. In architecture, we often enjoy a multidisciplinary approach to working on different briefs, finding interesting solutions for a given context. In our projects, it is important to us to address the smallest detail. Part of our passion for architecture is the process and the creation of the work itself, watching the evolution from first sketches to realisation. For us the being an architect means helping people and society to exist in everyday life. A person's life is greatly influenced by surroundings, the creation of which architects should devote themselves to.
Why do you participate in architecture competitions?
We appreciate the fact that competitions contribute to the development of new and high-quality projects. For the client, this means gaining access to multiple solutions for a specific brief, which enhances the quality of the final design by validating it through various approaches. Additionally, we embrace competition as it stimulates our interest in the perspectives of other architects and the diversity of ideas. It is highly positive to see that architectural competitions are gaining prominence these days and encompass a wide range of interesting briefs at diverse scales.
What advice would you give to individuals who struggle to decide whether it would be beneficial for them to participate in architecture competitions?
Do not be afraid! It is always worth investing time, energy and bringing new thoughts and ideas. Being part of such a competition brings valuable experiences that push us further.
