A graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at the GUT is the winner of the 1st prize | Gdańsk University of Technology

In October 2021, the results of the 5th Baku International Architecture Award, organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Union of Architects of Azerbaijan (AMI) with the support of the International Union of Architects (UIA) were announced.The competition takes place every 2 years, and this year, 193 applications from 38 countries all over the world were submitted. An honorary jury appointed by the International Union of Architects (UIA) selected winners in 7 categories.

The first prize in the category: best non-realised project was awarded to a graduate of the Faculty of Architecture of the Gdańsk University of Technology, M.Sc. Arch. Paweł Kańgowski with the project titled: Designers' Hub – a green alternative to office building.

The main objective of the competition was to recognize new ideas for development and implementation of urbanand architectural projects by searching for compositional, volumetric, and spatial solutions, as well as implementing practical ideas to achieve maximum diversity.

The Designers' Hub in the center of Milan is a completely demountable green office building which, through its circular structure, contributes to solving the complex issue of buildings’ obsolescence and simultaneously allows to reconnect human with the natural environment. This human symbiosis with nature is currently one of the most urgent architectural and urban issues in relation to the Earth's ecosystem. A wide range of variable factors, such as the economic situation and the conversion of current needs, makes buildings quickly become obsolete. Therefore, the number of nonfunctioning buildings worldwide is constantly increasing, what generates huge amounts of cost and construction waste. In turn, their storage and disposal lead to soil and air contamination, which drastically affects the fauna and flora, as well as humans.

The Designers' Hubproject is a search for a solution to the above-mentioned issue. The structure of the building allows for easy modification throughout the entire life of the building, as its all components have been designed to be reused in a circular manner. In turn, the extensive implementation of greenery enveloping the building allows to establish a symbiosis between the human and nature, that is extremely important in the current climate crisis. The awarded thesis in many aspects opens a discussion about the direction that architecture is following, presenting conclusions that determine its future as the ability to adapt to ever-changing conditions. It is also worth to mention that the presented concept has been created based on interdisciplinary scientific research and promotes the so-called research-based practice.

The awarded thesis is an honored master's thesis carried out under the supervision of the Asst. Prof. Dr. Eng. Arch Karolina Zielińska-Dąbkowska titled: Up:cycling Architecture. The issue of buildings’ obsolescence and the re-use strategy as a key-element at designing modular studio spaces of the Designers’ Hub in Milan.

In June 2021, the thesis also won the first prize in the architectural competition organized by the Polish Association of the Lighting Industry in cooperation with the SOMA Agency - the organizer of the International Light Fair, and Silesian studios: Goczołowie Architectsand OVO Grąbczewscy Architects under the honorary patronage of the Faculty of Design of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.

More information about the graduate's success available, inter alia in the article on the winning projects on the website of the International Union of Architects (https://competitions-awards.uia-architectes.org/en/award/results-the-5th-edition-of-the-baku-international-award/) and in the article on the winning projects on the website of the International Light Fair (https://lightfair.pl/final-konkursow-graj-w-zielone-i-zielono-mi/).

About the author:

Paweł Kańgowski is a graduate of the Gdańsk University of Technology and the Opole University of Technology. In 2021, he obtained a master's degree in architecture and urban planning with honors at PG WA. In the research work, he presented, inter alia, complex issues of contemporary architecture in relation to the natural environment. Two-time Erasmus+ scholarship holder, during which he studied at the Universitàdegli Studi di Pavia in Italy and completed an internship at a renowned architectural studio in Rome. In 2017, he was awarded the Rector's Scholarship for the Best Students.