3 Student Projects Selected as Winners of ISARCH Awards

Rethinking Biotope / Kyriaki Goti and Nikolaos Xenos. Image Courtesy of IS ARCH

IS ARCH has unveiled the winners of the fifth edition of its ISARCH Awards for architecture students. From a vast pool of submissions, three were selected by the combined evaluations of a jury and public opinion. The international competition promotes the efforts of young designers and encourages dialogue among students and emerging architects by showcasing work undertaken through university curricula. The winners will receive prizes ranging in value from €1,000 to €3,000.

Learn more about the winning projects after the break.

First Prize: “Crece Junto A La Naturaleza” / Alejandra Salvador (CEU San Pablo)

Crece Junto a la Naturaleza / Alejandra Salvador. Image Courtesy of IS ARCH

This project provides a controlled environment for children’s play and education. Bringing users through a sequence of transformative spaces, the children’s center incorporates a range of spatial qualities and materials, resulting in a multitude of distinct experiences. Through these environments, the space fosters imagination and exploration as children are encouraged to expand their games across multiple settings.

Second Prize: “Bookish Hills” / Yoshihito Tamba (Meiji University)

Bookish Hills / Yoshihito Tamba. Image Courtesy of IS ARCH

Located among a collection of parks and a residential area, this library employs a system of hilly floors to create a unique intellectual atmosphere that transitions smoothly from exterior to interior spaces. The hills house both the books and the seating, hybridizing floors and bookshelves to create informal areas to walk, sit, and lie down. To systematize the topographic layout, books are classified according to floor level, simplifying the process of finding a specific genre. Nods to the picturesque surroundings are achieved through a rooftop garden.

Third Prize: “Rethinking Biotope: The eutrophication case” / Kyriaki Goti and Nikolaos Xenos (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)

This project addresses the problem of eutrophication (disruption of ecosystems due to elevated levels of phytoplankton) by using it as a viable source for research. A network of waterways through affected areas provides an aquatic highway with “stations” along it, each hosting an artificial reef made of nets that attract algae. As ships pass the stations, they harvest the algae for research and energy production purposes. The nets are then stored in the ships’ hulls where sun exposure fosters growth and creates new biotopes.