Awards and Grants for New Architects

On Friday, June 27, the Aarhus School of Architecture held its graduation ceremony at Musikhuset Aarhus, where nearly 80 new architects officially completed their education. While everyone was duly celebrated, a few walked away with something extra. As tradition dictates, a number of grants and awards were handed out.

VOLA

VOLA awarded two travel grants of 15,000 DKK each. This time, the recipients were Annabel Arens and Paula Eliza Bruvere.

Annabel Arens received the award for her project “Lowland Farmland Changeland”, and the judging committee wrote, among other things:

“The project does not shy away from incorporating topics, methods, and data often considered peripheral to the discipline: theory from the environmental humanities, surveys among farmers, exploratory fieldwork, economic and technological considerations, and botanical knowledge—all woven together with a deep understanding of water in its many forms. This is presented with sensitivity to address issues related to rising water levels, pollution, and loss of biodiversity. The project demonstrates the landscape architect’s relevant role in addressing some of the greatest challenges of our time.”

Paula Eliza Bruvere received the award for her project “Liberating Common Ground: Adaptive Transformation of Post-War Housing”, and the committee writes, among other things:

“Instead of demolition, the project explores the potential for adaptation. The functionally divided modernist housing units are transformed into more fluid living forms, where varying degrees of community and privacy can coexist. In the midst of the growing housing crisis, where many face limited access to affordable housing, the project reminds us of the importance of maintaining the ambition to develop and implement large-scale plans—where architecture’s transformative potential lies not only in new construction but also in the regeneration of what already exists.”

Nationalbankens Jubilæumslegat

The grant from the National Bank’s Anniversary Foundation was awarded to Kristina Nielsen Foulkes for her project “Wetland Wonderings: A Tale of Terrestrial Submersion”. The judging committee writes, among other things:

“The project embodies what could be called an ecological approach to architecture: a design attitude that seeks to understand things in their interconnectedness and create meaning across multiple scales. Between these scales, architecture emerges—through porous foundations, infrastructural layouts, and gutters designed with water in mind—as an attempt to mediate between many needs, in dialogue with them all.”

CEBRA

This time, the CEBRA Prize was awarded to Simone Gadegaard Andersen for her project “Haptic Gestures, Spatial Traces”. CEBRA writes, among other things:

“The project questions how we understand and create space, insisting that architecture must be experienced with the whole body—not just the eye. Simone Gadegaard Andersen is awarded the CEBRA Prize for her bold and poetic approach to architectural creation, her deep understanding of materials, and her artistic strength. ‘Haptic Gestures, Spatial Traces’ is an experimental and original proposal for how architecture can be reclaimed in its sensory and existential dimensions.”

3XN GXN

The travel grant from 3XN GXN was awarded to Ida Fine Bøtker-Rasmussen and Oliver Arndal Jensen for their project “Utilizing What We Have and Realizing What We Need – Radical Regeneration of DSB Maintenance Area”. 3XN GXN writes:

“The winning project represents a thoughtful and imaginative transformation of existing infrastructure through adaptive reuse. By reimagining IC3 trains as modular housing units, the project challenges traditional notions of residential design and offers a compelling alternative for sustainable urban living.
The project outlines a participatory design strategy aimed at shaping human behavior to foster social cohesion, collective well-being, and a strong connection to nature.”

Congratulations to all the new architects!