More than 224 universities from 29 countries participated in the 19th edition of the Saint-Gobain Architecture Student Contest’s international final. Students from all over the world imagined projects to transform a district of Helsinki in Finland. The winners have just been revealed during an event held by Saint-Gobain in the Finnish capital between June 10th and 12th, 2024.
This year's competition, organized by Saint-Gobain in close collaboration with the University and City of Helsinki, Finland, asked the students to provide building ideas and solutions for 4 different zones in a plot located in Viikki, at the north-east of Helsinki, through a combination of temporary housing for students and researchers or permanent housing for residents, and nearby outdoor functions, focusing to both renovation and new construction. The plot is owned by Helsinki University and the university has commissioned a detailed urban planning from the City of Helsinki as part of analysis of the Viikki area.
The requirements for the 19th edition were:
- To design a new high-rise residential building (for temporary or permanent use);
- To retrofit an existing office building into a residential one for visiting researchers or students;
- To design the interconnection of the buildings by exterior public green space;
- To consider sustainability concepts as circularity, embodied carbon, and energy efficiency to have a low environmental impact.
Every year, the projects have increased their focus on environmental aspects, including for example Life Cycle Assessments, while responding to the functional and user needs.
“We at Saint-Gobain are convinced that architecture, together with construction, can bring strategic responses to the key challenges posed by climate change, resource scarcity and urbanization. Like the construction industry, architects are at the forefront of the transition towards developing sustainable living places to ensure a high quality of life as well as resource-efficient building solutions that respect the environment. They can make a real difference when, in 2050, 7 out of 10 people will live in cities and 80% of existing buildings will still exist. The jury and myself were happy to meet future architects so deeply committed to imagining projects that have a better impact for the people and a lower footprint on the planet.” Benoit Bazin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Saint-Gobain.
This edition of the Architecture Student Contest was special: launched in Serbia in 2004, this is its 20th year of existence. A whole generation of students have now participated in the Contest and it is shaping the future of sustainable architecture to make the world a better home.
The Competition: Philosophy and Objectives
The Architecture Student Contest is an international competition for students in architecture, design and civil engineering. The competition offers a chance for students to gain professional experience by working on a real case defined by a local client located in a selected city, while discovering the importance of sustainability in modern construction. It was first organized in 2004 by Saint-Gobain Isover in Serbia, and became an international event in 2005.
The Saint-Gobain Architecture Student Contest is a two-step competition: the National Stage and the International Stage.
- The National Stage: Competition organized by each country with local universities and managed by the Saint-Gobain Local Leader. The winning project from each National Stage is invited to participate in the International Stage.
- The International Stage: Competition between the winners of the National Stages, managed by the Saint-Gobain International Team. During the opening ceremony, all participating projects are exhibited. Throughout the following day, the competing teams representing their country have five minutes to present their projects in front of the International Jury.
In 2024, the international jury members who evaluated the projects and selected the winners were local representatives from the University and the City of Helsinki, recognized international architects, and Saint-Gobain experts.
They were:
- Tuomas HAKALA, Head of Unit, Helsinki City Planning Department,
- Jaana IHALAINEN, Chief Executive Officer, Helsinki University Properties Ltd,
- Carl BÄCKSTRAND, Vice-President, Architects Council of Europe and Deputy CEO, White Arkitekter,
- Rainer MAHLAMÄKI, Founder, Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects,
- Alicja KUCZERA, Chief Executive Officer, Polish Green Building Council and Chair of the GBC CEO Network, World Green Building Council,
- Francis RAMBERT, Head of the Architectural Creation Department, Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine,
- Pascal EVEILLARD, Director of Sustainable Construction, Saint-Gobain
- Karel SEDLACEK, Building Science Marketing Manager, Saint-Gobain.
Winners of the 19th Edition of the Architecture Student Contest
This year's edition of the Contest included 1,300 registered students and 554 teachers from more than 224 universities, in 29 participating countries. Those that reached the international final included 29 teams, made of 63 students and 29 teachers. Out of these 29 teams, 5 teams were awarded prizes during the international final.
New in the 19th edition is the Teacher Prize, which is awarded to the project that received the most votes from all participating teachers.
The Winners of the 5 Prizes
1st prize: Sieni Park, Portugal
Sieni Park is grounded in Finnish culture and our sense of community. The project brings a peaceful retreat to Viikki, linking nearby homes, workplaces, and the University Campus. It combines old and new structures in a coherent design that rests on three foundational building blocks: sustainability, innovation, and comfort. Thus, producing a futuristic, long lasting, low-energy project, that honours and builds upon the local tradition of eco-conscious construction practices.
2nd Prize, Rurban Habitat, Poland
Rurban Habitat offers a vision of circular architecture in the rurban part of Helsinki. Following the "research, reduce, reuse, produce and integrate" approach, the concept respects the existing context and utilizes vernacular and passive solutions. The modular design of the core houses promotes adaptability, prefabrication, and green energy production. An allocentric design approach allowed for the creation of an inclusive habitat for everyone, complemented by an innovative research and creation space.
3rd Prize, From Boundary To Gateway, South Korea
From Boundary to Gateway provides both residents and visitors with nature-friendly experiences. It brings Finland's natural light and environment indoors, shown in the medium space, "Barnacle," to make nature and light a daily aspect. The renovated building respects the original topography, improving the connection. The project repurposes the old museum for outdoor exhibitions. All buildings and recreational spaces kindly lead people to nature and this project will work as a gateway to nature.
Teacher Prize, Viikki - The Edu-Buoyancity, Malaysia
Viikki - The Edu-Buoyancity addresses the growing concern of floods in Finland with "Urban Buoyancy," establishing housing for bioscience students above a lake that brings in wildlife to reinvigorate the lands and waters, around an architecture of buoyant foundations. The student community is likened to Buoyant Urban Nomads, with residences designed to promote movement around the community and nature, aiming to provide a unique educational experience and become a model of resilience for Finland.
Student Prize, Eco-Habitat: Greenhouse Dorms and Urban Micro-climate, Lebanon
Greenhouse Dorms and Urban Micro-climate blends Helsinki's farmhouse heritage with modern urban elements, incorporating traditional shapes and a central greenhouse courtyard for passive solar heating. It aims to create a cozy microclimate for residents as self-sustaining city model, with residential blocks, aquaponics, gardens, waste management, and more, forming a closed-loop system. It includes amenities like a library and birdwatch tower, offering a holistic blueprint for sustainable cities.
