The competition was organised by the magazine ”Architektura & Biznes”. It wanted to identify the best examples of sustainable housing architecture, friendly to users and to the environment. Projects were submitted in two categories: detached house and multi-family house.

In the second category, the main prize was awarded to the project ”Multi-family house in Old Mokotów. Potential for co-sharing”. The starting point for the author, Alicja Głowacka from the WUT Faculty of Architecture, was analysis of the housing situation in Poland now, as well as growing social and environmental awareness.

Since typical multi-family buildings limit the common areas to the required minimum, it is important to look for alternative housing forms, which facilitate neighbour relations and development of supporting micro communities.

Building of a family cooperative, project author: Alicja Głowacka

The student designed a wooden infill for a neighbourhood housing cooperative, which could be built in Old Mokotów in Warsaw.

The award was given for attractive architectural solutions of a complex housing structure, which took into account, among others, varied needs of residents, varies room sizes and adaptability of the space.

A key project decision was the location of the staircase and giving it the importance of the core of the building. The community programme of the building was incorporated in various floors, in the form of dispersed flats, project author: Alicja Głowacka

–  This type of architecture – modern, aesthetic and economical – seems to be the best response to housing problems. An infill made of HBE units also shows the fact that in cities, buildings should be incorporated in the existing structure. An additional value of the project is care for human relations and shaping a neighbourhood common space – the jury of the competition stated.

The project was done under the supervision of Paweł Grodzicki, MSc, Arch.

More information about the competition and project of our student at the website architekturaibiznes.pl