Students in ECA’s Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA) have recently been recognised for their work in Buildner’s Gaudi La Coma Artists’ Residence Competition and the Berlin-Brandenburg AIV Schinkel Competition.

Congratulations to Kelly Tanim, Kevin Chen and Michael Kan for their recognition at the Gaudi La Coma Artists’ Residence Competition, and to Aneliya Kavrakova, Mary Lee, Sue Yen Chong, Dienu Amriza Prihartadi, Minyoung Choi, Alice Reed, Mari Kristine Helland, Lulu AlSharhan for being recognised at the prestigious Berlin-Brandenburg AIV Schinkel Competition.  

Buildner Sustainability Award in the Gaudi La Coma Artists’ Residence Competition  

Third-year BA/MA Architecture students Kelly Tanim, Kevin Chen and Michael Kan were awarded the Buildner Sustainability Award in the Gaudi La Coma Artists’ Residence Competition, for their project, Canopy in January 2023.  

The competition's jury recognised the social and environmental sustainability of their project as well as the innovative capacity of a ‘simple but effective’ design. 

ESALA’s BA/MA Architecture programme entered six groups in total, of which four were shortlisted, a testament to the quality of the work and dedication of the students involved. 

Berlin-Brandenburg AIV Schinkel Competition 

Congratulations also to two teams of students who were recognised in the Berlin-Brandenburg AIV Schinkel Competition in March. 

Aneliya Kavrakova, Mary Lee, Sue Yen Chong, and Dienu Amriza Prihartadi won first place in the Schinkelpreis for their project, Berlin´s Urban Bio-Loop, and Minyoung Choi, Alice Reed, Mari Kristine Helland, and Lulu AlSharhan won third prize for their project, Waterscape. 

The awarded students attended a programme of events in Berlin to celebrate the results of the competition, and Schinkel's birthday, which included exhibition of the work at the Universität der Künste, an awards reception and a public presentation of the student projects. 

Academic and professional development 

Dr Miguel Paredes Maldonado, Senior Lecturer in Architectural Design, leads the Sender Berlin unit in ESALA. He said: "Competitions like these are key opportunities for external engagement. Working in competitions within an academic environment, we not only train students to work in professional practice but also develop formats of collective reflection that translate their critical value to the realm of the profession.” 

The projects in detail 

Canopy – Buildner Sustainability Award winning proposal centred on self-sufficiency 

Michael, Kelly and Kevin’s project Canopy won Buildner Sustainability Award in the Gaudi La Coma Artists’ Residence Competition and is a “proposed art and residential complex in Huesca, Spain centred around the theme of self-sufficiency.” 

They said: “The title Canopy draws inspiration from the natural forest, where a tree acts as a shelter for its habitants, while the tree trunk structure collects water for vegetation. A similar symbolic canopy-like roof structure was therefore employed in our design, covering all 3 areas of the complex (meditation, workshop, and hostel). 

“The large, slanted roof allows rainwater collection through gutters that flow down the pond, providing irrigation to the vegetation area that serves as a social ground between residents and villagers. The grid column system of the workshop and artist residence units maximise flexibility for construction, thus providing the opportunity for future expansion.” 

On winning the award, they said: “We are extremely honoured to receive the prize as we are the only undergraduate team among the top five winners. This shows the jury's appreciation towards our sensitive proposal for reviving the agricultural community.” 

Ana Miret García, Teaching Fellow in Architecture in ESALA, said: “The jury recognised the social and environmental sustainability of the Canopy project by Michael, Kelly, and Kevin, as well as the innovative capacity of a ‘simple but effective’ design. They appreciated the clarity of the idea and presentation.” 

Berlin´s Urban Bio-Loop – Schinkelpreis winning project 

Aneliya, Mary, Sue Yen and Dienu were awarded first place in the Schinkelpreis for their project, Berlin's Urban Bio-Loop, which includes a travel stipendium to Italy funded by the Hans-Joachim Pysall-Stiftung. 

They described their project: “Berlin’s Urban Bio-Loop addresses the predicaments and opportunities of both the conversion of the A104 section of the Autobahn as well as living in an age of population, growth, and food mismanagement.  

“The proposal largely retains the existing structure of the Autobahn and the tunnel. A critical shift is made on the biophysical focus of the site from its anthropocentric and car-centric past, to one of a broader understanding of the living world. The Autobahn becomes a testing ground for a circular economy and reciprocal practices of agriculture.” 

On winning the award, they said: “Receiving this award has encouraged strong further development of the ideas that began from this competition entry - ideas of more circular, regenerative, and reciprocal relationships with our living world.  

“It has opened many doors for us, giving us the opportunity to continue our field of research and expand the potential opportunities of these circular urban practices in Italy, which we will be visiting and studying with the travel grant.”

Waterscape – third place Schinkelpreis project 

Minyoung, Alice, Mari and Lulu’s project Waterscape was awarded third place in the Schinkelpreis. Their proposal “reimagines the motorway into a blue lung of the city offering both residential and commercial space in response to Berlin’s housing crisis.” 

The students describe their project as: “Reacting to changing precipitation patterns, it investigates how to accommodate the coming climate of dichotomies; one of increased rain and dry spells by reimagining the motorway as a vehicle of water.  

“Taking precedent from the existing ‘Schlange’ residential complex, the project works with the existing motorway structure proposing dwellings which collect, filter and store rain and grey water.”  

They propose a closed-loop system: “Using a series of landscaped hydroponic water filtration systems and public pools the water floods into a reservoir at the end of the motorway tunnel ready for reuse.” 

On winning the award, Minyoung, Alice, Mari and Lulu said: "We are greatly honoured to have received the award and it was a rewarding experience to attend the ceremony in Berlin where we gained even more insight from discussions with other prize winners.”