This year, I had the honor of participating as a jury member at the Zodchestvo VRN 2025 festival, a significant event for the architectural community and personally meaningful to me. I was part of the jury for the competition segment titled "Creative Works by Students from Architectural Universities and Colleges." Unlike the previous year, only the projects of graduating students were selected for the competition.
Almost all student projects displayed a confident mastery of professional software, which has long been considered an essential skill in our field. However, in my opinion, far more critical is how authors define their research topics and their depth of understanding regarding the relevance of the chosen issues. Student projects often represent the first theoretical steps toward real architecture. At the stage of financially unsupported ideas and without a real client, students can sometimes arrive at unexpected yet highly valuable solutions.
Practical tips for those planning to submit work to any competition:
Practical tips for those planning to submit work to any competition:
- Do not overcrowd your presentation board with all your preliminary work, as excessive information can render your work difficult to interpret. Highlighting key points is more valuable.
- Always include a site plan. Jury members may not be familiar with your city or region, and understanding the context is essential.
- Avoid generating AI-created images and presenting them as finalized solutions for competition entries. While AI is indeed valuable for architects, it must be used judiciously.
- Selecting the appropriate competition category is crucial to ensure your project is judged in its relevant context. Consulting your mentors or supervisors, who have considerable experience, is highly advisable.
Mastery of tools is undoubtedly one aspect of professional skill, providing a certain freedom for self-expression. However, a true creator is distinguished by the ability to identify the essence of a task, ask the right questions, and persistently seek solutions. This investigative and inspired journey defines the path of a genuine architect.
These are precisely the researchers and architects I hope to see shaping the future of our profession.
#ZodchestvoVRN2025 #ArchitecturalCompetition #StudentArchitecture #FutureOfArchitecture #ArchitectureJury #bureauinsight #insightadb
These are precisely the researchers and architects I hope to see shaping the future of our profession.
#ZodchestvoVRN2025 #ArchitecturalCompetition #StudentArchitecture #FutureOfArchitecture #ArchitectureJury #bureauinsight #insightadb