Sebastian Stubenrauch, Xhylferije Kryeziu, Stefanie Obermayer, Carola Elisabeth Hilgert, and Felix Dokonal are the winners of this year’s GAD Awards. The awarded projects design new facade contours in unused spaces (Sebastian Stubenrauch), reveal perspectives from rural areas (Xhylferije Kryeziu), develop circular strategies for postwar buildings (Stefanie Obermayer), devise mobility concepts for flood plains (Carola Elisabeth Hilgert), and examine the potential for revitalization (Felix Dokonal).

The program of the awards ceremony, which took place in Lecture Hall I of the Alte Technik building, was once again accompanied by short lectures by the jury members: Julia Fröhlich (Graz), Anna Positano (Genoa), and Philippe Viérin (Brussels/Bruges) gave insights into sustainable construction, the relationship between architectural photography and research, and the design of complex public buildings in historical city centers. The exhibition of the nominated works and the awards ceremony were conceptualized by the Institute of Urbanism under the direction of Prof. Aglaée Degros.

The First Prize of the GAD Awards, which was donated by the Styrian Provincial Government, Department 16 Transport and Regional Building Construction, went to Sebastian Stubenrauch for his project “Walls of Graz.” The master’s thesis, supervised by Alex Lehnerer in the Institute of Spatial Design, uses firewalls as key actors in the planning process. Drawing from walks through the city, stories of past buildings are weaved and transferred into facade contours through different design practices. For the jury, the work showed “the joy of architectural design in its pursuit of a surprising theme in a surprising location. The project focuses on interstices, seeking areas that would not normally be used for building, and successfully contrasts a flat plot with a very large ensemble featuring a referential façade.” (Philippe Viérin).

This year’s Travel Award, donated by Werner Hollomey, was given to Xhylferije Kryeziu for the project “Who Are We Building for? Short Journal and Journey through Time and Space in Kosovo.” The project, supervised by Andreas Lichtblau from the Institute of Housing, takes a critical look at rural areas, their history, as well as living and housing conditions. The master’s thesis “examines Kosovar society from various perspectives, in particular the contrast between the shrinking population in rural areas due to migration and the simultaneous development of the construction. Photography serves as a crucial tool of research to provide context and negotiate questions of representation” (Anna Positano).

Stefanie Obermayer’s project “Potential – Conversion: Circular Construction and the Question of the Further Development of the Post-War Building Stock” was granted the Housing Award, donated by Hansjörg Tschom. The master’s thesis, supervised by Eva Sollgruber from the Institute of Design and Building Typology, places anonymous architecture from the 1960s and 1970s at the center of circular planning. According to the jury, “minor interventions were incorporated to transform an existing building into a new, hybrid program for communal living that takes into account the importance of affordability and sustainability in social housing” (Julia Fröhlich).

Carola Elisabeth Hilgert received the Sustainability Award for her thesis “The Flood as an Opportunity: Development of a New Mobility and Open Space Concept for the City of Stolberg,” donated by the Chamber of Civil Engineers for Styria and Carinthia. The master’s thesis, supervised by Aglaée Degros from the Institute of Urbanism, creates multi-coded inner-city spaces that are intended to reduce the risk of flooding in the future. “Based on a theoretical approach, the project addresses current issues and provides a pragmatic response to the climate crisis in a feasible way, making it a possible paradigm for other cities in the world” (Anna Positano).

The Material Award in the form of a Moroccan Berber carpet, donated by Gebhart Blazek (berber.carpets), was handed to Felix Dokonal for his work “(Mush)Rooms: Revitalizing the Postgarage as a Center for Gries.” Supervised by Hans Gangoly from the Institute of Design and Building Typology, Dokonal’s project tackles a hall building from the late nineteenth century and converts it into a new utilization concept. Based on a thorough investigation into mushrooms as an innovative building material, the work “transforms an existing structure into a new ensemble through a vibrant collection of different interventions, thereby expanding the approach to production in a specific neighborhood” (Philippe Viérin).

The evening was concluded with students, network partners, and representatives of architectural firms gathering to celebrate all graduation projects. The following week, the award winners presented their works in short lectures at Haus der Architektur.

Translation: Anđela Marinković