1st Price – Cécile Gaudard – The caretakers

The first prize is awarded to Cécile Gaudard for her project “The caretakers – An exploration on a traumatized landscape”.
Recently graduated from ENSA Paris- the project of Cécile Gaudard is composed of 6 black-and-white felt-tip and ink drawings, the project was praised by the jury for its aesthetic and narrative qualities. Rooted in the Forez mountains in France, Cécile Gaudard proposes a reappropriation of a mountain landscape altered by the Anthropocene era, by transforming a ski resort into a cheese production site. By highlighting the harmful effects of the forestry industry on landscapes, the project suggests finding a balance between preserving the environment and maintaining current economies and lifestyles.
The caretakers – an exploration on a traumatized landscape
In the rural expanse of the Forezian Moutains in France, where the population density stands at 8.5 residents per square kilometer, lies the Lignon watercourse. This waterway meanders through the region, eventually merging its flow with the Loire River. Within this picturesque setting, several distinctive features shape the landscape: an ongoing granite quarry operation, which recently secured a 30-year extension; a ski resort grappling with insufficient winter snowfall, contemplating a transformation into a year-round destination through enhanced infrastructure; the presence of 66 mountain-installed chairlift poles; a freshly constructed water reservoir, boasting a 45,000 m3 capacity, dedicated to artificial snow generation; the existence of four dams and five sawmills; the traversal of high-voltage power lines and a Hertzian station; seven dairy farms and three other farming establishments. Cumulatively, these activities and developments a threat over the Lignon watercourse and its ecosystem.
The main challenge we face today is how to inhabit and coexist on a land that has experienced significant trauma. Specifically, our area has been affected by the consequences of excessive winter sports activities, leading to a lack of snow that now slow down these activities. The question underneath is how leading an approach that does not advocate for a complete cessation of all activities in the region but to have an alternative approach to harmoniously inhabit the area and reevaluate the situation.
To embark on this exploration through a fictional lens, we narrate a tale driven by those who have played a role in shaping the actual landscape and how they will now become its guardians. For instance, shepherds will guide their flocks to summer pastures, and fishermen will take care of the waterways. Our story is organised around the primary watercourse, which uses its power periodically to generate energy. This process allows for the reintroduction of sustainable ways of life and economic practices on a broader scale across the territory. In essence, we aim to create a harmonious and mutually beneficial relationship between humans and the environment, enabling a new era of coexistence and prosperity.
2nd price – kim tzarowsky, maria josé landeta valencia – Transhumance : a model for growing villages

The second prize is awarded to Kim Tzarowsky and Maria José Landeta Valencia, for their project Transhumance: a model for growing villages.
Kim Tzarowsky (Berlin) is a graduate of the École d’architecture de la ville & des territoires Paris-Est, and Maria José Landeta Valencia is a graduate from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador Quito. The “manifesto” concept focuses on the temporal and social aspects of a universal village. It gives a singular identity to the notion of village, drawing inspiration from the transhumance movement as a form of human mobility and solidarity integrated into its environment. Based on these elements, this village of the future advocates interconnection and sharing between different communities, as a solution to ecological, energy and social challenges.
Transhumance: a model for growing villages
Transhumance derives from the Latin words trans “across” and humus “ground”. Transhumance itineraries construct spacialities and maintain an ancestral link with the environment, nourished by accumulated knowledge, shared and bequeathed through generations. It’s an inspiring way of inhabiting territories, and the idea that can structure the answer to what the villages of the future should aspire to. An identity based on movement, a way of life that relates effectively and affectively with nature, that teaches us about seasonality, exchange and mobility in order to achieve autonomy and permanence in the face of change, and it contains strategies for adaptation and resistance. Learning from the past is acknowledging the fact that villages were interconnected, an agro-ecological, knowledge-sharing, and economic network. People moved from one village to another, or seasonally through them, like shepherds and their animals during transhumance, to learn new skills, exchange goods, create new bonds or connect in gathering places like markets or the church. This human path, and its ancestral knowledge, is a network much more complex than the simplification of the urban-rural binary that has led to the spread of monocultures and the zonification of the land.
The attractiveness of villages today comes from the need to reconnect with nature and traditions. The countryside offers more space, it is quieter, healthier and provide more affordable living conditions. Remote work allows the future diversification of the countryside. The challenge is to fight the isolation that can come with moving to rurality and the lack of public space and equipment. Adaptive reuse of abandoned buildings, taking advantage of the forgotten farms or factories that exist in the German and French. Renovation would be an opportunity for people to come together around a common project and build it cooperatively according to their needs. Places where new residents, old ones and passers-by can meet. A new typology of rural mixed-use buildings that host events and gatherings, such as markets, cinemas, theaters, workshops, coworking spaces or libraries. Most villages are non-far from one another, a couple kilometers that seem to be challenging when the transportion system is not thought rural yet just linking them to the next urban hub. These new-old landmarks need to be supported by a good network of connections between villages. An inter-village mobility based on buses, car-sharing and cycle paths. On the other hand, each village has something special to offer, and high-speed internet is fundamental to support this, by sharing events, offering services, collaborating or simply posting local news on an independent platform.
This comes together with a process where villages should seek for energy independence and local economy. Practice rotational and shifting cultivation, allowing the soil to rest periodically. Everything shifts in this extremely dynamic, fluid and diverse mosaic of ecologies: agro-ecological gardens, alternative energy sources, learning and managing sources for the use of local materials for construction. Environmental practices and a process of change that cannot be achieved without a sense of belonging and reciprocity, a spirit of place for immediate consequences and lasting implications.
3rd Price – Sarah Pens – Cooperative Hinterland

The third prize is awarded to Sarah Pens, Cooperative Hinterland
Sarah Pens (1997, Hannover), studies at Leipniz University in Hannover. Her realistic and concrete proposal is integrated into the environment of Usedom, an island in the Baltic Sea that is socio-economically deficient and deprived in the face of ecological and demographic challenges. Sarah Pens imagines reusing the “Plattenbauen” (large-scale housing estates) as a communal place for living and intergenerational support. In addition, she advocates a place for winter storage and provision, to be anticipated as early as the summer harvest season. In this way, the project shows how the advantages of the city lifestyle can be easily integrated into the rural and island world.
Cooperative Hinterland
A growing longing for deceleration and access to nature is intensifying the migration of city dwellers to suburban areas. In the process, cities and their immediate surroundings are growing ever closer while in structurally weak rural areas, exodus and overaging of the population are permanent issues. To preserve diverse living spaces these are precisely the places that need to be focused.
Exemplary for a very rural and social-economically deficient region the project Cooperative Hinterland is focusing on the hinterland of the island of Usedom in north-eastern Germany. The region is characterised by a splattered settlement structure, long distances, and lacking infrastructure. The small communities are hardly able to tackle the upcoming ecological and demographical challenges and stay attractive to their current and future inhabitants.
Therefore, the project proposes a cooperative network that connects and strengthens the communities. While doing so, the architectural visualization and collective implementation in form of new to be established commons is of particular importance. Embedded into a supervisory region- wide network there are several constellations of communities that are working together as village cooperatives, which are carrying out projects that are oriented towards the common good. They react to the needs, challenges, and already existing potentials of the communities.
Exemplary, the proposal examines four communities that are going to be stronger connected through their intercommunal work and a new bike path network. To preserve the specific character and rural cultural landscape it is important to consider the already existing. Therefore, the actions of the village cooperative focus on two formative attributes of the area:
The Plattenbauten are prefabricated apartment buildings that stand isolated and sometimes unwanted in many rural villages. Their unexploited potential could be used to address a wide range of inhabitants. One existing Plattenbau in the region is converted into a multigenerational house offering collective housing for younger and elderly people, whose needs are not served by the predominant single-family homes. The newly added common rooms can be used as workspaces, for movie or game nights to bring together the house community as well as the whole village.
Another formative attribute is the strong influence of seasons due to the touristic island of Usedom. While the communities benefit from this in the summer months, they dive into a winter sleep during the cold season. That counts for activities as well as for social interaction due to a lack of small informal meeting spaces. To activate existing spaces for the whole year, the so-called Winter Reservoir is introduced. During summer the space is vivid and the storage can be filled with the yields of the orchard. In the winter months, small groups can meet up in the kitchen and draw on the summerly reserves.
The proposal focuses on small and simple interventions that are possible to realize within the village cooperative. It represents how even little changes can provoke new impulses and activates new dynamics in peripheral regions.
Selected project – johanna bendlin, Laura villeret, falma fshazi – make ines stay ?

Selected project- benedikt hartl – Das unbequeme dorf

- ecological timber construction that binds carbon dioxide
- a mobility concept based on bicycles, skis and walking
- ecological food production without monocultures
- reuse of rainwater
- reduction of energy consumption to a heated space
- limited own property in favor of community property (forest library, forest playroom, etc.)
- reforestation of trees between the houses
- Teaching a new ecological way of thinking in the forest school
- Health through physical exercise, varied food through own production, fresh forest air
Selected project – Sunghoon Go – Always there, very personal

“Always there, very personal”
Selected project – Pavel Kosenkov – Achkarren, Growing and sustainable village

and unique perspective on the future development of rural settlements. In an era
where cities are losing their allure and villages are becoming new centers of life,
my project focuses on a completely fresh concept of rural living.
aspires to be not just a village, but a hub of dynamic and sustainable growth. The
amalgamation of ideas like “collaborative farming,” “transport hub,”
“multifunctional center,” and other innovative practices results in a blueprint of the
future – a community actively contributing to its prosperity while preserving its
cultural and architectural essence.
appealing to both residents and tourists alike. New approaches to energy using
solar and wind power, multifunctional centers, village integration through transport
nodes – all contribute to our goal of not just being sustainable but also innovative.
Special emphasis is given to the social aspect, ensuring inclusivity for all strata of
society. Creating an environment where residents can exchange experiences and
ideas is an integral part of my concept, fostering a spirit of collaboration and trust
within the community.
environment. Architectural and cultural heritage are integral to my village,
underlining the significance of preserving and respecting history.The innovative
ideas are infused with positivity, intertwining with my commitment to sustainable
development and flourishing.
development, forming a robust ecological network. Each village contributes to a
stable and interconnected system, resulting in a thriving regional ecosystem that
benefits everyone. This approach amplifies the impact and potential for
sustainable growth, creating a harmonious coexistence between humans and
nature.
identity, bridging contemporary needs and a rich legacy. I take pride in my
creative approach, regional integration, social inclusivity, aesthetic appeal, and
humor. My village is where the future finds its home.
Selected project – Franziska Michl – Rethinking villages, Reinventing rurbanism

Selected project – Alexandra Schartner – Cross-Border Placemaking

CROSS-BORDER PLACEMAKING
Selected project – Leonie Wrede – Rutopie : rural, village, future

– Rutopie – rural, village, future.
Because of the changing world of work – especially the home office-, the new work-life balance and the pandemic, many people are moving back to the countryside. But there is not enough affordable space for all the people, because we don‘t chance the way of growing villages.
The biggest problem ist the single-family house. The well-known problems of this building typology are the low density, the lack of flexibility and isolation within the neighborhood. So how do we create housing in the future that adapts to the changing needs of residents and their life stages, that is efficient, denser and more sustainable, that prevents the sprawl of the landscape, but at the same time maintains the character of the village? A place where people can live, work, shop and relax. This paper is primarily concerned with developing a formal design for the settlement of tomorrow. Step I: we worked out parameters, which should served as a guideline for the future growing of villages and small towns. Step II: these parameters will be used to plan a settlement design on a real plot of land, which will attempt to find a possible solution for the settlement of tomorrow: