Felipe Chaves Gonzalez wins first prize at Archiprix 2020
With pride we announce that BK alumnus Felipe Chaves Gonzalez was awarded the shared first prize at the Dutch Archiprix 2020 for his project ‘Permeable borders - Addressing multidimensional conflicts between polarized communities in Rio de Janeiro’.
The winners of the Dutch Archiprix 2020 were announced by the jury on 26 June 2020, comprising three first prize winners and two honourable mentions. About the project ‘Permeable borders - Addressing multidimensional conflicts between polarized communities in Rio de Janeiro’ by Felipe Chaves Gonzalez, the jury stated: “Permeable Borders tackles a brief that is relevant and complex in equal measure. The aim is to improve the integration of vulnerable inhabitants in Rio de Janeiro. The designer succeeds convincingly in his strategy for a development model for Rio, including a realistic and practical toolkit to heal the city. The proposal excels in its strategic planning and meta-planning.”
Felipe tells about his project “My project was a fantastic learning process that lasted little less than a year and was supported by great tutors, friends, local professionals and residents. Every step of the process, from theoretical research, case reviews and field trip, was very important to reach to the final product as it is. The research began with the idea to co-produce the project with the local residents and communities, however the barriers encountered in the field trip - concerning territorial conflicts, ecological disasters and political limitations – forced the project to be adapted to the local reality. At this moment the idea of the open project was implemented to overcome the limitations in the co-production process, allowing the actions to be self-developed by the communities.”
“It is an incredible feeling to the see the results of an extensive working process and to have my master thesis amongst the first prize winners of such a renowned and fierce competition such as Archiprix. This surely encourages me to keep pursuing my objectives to promote inclusivity and a ‘social urbanism’, oriented to city dwellers and communities living in precarious conditions, that are, in many cases, neglected in the development of the city.”
A description of the project can be found here and a video of the project here. The graduation mentors of Felipe are Luiz de Carvalho Filho and Birgit Hausleitner.
The other first prize was awarded to the Academy of Architecture Amsterdam alumna Charlotte van der Woud, for her project ‘Nature is Under your Feet’ and to the Academy of Architecture Arnhem alumna Sarina Bleumink for her project ‘Living Monument’.
The work of all thirty graduation projects including models and research papers can be seen up close at the exhibition Archiprix 2020 in Het Nieuwe Instituut till October 4 2020.