Future of wood 2022 winner is 1+X!

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In November 2022, 160 architecture and engineering students and specialists gathered in Tallinn to prototype solutions to support the reconstruction of Ukraine. The competition was tight, but we brought home the victory! The idea of our team was to develop a new home for children who lost their parents in the war in Ukraine, which is based on a modular straw panel system and can be used as an off-grid solution. Our team consisted of six architects from the Estonian Academy of Arts and one engineer from Tallinn University of Technology. We were rewarded with a small prize money and we received a special prize for using Creatomus software and a challenge from the ESTDEV Estonian Development Cooperation Center.

The starting point of our idea is that there is a growing need for housing and a support system for children who have lost their homes and parents in Ukraine. We developed a modular family home to provide children with a safe environment that matches the SOS Children’s Village concept.

ESTDEV Ukraine infrastructure development project manager Tarmo Needo said: “19 teams presented their ideas and demo projects at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Out of five teams that came up with their innovative solutions, the winner of the ESTDEV challenge and Garage48 Future of Wood 2022 event was team 1+x, who finished the weekend with a house that was architecturally attractive, clever and aptly combined wood and modern straw bale designs. Their design uses solar energy and can work off-grid. Our thanks and congratulations go to the Garage48 team – it was incredibly inspiring to see enthusiastic teams working to build Ukraine.”

This competition played an important role for the beginning of our journey. Thanks to the intense but fruitful weekend, we had the opportunity to create a strong team to pursue common goals. Participating in the event provided us with valuable experience, and it became clear that our idea is not only relevant, but also worthy of deeper research and further development. We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who supported us, especially for Renee Puusepp!

Read more about the news of the Estonian Academy of Arts

Foto – Garage48 Future of Wood: Rebuild Ukraine 2022