RWTH Aachen Students Successful in Architectural Competition

Among the three winners of the competition is 26 year-old Maike Hunds. Konstantin Greune also made it into the final ten with his Master's thesis. The students' designs had been developed at the RWTH chair of Housing and Basics of Design and had been nominated for participation by Professor Wim van den Bergh.

Altogether 98 different student designs had been entered into the competition with the topic of "Living Together." Maike Hunds presented her plan for a "Transformation in the countryside – Living and Working Together in the Old Lumber Mill." A lumber mill in the Eastern Belgian town of Weywertz could easily make communal living in combination with working possible and therefore draw new inhabitants to the rural region. The design allows for different uses, such as a hostel for bicycle tourists, student housing or living space for families, workshops, academy or exhibition space. In spacious appartments the privacy of inhabitants would be preserved, while a manner of diverse communal spaces promotes togetherness. It was the overall concept as well as the realization and further elaboration in detail that convinced the top-class jury. The award presentation ceremony took place at the trade fair for architecture, materials and systems, the BAU 2017, in Munich.

Hunds is currently completing a stay abroad at ETH Zürich while also working at an architect's office at the same time. She'll be back at RWTH Aachen to work on her Master's thesis beginning in the summer semester.

Source: Press and communications