FAUP students Francisco Peneda Ferreira, Pedro Tiago Gaspar and João Pedro Henriques won 1st prize in the Saint-Gobain 2024 International Student Architecture Competition with their project SIENI PARK, after being chosen to represent Portugal in the 19th edition of the competition.

It was the first time that a Portuguese team had won the international phase of the Saint-Gobain Architecture Student Competition.

More than 224 universities from 29 countries took part in the competition. The challenge was to design a new residential building (both temporary and permanent) and transform a pre-existing office building into a residence for teachers and researchers in the Viikki area, on the outskirts of Helsinki, Finland. This complex should be connected by a green public space and ensure a low environmental impact.

The SIENI PARK project, presented by a group of FAUP students and supervised by Professor Clara Vale, shows how architecture can respond to contemporary needs and solve urban weaknesses, promoting sustainability, community integration and innovation in urban design.

Based on a strong relationship between the building to be built and the building to be rehabilitated, a large green space was created that energizes the Viikki area, articulating the surrounding buildings and creating a vibrant and welcoming environment that encourages the movement of people, promoting social interactions and community activities. To accommodate these activities, geometric wooden structures were developed, inspired by the shape of the mushroom (in Finnish Sieni).

The jury justified the choice of the Portuguese project by considering that "in terms of urban planning, architectural details and overall quality, the solution is comprehensive and of a high standard. The building presents an interesting façade proposal, possibly still improvable due to the adverse climatic conditions of the site." He also pointed out that "the urban composition is innovative and the wooden structure is sophisticated", stressing that "the integration of the old building into the overall architecture was perfect, and sustainability solutions were integrated into the proposal from the outset, rather than being an afterthought".

"Winning the Saint-Gobain architectural competition was an extraordinary and life-changing experience. We were extremely proud to see our work recognized worldwide," say the team members.

They go on to say that "this victory highlights the quality of our teaching and demonstrates that, as students at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto, we are capable of competing at an international level".

The winners were revealed during an event held by Saint-Gobain in the Finnish capital between June 10 and 12, 2024. The event also commemorated the 20th anniversary of this international competition, which was first held in 2004 in Serbia.

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