On the 25th of November, Globalworth and igloo organized the first 2031 NOW Webinar – a precious opportunity for architecture and urban planning students to meet some of the jury members of the competition, to ask questions about the competition theme and requirements, and to deepen their knowledge through the insightful presentations given by our guests.

As part of the jury panel and organizers’s representatives, Dimitris Pergamalis – Group Head of Construction & Development, Globalworth, and arch. Bruno Andreșoiu, President of Igloo – Habitat and Architecture Association, expressed their support in creating and promoting knowledge and qualitative architectural environment for people.

Keynote speaker was Helle Søholt – Founding Partner, CEO, Architect MAA, M. ARCH, Gehl People. In her presentation, Making Cities for People, Helle Søholt thoroughly explained and shared some of Gehl practice’s most appreciated urban planning projects around the world and how their strategies, starting with constant research and direct observation, activate urban spaces and bring people together. She encouraged young architects and designers to create „inclusive and qualitative” designs and to carry out in-depth analyses and transdisciplinary approaches in their projects, while also being aware of the people’s needs and „learning” from and with them.

Arjan Dingsté, architect at UNStudio and 2031 NOW jury member, talked about some significant UNStudio ongoing projects as inspirational examples for students: Delft Technical University as a shared space for community, combining „zero energy ambitions with human-centered environments”; another project presented, Brainport Smart District and Helmond Municipality, imagines a „sustainable, circular and socially cohesive neighborhood”.

Jakub Szczęsny, architect and 2031 NOW jury member, encouraged the students and prospective competition participants to think creatively and search for solution-oriented designs that can tackle contemporary global and urgent challenges.

We thank all the participants who joined us in the first 2031 NOW webinar and we kindly invite you to follow us for more information about the competition and the upcoming webinars.

You can watch the 2031 webinar here.