Student District in the Heart of Warsaw: FA VUT Presents a Vision of Inclusive Housing

Students from the Inclusive Housing Studio at the Faculty of Architecture, Brno University of Technology (FA BUT), have designed an inclusive and affordable Student District at Plac Defilad in Warsaw. The exhibition Inclusive Housing Studio: Student Quarter Plac Defilad exhibition is open until March 23, 2025, at the Polish architecture pavilion ZODIAK. The exhibition highlights the issue of the shortage of university housing in Poland and its increasing financial inaccessibility for young people. The project's authors aim to show that students should not be pushed to the outskirts of cities but should instead be an integral part of their vibrant centers.
Student District in the Heart of Warsaw: FA VUT Presents a Vision of Inclusive Housing | Author: FA BUT

There are currently 1.2 million students studying in Poland, but the eight largest academic centres only offer 82,000 places in dormitories. Who can get a place in a dormitory and how much does it cost? Once students manage to get a place, how can they survive in such conditions? What are the alternatives?

Students and young adults are among the most vulnerable groups in the housing market, facing a shortage of university accommodation, a lack of affordable housing and exploitation by private landlords. Meanwhile, city centres that once buzzed with youthful energy are becoming increasingly gentrified and financially inaccessible. Yet these areas remain vibrant and noisy – perhaps an ideal environment for young people to live?

Students of the Inclusive Housing Studio at the Faculty of Architecture in Brno designed the Student Quarter on Plac Defilad in Warsaw, just next to the Palace of Culture and Science, the Museum of Modern Art and the new Central Square. For the realization of affordable housing for young people, we chose the most central and one of the most expensive plots of land in Poland. The manifesto behind the project: we must stop pushing young people to suburban campuses and bring student life back to the city center. And above all, we must start building more public and affordable student housing and infrastructure.

The exhibition is being shown in ZODIAK pavilion in a direct proximity of the Plac Defilad site. A debate on the topic of student housing is planned as an accompanying event with the architects, student union activists and representatives of the local government responsible for housing.


The exhibition will also present selected student projects for housing solutions in other locations in Warsaw, including the Szpiegowo (Spy Town) building and the plot next to the Bakalarska market.

Exhibition organized by the Inclusive Housing Studio, Faculty of Architecture VUT in Brno and showcases the outcome of the Summer semester 2023/2024 studio.
Coorganizor: ZODIAK Warszawski Pawilon Architektury/ Warsaw Pavilion of Architecture
Partner: České centrum Varšava / Czech Center Warsaw
Dates: 08. 03 – 23. 03. 2025
Opening: 08. 03. 2025, 18:00
Location: ZODIAK Warszawski Pawilon Architektury/ Warsaw Pavilion of Architecture

Students:
Project "Student District Plac Defilad":
Vilma Belanská, Adam Hajdák, Petra Hanušová, Nina Kukučková, Tereza Kusnierzová, Barbora Olivová, Katarína Palacková

Other presented projects:
Amina Bajramović, Adéla Bláhová, David Dubáň, Elene Gzirishvili, Kristína Košútová, Matteo Marchese, Katarina Mičundová, Tereza Miklušová, Veronika Mikulová, Tomáš Wolf, Filip Vlček
Tutors: Zuzanna Mielczarek, Kacper Kępiński
Graphic design: Wojciech Gawroński
Organization support: ZODIAK Warsaw Pavilion of Architecture – Monika Komorowska, Natalia Cichoń
Author BcA. Lucie Tranová
Published
Link https://www.vut.cz/en/but/f19528/d283081
Faculty of Architecture exhibition