Winners Announced for the 12th POLUS Student Architecture Competition

12th POLUS Student Architecture Competition Winners Announced

The 12th POLUS Student Architecture Competition held by POLUS Group concluded successfully on June 30, 2025. The event spotlighted remarkable talents in architectural design, with the judging panel selecting a total of five winners from 599 entries.

Overview of the Competition

The competition theme, "Houses of the T-axis," encouraged students to explore fresh ideas and perspectives within architectural design. The submission period spanned from November 29, 2024, to May 8, 2025. Following the first round of judging, five shortlisted entries showcased their designs and presented them to the judges, leading to a comprehensive discussion that resulted in the awarding of one Grand Prize, one Excellence Award, and three additional entries receiving recognition.

Prize Winners

- Grand Prize: "Living on the Road" by Yume Kobayashi and Saho Nozawa from Musashino University.
- Excellence Award: "Houses of Interwoven Time: A Continuous Temporal Experience of Fragmented Living Activities" by Shintaro Tokoro, Yuki Iguchi, and Risa Suzuki from Keio University Graduate School.
- Honorable Mentions:

- "Resilient Earthen Walls" by Ritsuto Moku from Delft University of Technology.
- "The Land of the Moon and Sun" by Izumi Yano and others from Kyushu University Graduate School.
- "Outgrowing Boundaries, Connecting Voids" by Hiroaki Murakami and Nika Nakamura from Hiroshima Institute of Technology.

Insights from Award Winners

Comments from the Grand Prize Winners

Yume Kobayashi: "I am thrilled to have earned the Grand Prize through my interpretation of the T-axis and my sectional planning that rises from the plane. I truly appreciate this recognition."
Saho Nozawa: "It’s an honor to receive such a prestigious award. I worked tirelessly until 8 AM this morning to prepare, even drafting my presentation on the train. I’m glad I persevered until the end, and I am grateful to everyone who supported me."

Jury Feedback

Chairman of the jury, Tatsuya Nishizawa, a professor at Yokohama National University’s Graduate School of Architecture, praised the high quality of the submissions.
"With so many applications, it was a long journey to reach a conclusion. I was initially concerned if we would finalize the decisions, but the students' presentations were exceptionally clear and impactful.
Reflecting on the process, the selection of the preliminary works proved to be the most challenging. However, in the second round, the strength of the students' words and models effectively conveyed their messages. I believe there is a mutual trust in the words and models presented."

Nishizawa advised the participants not to fixate on the rankings, highlighting that architectural reviews could provide insights that differ from typical university critiques. He encouraged participants to view this competition as a valuable opportunity for learning and growth in their architectural journeys.

Jury Members

- Chairman: Tatsuya Nishizawa (Yokohama National University)
- Jury Members:

- Kotaro Imai (The University of Tokyo)
- Masahiro Harada (Shibaura Institute of Technology)
- Erika Nakagawa (Nakagawa Erika Architecture)
- Soichiro Nomura (POLUS Internal Evaluator)

Conclusion

The POLUS Student Architecture Competition continues to foster the creative spirit of young architects by providing a platform to present their groundbreaking ideas and solutions. With the growing participation across institutes, it stands as a significant event to highlight the potential future leaders in architecture.