"The Estate Game " - a board educational initiative developed by the UrbanModel student research circle from the Faculty of Architecture at the Silesian University of Technology - has won international recognition, taking first place in the prestigious Design Educates Awards competition in the "Project of the Year 2024" category. The award was received on behalf of the team by Prof. Tomasz Bradecki, who emphasized that the recognition of the global jury of prominent architects and female architects is an exceptional honor for the team.
Design Educates Awards
© UrbanModel
Design Educates Awards 2024
The Design Educates Awards is an annual competition organized by the Laka Foundation, promoting architectural and design projects with significant educational value. Participants compete in categories such as architecture, product and other design disciplines, attracting the attention of professionals and innovators from around the world. As Prof. Bradecki pointed out, the competition receives several hundred entries each year, and this year's honored projects include works by the Norman Foster Foundation or WXCA, among others - both established and new, smaller initiatives.
certificate
© UrbanModel
award for innovation and education
"The Estate Game" won an international award for its educational and innovative qualities, combining knowledge of urban planning with an element of entertainment. At the award ceremony in Melle, Germany, the award was received by the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the Silesian University of Technology - Professor Tomasz Bradecki.
This is a great honor for us, for which we thank you on behalf of the Urbanmodel team. The project promotes pro-environmental values, combines education with fun and is applicable both in academic didactics and in workshops with young people," said Prof. Bradecki.
Gold medal awarded for "Estate Game " - INTARG 2024
© UrbanModel
from idea to board game
The project is the result of the work of the Urban Model student research club. At first, the game existed in the form of cards that described different types of housing development, both in 2D and 3D. The cards were linked to reality augmentation apps, allowing players to explore urban spaces in both digital and physical environments. We wrote about the process of creating the Kariana game on our portal in January(see: " Do you play the settlement? I play!!!- the original urban planning card game ").
Daria [Bal] and I started with cards and workshops, and eventually ended up with a full-fledged board game," recalls Marta Sanigorska, co-founder of the Urban Model circle.
Thanks to the cooperation with the Upper Silesian and Zagłębie Metropolis and the positive reception from the community, the game went a long way from an idea to a product that attracted the attention of both professionals and laymen.
The project team during the Researchers' Night
© UrbanModel
an innovative approach to urban planning
The concept of the "Estate Game" places a strong emphasis on cooperation and the competitive aspect, simulating the challenges of urban design.
Igor Gdula, a member of the team, stresses that the board game not only teaches about urban planning processes, but also engages players to work together to achieve a common goal, which is crucial in the real world of planning. The randomness of the gameplay makes each time run differently, allowing players to create unique settlement spaces and a multi-dimensional experience. We knew we could create something unique, combining educational aspects with entertainment," Gdula added.
A game at the University of Novy Sad in Serbia
© UrbanModel
The Design Educates Awards is unique in that it focuses on projects with a clear educational aspect and social impact. In this year's edition, a jury led by world-class architects and designers such as Toyo Ito and Rainer Mahlamäki selected the winners and laureates from hundreds of entries from around the world. Among the nominees were also projects from renowned studios, which makes the value of the achievement of the team from the Silesian University of Technology all the more important.
The fact that we have been recognized alongside such well-known projects is not only an honor for us, but also a motivation for further work. We are a young scientific circle, so such international recognition is a huge success," comments Daria Bal.
Game tested in Italy
Photo by Prof. Lamberto Aistadi
next stages of development and new editions of the publication
The card version of the game, which was published as a monograph and manual, presents the genesis of the project, a description of the cards and the rules of the game.The second edition includes additional materials, such as workshop reports and examples of sustainable settlements created by students. The publication has been expanded to include elements of a board game and a description of the use of augmented reality models.
augmented reality game
© UrbanModel
Originally the game was a simple project, but the success of the card version gave us the impetus to create a more elaborate board game that enriches didactics in academic classes and workshops, explains Blazej Mól, a member of the editorial team of the second edition.
board
© UrbanModel
"The Settlement Game is an example of how urban planning and the problems of residential intensification and settlement space can be taught through play. The educational value of the game and its form make the game appeal to a wide audience, from students and schoolchildren to professionals in the architectural industry.
