BME Department of Urban Design, Mosonmagyaróvár, Workshop 2010

Text: Zsófia Paál

Five years ago, when we were third-year architect students we came to the conclusion with my fellows students that it would be a jolly good idea to realize, to construct something together besides completing tasks of design. Of course only in the summer holiday, and primarily for our own pleasure. In Mosonmagyaróvár we found a site, a free lido which seemed to be perfect for our purposes – that is free experimentation – because of its remote location compared to the more frequented core of the town. Péter Lenzsér architect and Mirkó Wlasitsch dentist who played a major role in popularizing, maintaining and developing life by the water and water sports since the foundation of the local sports ground helped us with our plans. As a result we constructed a multi-functional rainshelter shaped like a whale: Named Facet, it was soon accepted and favoured by the locals, became generally known, and provided a meeting point liked by many people. The idea of a follow-up project popped up several times as the local management proved to be willing to involve university students when tackling minor issues.

BME Department of Public Building Design, Valkonya, Workshop 2010

Text: Eszter Bors

A camp with a small number of participants in a tiny village in Zala county – this is how it all began. Back in those days we did not believe that anything would be realized of the barn theatre we had been dreaming of.
Whilst designing it we had to face even more limitations and restrictions than during completing our tasks at university: the first one being that instead of idealized fictional situations now we had to design a genuine house for real people. Meant for an existing village and a rest house where flesh-and-blood children have their snacks, recite poems enthusiastically, or just find shelter in the pouring summer rain.
The other two important factors that we hardly ever deal with during the first year of our training is the budget and the limits of viability which were prioritized ones in this case. When designing a building it is most important to please the users: they should be satisfied with the completed building. The inventive solutions tend to remain almost invisible then as „there is nothing disturbing about or in the building.”