Two architecture students from Széchenyi István University participated in the Mood for Wood international workshop in Poznan, Poland previously. As part of a project team and under the mentorship of the Budapest-based architectural firm Partizan Architecture, the young students created a wooden lookout, which won a special prize at the recent Architectural Awards of the Wielkopolska Region.

A huge professional experience, life-changing experiences and development: these are the benefits of the international architecture workshop that two students from Széchenyi István University took part in last summer. Emese Inczédy and Ákos Reizinger, both students at the Faculty of Architecture Civil Engineering and Transport Sciences, spent ten days in Poznan, Poland, at the "Mood for Wood" programme, a pivotal time in their studies.

"We have had a good relationship with the organisers of Mood for Wood for many years, and we have recently completed a joint research project called Builder method. It is almost a tradition for the organisation to organise its summer workshop for students with the support of the International Visegrad Fund, and last year two of our students were able to participate free of charge", said Dr Péter Bach, Head of the Department of Architectural Design at Széchenyi István University. He added: "It is always a pleasure for me when my students participate in such intensive international programmes, because it broadens their professional and cultural horizons, and also gives them experience and experience."

The young architecture students were part of a team of Slovakian, Polish and Hungarian students working on a wood-frame architectural project under the mentorship of two members of the Budapest-based Partizan Architecture firm, Zoltán Major and Péter Müllner. Their aim was to build a birdwatching shelter on the shores of Lake Malta in Poznan, providing a sheltered yet natural place for two or three people to observe the environment.

Special prize-winning creation from the "Ambona" project on the shores of Lake Malta in Poznan.

"We chose an unused concrete surface next to the shore as the design site, which formed the basis of our building. We tried to show different perspectives, so that from the top floor of the observation deck you can see the whole lake, while from the bottom floor you can see the water and the reeds. We also listened to the advice of an ornithologist and a nature photographer to make the design as good as possible," explains Emese Inczédy, who is currently in her third year of the Hungarian-taught undivided Architecture Programme at Széchenyi University.

The success of the "Ambona" project is demonstrated by the fact that “Mood for Wood” was nominated for the 5th Architectural Awards of the Wielkopolska Region (NAWW 2024), where it was the only project to win a special prize in the category of community space. The award is also special because the annual event, which celebrates Polish architects, has not honoured a Hungarian architect for nearly ten years.

"This is a great motivation for my studies, as our work was evaluated by a renowned international jury. I owe a lot to this project, because I have made new friends and developed a lot professionally. It was a fantastic feeling to build what the team designed with my own hands, and even better to see that the locals actually use our building," said Emese Inczédy, who came to Győr from Komárom.

Ákos Reizinger, from Mosonmagyaróvár, is also a student of architecture at Széchenyi University, and last year's "Mood for Wood" was his first construction camp. "Our team came together very well, and the mentors were excellent in helping us. Everyone contributed something to the creation and we can be really proud of the final result," he concluded. He said it was a huge responsibility, but a great feeling to see a design on paper become a real, award-winning installation.

The architecture students of Széchenyi István University, Ákos Reizinger and Emese Inczédy, received a prestigious Polish award with their team (Photo: Máté Dudás)