NEB Prizes 2024: All Applications

MUWA is housed in a restored 19th century wooden house in Vilnius. This building was in a state of disrepair, but due to dedication of the local community it was not demolished and chosen as a place for the museum. This is an exemplary case of restoration and adaptation using ethical methods and authentic techniques. Now the museum's activities extend this building’s preservation idea, create a unique cultural and social value for local communities and draw attention to urban wooden architecture

This groundbreaking initiative revolves around reconnecting with nature through the trees, aiming to open the minds and hearts of students and all citizens to embrace our shared natural heritage. Through interactive workshops, we're fostering respect for the environment in and around school communities. Our strategy extends beyond the classroom, delving into the cultural, historical, and folkloric tapestry of resident communities.

Cruz do Montalvão is a new urban park for all residents of Castelo Branco. Distancing a 15-minute walk from the centre, the park aims to respond to the lack of quality outdoor living spaces in a dense urban environment and as a refuge and microclimate amenity. Taking as a starting point that the liveliness of a park is not spontaneous, the project aims to connect the park to the dynamics of urban life on a daily basis, strengthening it as a social space and a place of belonging.

Space for Solidarity is a project that addresses the precarious living conditions of people facing homelessness in Bucharest, while reclaiming a neglected yet central and intensely transited urban space for collective use. It offers a space to practice, test and experiment different ways to deal with crisis situations and form alternative visions for more inclusive forms of conviviality, consolidating and extending infrastructures of care both from the public and the non-governmental sector.

Cinema in the garden is an outreach project that connects the population with nature and the environment. Through specific sessions with projections of fiction films and documentaries, we bring concepts and problems closer to a general public
that are more difficult to reach without cinema. Each session deals with a specific topic. It begins with a walk at the closing of the Royal Botanical Garden, and an
introduction with a guest expert and environment specialists.

The Rediscovery Centre project encapsulates the transformative nature of the circular transition. Pivoting on existing spaces and materials, the project works through five key thematic areas of circularity, education, demonstration, advocacy and collaboration. Through gratefully received funding from the EU LIFE Programme, the Rediscovery Centre is an extraordinary example of what can be done when waste is seen as an opportunity.

Due to the Russian aggression and the occupation of part of the territories of Ukraine, the issue of accommodation, assistance and socialization of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Zaporizhzhia has become an issue.
From the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the humanitarian headquarters provided everything necessary for the refugees, but gradually the requests changed from humanitarian to more often the question of integration.
The idea of creating a Civic Center appeared.

The Master in Design for Children is a joint project of the Faculty of Design & Arts and the Faculty of Education of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italy). Our aim is to train professionals that co-design together with children and the local community innovative educational tools, practices, models and learning experiences in order to create sustainable and inspiring places that are inclusive ways for staying together.

The WW2 camouflage system of dispersing military infrastructure among the surrounding nature resulted in an unintentional valuable relation between historic built heritage and nature. The transformation of this former Luftwaffe airbase provided the unique opportunity to create a test-case for a cultural community to live in nature. The creation of the place to house this creative community involved the sensitive adaptation of more mundane military heritage within the limits of the nature reserve

Sustainable and inclusive city transformation has to tackle every aspect of the urban environment. Waste containers and waste generation are an inherent part of every community, and correct sorting of waste alongside with accountability for responsible practices and reduction targets, are pivotal to enable the transition towards circularity and sustainability.
This is what “The Invisible Visible – Waste is About Knowledge, Trust and Beauty” is set to achieve.