Students and young adults are among the most vulnerable groups in the housing market, facing a shortage of university accommodation, a lack of affordable housing and exploitation by private landlords. Meanwhile, city centres that once buzzed with youthful energy are becoming increasingly gentrified and financially inaccessible. Yet these areas remain vibrant and noisy – perhaps an ideal environment for young people to live?

Students of the Inclusive Housing Studio at the Faculty of Architecture in Brno designed the Student Quarter on Plac Defilad in Warsaw, just next to the Palace of Culture and Science, the Museum of Modern Art and the new Central Square. For the realization of affordable housing for young people, we chose the most central and one of the most expensive plots of land in Poland. The manifesto behind the project: we must stop pushing young people to suburban campuses and bring student life back to the city center. And above all, we must start building more public and affordable student housing and infrastructure.

The exhibition is being shown in ZODIAK pavilion in a direct proximity of the Plac Defilad site. A debate on the topic of student housing is planned as an accompanying event with the architects, student union activists and representatives of the local government responsible for housing.

The exhibition will also present selected student projects for housing solutions in other locations in Warsaw, including the Szpiegowo (Spy Town) building and the plot next to the Bakalarska market.

Exhibition organized by the Inclusive Housing Studio, Faculty of Architecture VUT in Brno and showcases the outcome of the Summer semester 2023/2024 studio. 

Coorganizor: ZODIAK Warszawski Pawilon Architektury/ Warsaw Pavilion of Architecture 

Partner: České centrum Varšava / Czech Center Warsaw

Dates: 08. 03 – 23. 03. 2025

Opening: 08. 03. 2025, 18:00

Location: ZODIAK Warszawski Pawilon Architektury/ Warsaw Pavilion of Architecture 

Student Quarter Plac Defilad project:

Vilma Belanská, Adam Hajdák, Petra Hanušová, Nina Kukučková, Tereza Kusnierzová, Barbora Olivová, Katarína Palacková

Amina Bajramović, Adéla Bláhová, David Dubáň, Elene Gzirishvili, Kristína Košútová, Matteo Marchese, Katarina Mičundová, Tereza Miklusová, Veronika Mikulová, Tomáš Wolf, Filip Vlček

Tutors: Zuzanna Mielczarek, Kacper Kępiński

Graphic design: Wojciech Gawroński 

Organization support: ZODIAK Warsaw Pavilion of Architecture – Monika Komorowska, Natalia Cichoń