Speakers (2019–2024)
MVRDV
Snøhetta
LAVA
MECANOO
Rainer Mahlamäki
Anna Heringer
Anupama Kundoo
David Basulto
Architecture in Foyer is a recurring event associated with the Design Educates Awards - an international initiative launched by the LAKA Foundation. In 2025, in collaboration with the Faculty of Architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology, the event was expanded into a full-scale conference aimed at showcasing design as a tool for education and the transfer of innovation.
The event lasts two days and consists of two parts: an international conference and the Design Educates Awards Ceremony.
Day 1 - Conference
The conference program includes lectures, case studies, and discussions on the relationship between design processes and the development of education. In light of the dynamic changes taking place in contemporary universities, we aim to demonstrate how architecture uses design to build knowledge and develop new models of education. The aim of the conference is to create conditions for critical reflection on new, integrated design paradigms and their impact on the future of architectural innovation. We pay particular attention to the relationships between material, production processes, and architectural form, emphasizing the transition from linear design models to iterative methods in which design and production co-create a single coherent process. The conference focuses on the role of digital tools - such as computer modeling, simulations, and fabrication technologies - in shaping the contemporary architect’s work environment. In this context, architecture ceases to be merely a form and becomes also a system, an algorithm, and a process. The conference will feature guest lectures, presentations of submitted papers, a poster session, and an open-access conference publication.
Day 2 – Design Educates Awards Ceremony
An integral part of the event is the Design Educates Awards - a prestigious competition promoting projects with educational value. Here, design is understood as an interdisciplinary tool that teaches decision-making in complex situations, enables the anticipation of consequences, and influences quality of life and the shaping of social attitudes. The event is accompanied by an annual exhibition and a publication documenting the award-winning projects, serving as a record of current trends in architecture and design. Architecture in Foyer is a space where science, practice, and education meet - a place for dialogue where design becomes a tool for building knowledge, exchanging experiences, and jointly shaping the future of architecture.
The conference will be held in English
DE Awards
Thesis:
Architecture and design are not merely tools for solving functional problems - they are also mediums of education. By embedding meaning, narrative, and awareness into built environments, designers can foster learning, reflection, and responsible action in society. The conference aims to redefine the role of design in shaping both physical space and cultural consciousness.
Goals:
1. Explore the educational potential of architecture and design. Highlight how architectural works and design solutions can communicate knowledge, values, and social messages beyond their functional roles.
2. Bridge practice and academia in design education. Foster dialogue between architects, designers, educators, and researchers to redefine design’s role in contemporary education and knowledge dissemination.
3. Promote design that educates. Showcase and critically reflect on projects that go beyond aesthetics and utility to foster awareness, responsibility, and engagement in social, environmental, or cultural issues.
4. Encourage interdisciplinary approaches. Open a platform for cross-disciplinary collaboration and integration of education, architecture, and innovation in shaping sustainable and inclusive environments.
5. Highlight award-winning examples. Present and discuss the outcomes of the DesignEducates Awards as case studies of best practices in educational design thinking.
Keynote Speakers
Prof. Thomas Auer
Professor Thomas Auer is one of the world’s leading experts in climate-responsive building design.
He heads the Chair of Building Technology and Climate Responsive Architectural Design at the University of Technology Munich, and as Managing Director of the renowned TRANSSOLAR Energietechnik GmbH, he co-develops pioneering projects across the globe. From 2001 to 2008, he taught at Yale University and has also been a visiting professor in Paris, Toronto, Sassari, and Kassel. He is the author of numerous publications in prestigious journals, including Perspecta: The Yale Architectural Journal, as well as books on modern façades.
Hadi Teherani
Hadi Teherani is an extremly and diverse, internationally awarded German architect and designer. His work is executed regardless of borders in every respect, transcending nationalities and specialist disciplines. The projects target atmospheric charisma, emotional urgency and an ecologically sound sustainability that is already laid out in the design. Germany’s first “green” railway station at Frankfurt Airport and Cologne’s “Crane Houses” have become effective landmarks, much like many international projects. In his unusually far-reaching competence from architecture to urban planning, to interior and product design, compositions succeed in which all elements interact harmoniously. At the end of 2020 Hadi Teherani was decorated with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his achievements in the fields of architecture and design.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Schroepfer
Professor Thomas Schroepfer is a leading expert in sustainable architectural and urban design. He is Full Professor and Founding Programme Director at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, and Director of the Future Cities Laboratory Global at the Singapore-ETH Centre. He has held visiting professorships at ETH Zurich, MIT, EPFL, and NUS. His work has been featured at major international venues, including the Venice Architecture Biennale, World Architecture Festival, and World Cities Summit. He is the author of Dense+Green Urban Development (2025) and Dense+Green Cities (2020), both published by Birkhäuser, and a recipient of the President’s Design Award—Singapore’s highest honour for design excellence—and the Asia Education Leadership Award.
Prof. Roger Riewe
Professor Roger Riewe is a renowned architect and co-founder of Riegler Riewe Architekten, with offices in Graz and Berlin. He was a professor at TU Graz from 2001 to 2023, where he led the Institute of Architecture Technology and was honored multiple times for his research and patents. Riewe has held influential roles on numerous national and international architecture and urban planning boards. He has served as a juror in prestigious competitions worldwide and lectured across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. One of his most recognized projects is the Silesian Museum in Katowice.
Design Educates Awards
The strength of our competition lies in the fact that among the laureates one can find both newcomers and icons of world architecture - such as Norman Foster, Renzo Piano, BIG, Calatrava, and Diller.
-Peter Kuczia
initiator and curator of DEAwards
Inspiring Yearbook 2025
Each year, a beautifully printed Design Educates Awards Yearbook is published, showcasing the winning projects along with insightful commentary from a panel of esteemed jurors. The publication also features handwritten reflections from internationally renowned architects and thought-provoking articles exploring themes aligned with the competition's core idea: Design Educates.The richly illustrated layout is designed by Bartek Witkowski, an award-winning graphic designer, whose work gives the yearbook its distinctive and elegant character.All current laureates receive a complimentary copy of the yearbook. Additionally, attendees of the Design Educates Conference have the opportunity to receive a free copy after the awards ceremony – while supplies last.
Showcasing innovations
from around the world
Exhibition, recognizing outstanding architecture and design projects with educational and social impact, will be presented this year during the AiF Warsaw event in Warsaw, Poland. The awards gather participants from around 30 countries across 5 continents, highlighting the global reach and diversity of the competition. This prestigious international exhibition showcases projects that combine excellent design with educational value, storytelling, and the ability to influence behavior and perception. The event connects a worldwide creative community focused on meaningful design that educates and inspires.
