Nominator: Milka Gnjato

Nominator's statement

Luka Stevanović holds a Master’s degree in Architecture and has already, in his early twenties, distinguished himself as an exceptionally promising architect. He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Belgrade, specializing in Architectural Technologies, with an impressive GPA of 9.70, demonstrating not only academic excellence but also deep professional commitment.
Since 2022, he has actively participated in international architectural competitions—three of which resulted in first-place awards. Alongside these engagements, he has gained valuable experience through internships in renowned European architectural studios and as a teaching associate, showcasing his ambition and readiness to learn through practice.
Luka is the founder ofARC. (Architectural Research Club) ,an architectural office that approaches architecture as an interdisciplinary practice. His work is focused on pushing the boundaries of contemporary architecture through design, construction, and innovation. On his Behance profile (www.behance.net/arcbuilds), he has presented notable projects that reflect his experimental and research-driven approach to space, materials, and programs, along with a strong sense of context and identity.
His professional ethics, dedication, and openness to innovation make him an ideal candidate for the "Perspective" category. Luka Stevanović is not only full of potential—he is already contributing to the development of architectural thought among younger generations.
He stands out as an architect who, even at the beginning of his professional journey, demonstrates an integrated approach to design—combining research, technology, narrative, and social responsibility. His work embodies both theoretical depth and aesthetic clarity, making him an exemplary nominee for an award that celebrates young architects shaping the future of the profession.

NIKOLA TESLA MUSEUM

Cultural Heritage Revitalisation

Concept and project goals
The "Jugošped" building is recognized for its chimney aesthetics as an object of cultural heritage. One of Nikola Tesla's major projects and patents, the Wardenclyffe tower, serves as a direct reference to the chimney’s design. The Wardenclyffe tower is located urbanistically on the opposite side of the Sava river coast. Together, these two tall structures create a conceptual path of energy exchange, playfully reflecting Tesla's dream of free and undivided energy.

Main motive and form
The "Jugošped" facility is situated near the Sava river coast and the old railway bridge. The building is protected as cultural heritage. The intervention involves vertically inserting a recreated bridge into the building, offering incredible views of the entire city of Belgrade.

To preserve all facades according to tender requirements, the external facade and urban planning elements are made of semi-transparent and transparent glass with a steel substructure, ensuring the building’s well-known identity remains undisturbed.

THE STREAM

University Complex Extension

Concept and Project Goals
The project follows two parallel timelines through history to address the topic properly. The first is the citizen number timeline, which provides assumptions about the city’s future population capacity. The second relates to structures, from which we identify the city’s identity motives—monolithic appearances alongside human-scale architecture.

Since the actual site was in a hectic condition, the decision was made to preserve as many usable elements as possible and bring everything under one roof. Helsingefors originally means “City on Streams,” so the idea of biodiversity indentations between structures—like streams flowing through a canyon—served as a direct inspiration.

Main Motive and Form
Monolithic structures around the perimeter act as a “biodiversity shield” protecting the inner sensitive areas. The final design features a semi-public zone between private and public spaces, rich with biodiversity, flowing through the complex and blending everything into a coherent story.

Renovation
The roof of the existing curved building was extended to include a well-known feature—biological and geological experimentation. The old museum was treated with great care and revitalized by adding a temporary, easy-to-remove market. The park was upgraded with urban farming, predicted to grow oats, rye, barley, and wheat.

New Construction
The design focuses on users, their movement, and lifestyle. A dominant copper-toned structure serves not just as a sunshade but also collects rainwater, directing it to water purifiers and collectors. This water is reused for irrigation, sanitary purposes, and heat pumps.

The complex includes a cafeteria, library, kindergarten, restaurant, and gym built from recycled concrete, terrazzo, and CLT, partly sourced from demolition of a corner building previously on site. The apartments are distributed as 20% one-room, 50% two-room, and 30% three-room units, each floor featuring working and resting areas. Every apartment includes day/night zoning, a kitchen, bathroom, and storage room.

Technical System and Sustainability
Vertical ventilation channels and recuperators in every apartment help retain maximum heat in winter and minimize heat during summer. Electrical energy is supplied by south-facing solar panels on the roof. Clean water is purified from the rainwater collection system.

For light and acoustic comfort, various Saint-Gobain products provide 70% light absorption and noise reduction. The building also includes recycling and waste management systems in the garage. Using the ONE CLICK LCA tool, this project was calculated to be eco-friendly with a low carbon footprint (Class A).

This sustainability is achieved with high-quality Saint-Gobain products such as Gyproc Habito boards and Isover Premium thermal insulation. Ultimately, Saint-Gobain helps us see, feel, hear, and breathe better.

LITHENESS

Moon Base

Concept and Project Goals
Overpopulation, resource depletion, and ecosystem collapse have pushed humanity to seek new frontiers. The ultimate unexplored horizon and only untouched frontier is outer space. Space is a vast and mysterious place, filled with distances and phenomena beyond human comprehension. It is where science continues to advance cautiously, uncovering secrets in an ancient, dark abyss.

In this unknown expanse, the safest shelter and closest haven is the Moon. Since the discovery of water samples there in 2008, the Moon has become a candidate for architectural research. Thanks to modern technology, we can now design bases that withstand cosmic radiation and the Moon’s extreme conditions. Humans are expected to return to the Moon by 2025, after which it will become a key scientific base for humanity. Many important discoveries of the coming decades are likely to be made there.

The goal was to combine the function and volume of a space station into one clear, comprehensive design that can endure cosmic radiation and the large temperature fluctuations between lunar day (127°C) and night (-173°C), each lasting about 29.7 Earth days.

Construction
The moon base is designed as a 3D-printed structure, planned to develop in three key phases. It uses LUNARCRETE—a mix of regolith (moon soil) and moon water—as the printing filament. Transporting other materials from Earth would be either impossible or too costly.

The base features two landing pits and one infrastructural pathway. Astronaut movement is directed toward the Lacus Mortis pit, moving along a spiral slope down to a cave created by a meteor strike. This cave offers the best protective conditions for construction. The phases of building will take place there. (For detailed phase descriptions, please refer to the LITHENESS manual brief in the advertising book.)