Nominator: Sabina Hodović

Nominator's statement

Merjem Zekaj represents a new generation of architects who clearly understand the challenges and needs of tomorrow’s world. As a student at the Faculty of Architecture in Sarajevo, she stands out for her ability to connect architecture, graphic design, and visual communication into a unified, contemporary, and thoughtful expression.

She is actively involved in Days of Architecture Sarajevo, where her work contributes to the production, identity, and organization of one of the key architectural events in the region. Her participation in the creation of a faculty publication has further confirmed her professional approach, as well as her well-developed sense of narrative, structure, and visual language.

Thanks to a combination of knowledge, creativity, and maturity, Merjem Zekaj is already emerging as an author who will actively participate in shaping the architecture of the future.

WORKIN' BLUES

The space was designed through an analysis of the existing context and patterns of use, with a particular focus on the needs of students. It is intended for socializing, as well as individual and group work, with clearly defined zones that prevent conflicts in the use of space.

The primary circulation is positioned along the rear wall and highlighted in blue, forming the key accent within the space. This corridor can change its function as needed and become a storage area, allowing flexibility in organization. The group work area forms a transition between the working and social spaces, which is also reflected in the choice of furniture.

The design ensures maximum use of natural light, emphasizing clarity and visual openness. Various types of partitions balance openness and privacy through the interplay of transparent materials, curtains, solid and void elements, and specific mechanisms.

HIŽA UČENIČKA

Hiža Učenička is an experimental student housing project located on the northern grounds of the University of Sarajevo, opposite of the famous Railway station in Sarajevo. It represents one of the many gates of this city, a finite play between antithetical concepts: open and closed spaces, ramps and plateaus, rooftops and underground facilities.

The aim of the project was to create a safe space for a turbulent life of a student, on a location with a history of war and destruction. Biodiversity also gets a new chance to thrive by incorporating different types of urban spaces all throughout the building and planting species of trees that can be found on site.


URBAN CODEX

Urban Codex is a mapping project of Sarajevo focusing on the relations between the users and the space they inhabit. The main objective is to create an accessible database of the types, sizes and states of urban spaces and streets inside the neighborhoods, as well as the states of the buildings creating the urban matrix.

Users will also have the opportunity to state their requests and critiques of current underlying problems inside their local community. That way the local communities can have a comprehensive data sheet which can be shared with experts / municipalities, in hopes of finding common ground and fixing the underlying problems.