Valerie Heyworth, a graduate of the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University, won the Kaplicky Internship 2021 impressing the jury with her Czech House project in Taiwan. The jury, composed of Czech and international architectural icons, chose Heyworth out of six finalists this year. Students of the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University in Prague were the most strongly represented. Only one of the finalists was a student of UMPRUM. This year’s edition was also exceptional for its strong representation of women. There were 5 out of 6 women in the final round.
“What I personally like about the winning project is that it deals with themes such as sustainability, local context and social issues, which are also key for us at Amanda Levete Architects,” said jury member Alice Dietsch, who is the director of this prestigious London-based studio. It is to this studio that this year’s winner will head for a three-month, fully funded internship. The project had special meaning for Heyworth as well. “It’s a project I worked on as part of my thesis. We decided to work on the topic, among other things, as a response to the Czech Republic’s somewhat ambivalent attitude towards Taiwan,” said Ms. Heyworth.
Michaela and Zdeněk Bakala launched the Kaplicky Internship program to provide an opportunity for the development of young Czech architects and spread the legacy of Jan Kaplicky’s work. This year marks the seventh year that the Bakala Foundation has organized the program in collaboration with the London Design Museum and the Kaplicky Centre Foundation. So far, six talented young architects from Czech universities have completed internships in distinguished London studios, working for such renowned names as Eva Jiřičná, Zaha Hadid, Alies and Morrison, Adjaye Associates, Heatherwick Studio, and David Chipperfield Architects.
