Kraffer Community Garden / matěj šebek architekti + Ateliér Za Mák

History of the Kraffer Garden - The Kraffer Garden complex is a place with a story reaching back to the 18th century. Originally a Baroque palace garden, it was later separated from the palace after a major fire and sold. For more than a hundred years, the renowned Kraffer family horticultural nursery operated here, until nationalisation in the 1950s brought insensitive alterations. The nursery and its buildings gradually declined into a brownfield, partly cleared at the turn of the millennium. A full-scale renewal began in 2021, when the abandoned nursery was taken over by a group of landscape architects from Ateliér Za Mák. Their energy has given the garden a new life, transforming it into a community space in the heart of Jindřichův Hradec. On the foundations of the Baroque garden and the First Republic–era nursery, a brownfield is being transformed into a place where horticultural craft meets culture and human stories.

The European Cultural Center Italy has organized the ECC Awards since 2010 to recognize artists, architects, designers, and academics in their respective fields. The Awards highlight projects featured in the Time Space Existence exhibition, which runs in parallel with the Venice Architecture Biennale and showcases tangible approaches to building more sustainably, aiming to position architecture as a force for environmental and social repair. The seventh edition of Time Space Existence is a group exhibition spanning three Venetian venues: Palazzo Bembo, Palazzo Mora, and the Marinaressa Gardens. This year, the exhibition focuses on the themes of Repair, Regenerate, and Reuse, emphasizing the essential role of architects and designers as agents of positive change in shaping sustainable, inclusive, and regenerative ways of living.

As the world grows in complexity, multiplying both its challenges and opportunities for innovation, so does the architecture profession. Positioned as mediators in a complex system, architects increasingly step out of the traditional office and into laboratories, town halls, and communities. They are developing new materials, reassessing urban policies, and responding directly to society's most pressing needs.

City Science, a rapidly expanding profession, is the scientific study and engineering of urban systems. It uses advanced technologies, big data, and complex systems physics to tackle challenges such as decarbonization, mobility, and livability. At its core, city science is about data-driven solutions. It employs statistics, modeling, and artificial intelligence to reveal the hidden dynamics of cities, from energy use to human movement. It employs strategies that reduce carbon emissions, enhance efficiency, and foster urban environments that are more sustainable and resilient.