Sorina Brasoveanu, who graduated in Architecture at UIC Barcelona School of Architecture last year, has won the first prize of the Schindler Spain Architecture Award. At the prize-giving ceremony, which took place on the evening of Thursday, 25 October, in Madrid’s Torre Espacio, the jury of the seventh edition of the award highlighted the quality of Brasoveanu’s final degree project called “Drone City” since it took accessibility into account at all stages of the project. 

“Drone City” attempts to transform the road interchange giving access to Barcelona’s Zona Franca into a new urban junction able to integrate infrastructures currently co-existing in the area. “The access ramps, part of the architectural design, and also the plazas connecting the buildings iron out accessibility issues in the whole area and guarantee mobility for all types of users”, Sorina Brasoveanu stated.

The former student was accompanied by lecturer and director of Accessibility at UIC Barcelona School of Architecture, Enrique Rovira-Beleta, to the prize-giving ceremony. He stressed “we feel so proud of our student’s work as well as the excellent supervision she received from lecturers Mamen Domingo, Ernest Ferré, Álvaro Cuéllar, Iñaki Baquero, Marta García-Orte, Pere Vall and Eva Damiá”. The ceremony was also attended by the CFO of Schindler Spain & Portugal, Javier Catalina. He underscored "the need to work closely with future Spanish architects in order to raise awareness of how important the issue of accessibility is in new buildings, redevelopments or urban initiatives on urban mobility”.

The Schindler Spain Architecture Award is one of the most prestigious prizes in accessibility and is offered in partnership with the Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality. As winner of the award, former student Sorina Brasoveanu has the choice to get a cash prize of €12,000 or to undertake a work placement in an internationally renowned architecture firm. Equally, UIC Barcelona School of Architecture will work over the course of the coming academic year with Schindler Spain on the issue of accessibility.