TOPOS on the Road: Streetlife Design Competition

Artikel door Jol Abels, Jens den Boer, Yixin Han, Theresa Konova & Ian Witte

Figure 1: Introduction of the Streetlife Design Competition award ceremony. Photo: © Streetlife.

Our sponsor Streetlife organizes a global design competition every two years for students and young landscape architects. We, the TOPOS editorial team, were invited to attend the award ceremony of this second edition, themed "lost sites." Participants were allowed to propose their own project location and present an innovative design for it. Out of 86 submissions, ten were chosen as finalists. Most of them traveled to the ceremony in Leiden to present their design concisely within six minutes to a large audience. After the presentations, there was a long break, after which the University Prize was announced first, followed by honorable mentions, and finally the top three winners.

University Award: Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto

Figure 2: Presentation by the representative of the University of Porto. Photo: © Streetlife.

After a long break, the award ceremony kicked off with the University Prize. In this competition, various universities compete against each other with at least three projects. The University of Porto was crowned the winner of this first competition. Professor José Miguel Esteves Lameiras had traveled to Leiden to accept the prize and give a brief presentation about the study of landscape architecture in Porto. The focus was not so much on the submitted studio projects themselves, which won thanks to their integration of ecological restoration and community engagement. Instead, attention was drawn to the importance of excursions, site analyses using, among other things, drones, and the role of hand drawing throughout the entire design process. Professor José proudly showcased how the program combines these traditional design aspects with future-oriented design tools, such as artificial intelligence. Students are encouraged to enhance their visualizations with AI-generated imagery. Ultimately, according to the professor, "we as landscape architects will not be replaced by AI. We will be replaced by landscape architects who know how to use AI."

1st prize winner: Re-Envisioning Lives

by Yangyi Li, Menghan Yu, Xinyi Zhang / University of Pennsylvania

Figure 3: A member of the winning design team presents their concept. Photo: © Streetlife.

With Re-envisioning Lives, the American designers offer an alternative to the planned, intimidating 40-story prison tower in Chinatown, New York. Their design demonstrates that a prison does not necessarily have to negatively impact a neighborhood’s sense of community, but can instead function as a vibrant “urban living room.” The ground floor of the building consists of spaces that require less security, such as offices, the visitor center, and a café. In this small-scale way, the connection with local residents is further strengthened.

The flexible public spaces encourage the coexistence of residents and the prison, with landscape and greenery used in such a way that they form a bridge between these two worlds. For example, a green façade softens the anonymity of the closed exterior walls of the building, and rooftop gardens offer inmates a controlled opportunity for interaction with nature. Through the architectural design and the layout of outdoor spaces on, in, and around the building, prisoners are also encouraged to make use of these outdoor areas in their daily routines.

The jury acknowledges the courage the designers have shown in shaping the integration of a prison into the urban fabric in such a radically different way, and the role landscape can play in this.

2nd prize winner: Unveiling the Ruins – Reinterpreting History to Create a New Story

by Vincent de Gasperi, Aleix Aymerich, Lucas de la Fuente/ Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya

Tucked between two streams lies a dry, open plain—once farmland, later turned into a military zone. In the 1930s, an old farmhouse (masia) became army barracks, and the area filled with soldiers' houses, shooting ranges, and ammunition depots. Now, decades later, what’s left are scattered fragments: a lonely staircase, a patch of old paving stones, crumbling walls, and the ghostly remains of bunkers. Even though the memory of what was still lingers in the landscape, nature is now slowly taking over. 

This project doesn’t aim to freeze the past in time or turn it into a museum. Instead, it brings the place back to life—as a space for discovery, imagination, and community. The design doesn’t treat the leftover ruins as something sad and forgotten, but as tools to create something new. Rubble becomes playgrounds, quiet corners for wildlife, and spots where people can come together and reflect.

The jury appreciated how the project gently transforms this forgotten site into something hopeful, engaging, and even a little magical. It’s a design that shows how the past and present can meet. Not with grand statements, but with care, creativity, and a sense of play.

3rd prize winner: Remnants

by Aphra Das Gupta, Henry Westphal-Reed, Lenka Rajmont

Figure 4: The team in third place receiving their reward. Photo: © Streetlife.

The bronze medal was awarded to the project ‘Remnants’. This project is the brainchild of Aphra Das Gupta, Henry Westphal-Reed, and Lenka Rajmont, and takes place on the Greenwich Peninsula in London, where remnants of the old industrial era that once defined the city can still be found. Over the years, many fences, debris, and other industrial leftovers have accumulated on this site. The project team saw potential in these discarded materials and presented a plan showing how these items, against all expectations, can be reused to benefit the peninsula. Fences and other abandoned industrial remnants can serve as building materials. Instead of leveling the site and starting to build and develop ‘from scratch’, this team shows that it’s not necessary at all. Materials that seem to have lost all value can still make a strong contribution to redevelopment. Especially because these existing materials, such as old metal fences, also add to ‘the story’, the genius loci.

In addition to the top three, we had the opportunity to listen to several other impressive project proposals. With that, the Streetlife Design Competition, and our experience of it, came to an end. We would like to thank Streetlife for inviting us to attend the award show! As a committee, we found the finalists and other inspiring projects presented that evening to be a great source of inspiration. The evening sparked the idea within our committee to potentially participate in the competition ourselves in the future. Are you also interested in taking part someday? Feel free to reach out to us!

Figure 5: Entrance of the award ceremony. Photo: © Streetlife.

References

This publication bases its findings on the following press release of the design competition: Streetlife (2025). Winnaars van de Streetlife ‘Lost Sites’ Design Competition bekendgemaakt. https://www.streetlife.nl/nl/nieuws/winnaars-van-de-streetlife-%E2%80%98lost-sites%E2%80%99-design-competition-bekendgemaakt