maksymilian benek / portfolio / 2023

maksymilian

poland

+46 793 563 823

mbenek102@gmail.com

about me

As of autumn 2022, I am a student in the master’s program in Architecture and Urban Design at the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. After firsy year I decided to take a gap year and currently I work at CF Møller Architects, based in Copenhagen. I am an open-minded person and eager to explore the world which led me to spend the past 3 years developing my education at the University of Lisbon and deepening my design skills while working in an architectural office studio ABACAXI in Rotterdam, Netherlands. In my work, I try to experiment with different types of graphics, but above all, I look for solutions that are accessible to all, with an emphasis on the elderly and people with disabilities. The recent time during pandemic crisis has shown us that as a society, we should be prepared for different emergency options, so furthermore, I believe that sustainable and accessible architecture are the pillars of contemporary design. Architecture is not my only passion. Besides it, I enjoy travelling and combining it with extreme sports. I devoted last year to improving my surfing and climbing skills. Apart from sports, I like analogue photography and collecting vinyl records.

08/2022 - currently

09/2020 - 06/2021

02/2019 - 06/2022

09/2023 - currently

09/2021 - 03/2022

02/2020 - 08/2021

02/2020 - 08/2021

03/2022 - 06/2022

03/2022 - 06/2022

05/2022 - 07/2022

04/2021 - 06/2021

04/2019 - 06/2019

04/2021 - 07/2021

02/2019 - 06/2019

Chalmers University of Technology / Sweden master’s program in Architecture and Urban Design contact: joaquim.tarraso@chalmers.se

University of Lisbon / Portugal bachelor of science in architecture

Silesian University of Technology / Poland bachelor of science in architecture contact: joanna.gadkowska@polsl.pl

_experience

CF Møller Architects / Copenhagen, Denmark architecture intern / competition team contact: +45 328 878 44 / cfmoller@cfmoller.com

ABACAXI Studio / Rotterdam, Netherlands architecture intern contact: +31 (0)6 17 31 61 28 / info@studioabacaxi.com

Laboratory of Architecture 60+ member and editor of a foundation focused on architecture for elderly contact: labusagnieszka@gmail.com

Laka Foundation / Design That Educates Awards editor, researcher, social media manager, person responsible for contact with competition participants, judges contact: foundation@lakareacts.com

_achivements

1st prize in “space for everyone” competition / poland / author

finalist of art-therapy center competition / england / author

shortlisted in lake mývatn competition / iceland / co-author

finalist of water temple competition / mexico / co-author

3rd prize in geosfera competition / poland / co-author

_ student research groups

LAB 60+

group focused on universal design and researching the topic of senility in architecture, urbanism and design / 2018 - till 2021

Student Council of Silesian University of Technology member of architectural student council / 2018-2020

revit AutoCad Rhino photoshop illustrator

_ software advanced advanced advanced advanced advanced

_ languages

english C1

polish (native)

InDesign grasshopper enscape archicad lumion

advanced intermediate intermediate intermediate advanced

_housing_inventions

individual work

Masters Program / II semester / Chalmers University of Technology

year_____________________________________2023

Göteborg, Sweden

page_______________________________________06

_art_therapy_center

individual work

competition / engineer degree project / Silesian University of Technology

year_____________________________________2022

Gliwice, Poland

page_______________________________________18

_kairo_looro group work / competition competition for primary school in Senegal year_____________________________________2023

Senegal page_______________________________________28

_ Lake Mývatn_Community_Center

group work / competition

lake Mývatn community house competition by Buildner in Iceland

team: Maksymilian Benek, Martyna Kotulek, Bartosz Szczyrk

result: shortlisted year_____________________________________2022

Iceland page_______________________________________36

individual work / 2023

Masters Program / II semester / Chalmers University of Technology

_program

”what if warehouse would become a garden”

From the beginning, my main idea was to work on existing buildings. One of the guidelines was to preserve two industrial buildings - a silo and a red brick hall. My attention was drawn to the second building. The first step was to find all available archive drawings. Then to understand how the building is constructed by reading the roof structure and the two brick walls that were preserved. The main idea for the design was to ask the question - What if we transformed the hall as we know it as an unfriendly industrial building into a garden that would serve as a buffer between the residential building and functions such as a restaurant or offices that have been given to the preserved brick building. The design aims to give the industrial district of Marieholm a new character by giving it a social feature while preserving key elements of the district such as the red brick building. The structure of the new residential building is made using CLT construction. The façade of the building, made of wooden panels, is intended to stand in opposition to the existing red brick building. The repetitive and modular shape is aimed at replicating the orderliness and character of industrial Marieholm.

1. collecting and analizing the archive drawings

2. opening the space by taking off the existing roof

3. preserving two front brick facades

4. emphasizing the roof structure 5. adding public functions on the left and housing project on the right

6. final volume

section B-B

east facade

section A-A

individual work / 2022

1st prize in “space for everyone” competition / poland finalist of art-therapy center competition / england

competition / engineer degree project / Silesian University of Technology, Poland

_program

”what if architecture could stimiulate healing”

The idea of the project is to create an accessible, two-storey building, which will refer to the surrounding architecture of Pleasington by its material but above all by its shape. The architectural competition was to design a therapeutic space for painting, sculpture and music as part of an art therapy program. The goal of the project is to create a space that will provide a platform for people to practice these art forms in groups, and its architecture will not only enable their work process but also create a healing and relaxing environment. This environment includes not only the building, but also the design of the therapeutic green space outside, but also inside the centre, as well as parking spaces. The building must meet the requirements of the art therapy center but also fit well into the established architectural canons of Pleasington and the surrounding area.

_location

53.733°N 2.544°W Pleasington, UK

1. Shape of a volume based on world directions and idea of centric atrium

2. Dividing the volume into separate functional zones

3. Variation of roof height according to the function inside

4. Giving the volume a local character by refering the roof shape to the surrounding architecture

5. Emphasize the entrance are by cutting the volume

6. Final volume design

ground floor plan

_03_kairo_looro

group work / 2023

competition for primary school in Senegal

team: Maksymilian Benek, Grzegorz Sroda, Bartosz Szczyrk

_program

Supported by a framework of bamboo spans and horizontally placed wooden planks, the roof features a corrugated sheet, providing protection from rain for the building’s walls and interior. Resemblinga gracefully crafted paper plane, the roof exudes an impression of lightness and vitality. The building complex, comprising four modules, boasts four separate roofs. Each roof is intelligently designed to direct rainwater runoff towards two designated zones at the back of the building during rainfall.

_location Senegal

”to create a school that fully meets the basic requirements of the local community, giving it a school building that is turned towards the idea of self-sufficiency.”

1. concentration of a function

2. activity node in the center

3. communication from the outside, with emphasis on the main entrance

4. calm zones in the opposition to the entrances

5. roofs that collect rainwater

individual work / 2023

lake Mývatn community house competition by Buildner in Iceland

team: Maksymilian Benek, Martyna Kotulek, Bartosz Szczyrk

result: shortlisted

_program balanced proportions between two main functions - waste management and social center for two communities

From the very beginning, we aimed to design a structure whose form would be as functional as possible. For that purpose we decided to place all the functions in one closed area to naturally integrate with the natural habitat of Lake Mývatn. Our approach to the building concept is a living organism consisting of many elements captured within a building with a minimalistic form and a cosy interior.

_location

65°36” 17°00”W

1. dividing functions by spaces 2. locating functions around the center of the building

3. second-hand market as a main idea to connect people in the community

4. creating spaces with special micro-climate inside by changing the hight of the ciling, tpending on function

thank you for your time and consideration