New European Bauhaus Prizes 2023

Initiative category

Identify the award category for which this initiative is being submitted
Regaining a sense of belonging

Email user
rekmararturkuza@gmail.com

Basic information
Initiative title
"HERE - my place for generations"

Full initiative Title
"HERE - my place for generations" creating connections, links between generations in suburban areas

Please provide a short, catchy description of your initiative to be used in communication towards the public.
In the “HERE” project, we intend to use existing infrastructure and resources to renovate and refurbish furniture, giving them a "second life". Similar activities will cover the issues of traditional processing and culinary, with the use of ingredients that are specialties of the region (mainly vegetables, fruits and honey).
We will pay a special attention to the habits, souvenirs and objects whose origin constitutes and restores the memory and heritage of the region.

What was the geographical scope of your intiative?
Local

Where was your intiative implemented?
Member State(s) and Western Balkans
Poland

If relevant, insert names of region(s)/municipality(ies) involved
Eastern part Mazovia region, marginalised communities of Garwolin county.

Does your initiative address mainly urban or rural issues?
Mainly rural

Does your initiative refer to a physical transformation of the built environment or other types of transformations (hard or soft investments)?
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)

Has your initiative benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?
No

Has your initiative won an EU prize with a monetary value awarded?
No

Does your initiative has a minimum level of maturity? The minimum level of maturity is exemplified by stakeholder/ initiative promoter commitment to implement the initiative in practice and a clear methodology /approach.
No

On whose behalf are you submitting the application?
As an individual
Please provide the contact details for the intiative promoter (the individual or representative of the organisation authorised to represent the intiative).
- First name: Artur
  Last name: Kuza
  Gender: Male
  Nationality: Poland
  Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: ul. Konwaliowa 64
  Town: Osiedle Wilga
  Postal code: 08-470
  Country: Poland
  Direct Tel: +48 609 189 112
  E-mail: rekmararturkuza@gmail.com
Social Media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
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In case my initiative is selected as a finalist of the NEB Prizes 2023, I agree to share the name (individual and/or organisation’s), email address, website and social media accounts indicated above with other NEB Prizes finalists. I also agree to publish the name (individual and/or organisation’s), website and social media accounts indicated above next to the public description of my initiative in the channels of the European Commission.
Yes

How did you hear about the New European Bauhaus Prizes?
New European Bauhaus or European Commission websites

Description of the initiative
Please provide a summary of your initiative
The "HERE - my place for generations” project is an integrative, inclusive initiative of neighbours, based on mutual education, exchange of experiences related to the needs of local community. This is a project based on discovering talents and skills of community members that can support integration processes of social and aged groups that make up the value of local community. The “HERE …” is fully bottom-up approach initiative focused on marginalised rural village Osiedle Wilga in Mazovia (Poland).
"Wilga nad Wisłą" – Osiedle Wilga was established in 1929 as a Climatic Housing Estate. Its assets amounted to over 5,000 hectares, more than half of which were forests. The estate was designed as a summer resort for the inhabitants of Warsaw. The area was divided into about 2,500 plots intended for individual development. Wilga was an great example of wooden architecture and design of the 1930’s. Osiedle Wilga was equipped with a spa house, hotel, park, gardens and playgrounds for children, as well as sports fields and tennis courts. There were thirty two-room wooden houses, two villas with six rooms and a kitchen, as well as a casino one spacious hall built on columns and two roof terraces. The idea of Stanisław Kostka Rostworowski and his wife to create the Wilga Holiday Estate on the Vistula River and its design by architects became unique in the country.

Unfortunately, as a result of political changes after World War II, the estate fell into decline. In the 1990s, it became a popular weekend destination for city residents again. But still, this did not improve the neglected infrastructure of Osiedle Wilga. Currently, there are over 1,100 recreational plots in the Osiedle Wilga. The area is part of the Wilga commune, which has an area of 119.13 km², of which which 37% are agricultural crops, and 42% forests with the Osiedle Wilga. The commune is inhabited by about 5,300 inhabitants.

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with 5 key words.
consolidation and building inter-generations bridges

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
better quality of life

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
biodiversity and circular ecosystem

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
heritage, culture and design for all

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
lifelong learning, mentoring, workshops

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of sustainability and how these have been/will be met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
A goal of the project is to build inter-connections, to improve wired rural-urban relationships and develop multi-generation’s dialogue in the marginalised rural areas.
The "HERE – my place for generations" project is an integrative, inclusive initiative based on mutual education, exchange of experiences and skills . Our initiative answers to expectations of different generations represented among the local community. Both, seniors inhabitants, living there since their birth and newcomers, escaping bigger cities to find in Wilga, their save harbour and well-being life. It is a project based on discovering talents and skills of community members that can support the integration processes of social and age groups that make up the local community. Sustainability activities will cover workshops of traditional processing and culinary, with use of ingredients that are specialties of the region (mainly vegetables, fruits and honey). In this respect a key objective of our project is to protect heritage and local traditions that have been forgotten or not enough devoted. Many of them, like balanced harvest, natural juices or vegetable processing, carpentry and wooden construction are on the high demand again.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people (through design, positive emotions and cultural benefits) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
The project is about mutual learning, gaining unique experiences and skills, including those related to local traditions that can affect our local identity, e.g. artistic, drawing together outdoors, learning crafts and handicrafts, maintaining culinary traditions and customs as well as traditional woodworking, including maintenance and renovation of furniture and architectural wooden elements.
One of the most valuable objectives of the project is win-win model that integrates local community around ideas of eco-efficiency, protection of the local heritage and use natural local materials (wood and stones).

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of inclusion (ranging from accessibility and affordability for all to inclusive governing systems, design for all principles or new societal models) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
The "HERE – my place for generations" initiative is about a transfer of various skills by different generations participating in the project - and therefore, firstly, not only the acquired "hard" skills (practical skills acquired through work experience, life experience or acquired qualifications), but also "soft" skills (interpersonal communication skills). Secondly, those skills that are deficient in people of a given age (so also younger can teach seniors, e.g. how to use modern tools or electronic devices in their daily life,). Intergenerational educational projects also include activities related to the transfer of knowledge, skills and experience between their older and younger inhabitants, usually taking the form of tutoring and mentoring for the less experienced (advice in design, crafting or fruit processing).
As an intergenerational project the “HERE …” will take a form of supporting individuals from other age groups in need of constant activities: make-up, renovation, revitalisation and daily care of their households. Our intergenerational volunteering project manifests itself in the contact of seniors living in their homes with a group of close surrounding neighbours.
As observed that needs of designing and furnishing a place of residence change with age. Our project is a way we would like to create a team of cooperating participants, which would analyse and present proposals for changes that facilitate functioning, and also propose the scope of renovation works for senior inhabitants in order to improve their living conditions and involve older generation into daily functioning of the local community.

Please explain the way citizens benefiting from or affected by the initiative and civil society have been/will be involved in the initiative and what has been/will be the impact of this involvement on the initiative
Aim of the "HERE …" project will be to create neighbourhood hotspots consisting of representatives of different age groups informally supporting each other, inclusion of marginalised people from rural areas. Engagement of the aged people into well-being neighbourhood and joint activities for sustainable development of the closest environment will be one of our priorities. The immediate surroundings and objects are an important factor shaping our everyday life and interactions between the community members. They materialize interpersonal relationships and affect the rhythm of our daily tasks. They shape our sense of identity and affect the efficiency and level of life satisfaction. W e have as a one of the key objective to create of a specific type of organisation of an external environment and interior, which will create our place of residence in Osiedle Wilga a familiar space – so-called “ours”. We share the opinion that ability to organise an individual rhythm of life and small daily activities creates a sense of home, comfort and feeling to be "at home" and “among ours”.

Please explain how different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional, national, European) were engaged in the design and implementation of the initiative.
The project will be implemented in cooperation with local non-governmental organisations and local self- government authorities. An important element of this part of the project will be creation of common places and spaces for intergenerational meetings in the open air and use of existing indoor infrastructure of the municipal cultural centre or the municipal public library.

Please explain which disciplines and/ or knowledge fields were reflected in the design and implementation of your initiative. Please explain how representatives of these different fields interacted with each other, and what the added value of this process was
The project involved craft, food processing, harvest, architecture, tradition and heritage in one holistic approach to integrate inhabitants. We will propose workshops, mentoring meetings and preparation of joint projects of renovation, design and crafts.

Please highlight the innovative character of the initiative, when compared to mainstream actions in the field of the initiative
A positive change in the environment in which we live results in greater satisfaction and attachment to the places we come from. Involvement in the activities of local communities improves group affiliation and is the main factor inhibiting migration and willingness to change the place of residence.
Substantive support and professional advice, which is available to the local community and participants throughout the duration of the project, is an example of creating changes in the environment through knowledge, dialogue and mutual understanding of common needs.
The project will be implemented depending on local needs, for all geographical conditions and potential capacities and individual resources.

Please describe which elements of your initiative could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries and contexts. This may involve, for example, aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, learnings, etc.
The proposed project offer exchange of knowledge and professional support on many levels and in many areas, without which we cannot start changes in our environment from scratch. The first step is always the hardest, which is why we focus on reaching every person in our region and the close surroundings of a village, town or housing estate. We want that the "HERE" project will respond to the individual needs of members of local communities and to offer them activating solutions in designing and implementing changes in their immediate surrounding.
The project can be implemented depending on local needs, geographical conditions, potential capacity and interest of any local community.

Please describe the methodology or approach used in your initiative.
1.Information meeting and collection of data on needs. Clarifying the concept of data collection. In particular data on: (1) intergenerational solidarity legal frameworks and policies; (2) analysis of the level of social support in the environment of local communities (3) analysis of the effects of potential "design evolution " and new skills required in the face of challenges related to the generation gap. Secondly, the social partners will carry out a field study to identify good practices in terms of management and solidarity between generations of concerned inhabitants.
2. Partnership meetings with the local community and local government combined with a workshop. Material on the implementation and planned activities will be presented. During the meeting, a discussion will be held with a participation of self-government partners.
3. Workshops with stakeholders ensure not only a better understanding of the project, but also its maximum dissemination. This kind of meeting would be an ideal moment to define the scope of Individual activities.4 A partnership meeting planned to join a recognized educational institution from the local level, dealing, for example, with vocational education and training. A training program will be tailored to the needs and expectations of its participants. The main objective of the workshop will be to improve the knowledge of the craft, traditional cuisine, harvest, etc. All in the context of promoting the idea of intergenerational solidarity in the local environment. Strengthening participants' awareness of their role as initiators of changes in the local environment.

Please explain what kind of global challenges the initiative addresses by providing local solutions
The "HERE …" project addresses to certain global challenges of the UN Agenda 2030: 3. good health and well-being, 4. quality education, 10. reduced inequalities, 11. sustainable cities and communities, 12. responsible consumption and production, 15. life on land, 17. partnership for the goals.

Please detail the scope of progress in the implementation of the initiative. This can include already demonstrated results/outputs related to the chosen Prizes category, and the already achieved benefits from the initiative for direct and indirect beneficiaries. This can also include a development plan of the initiative, with a particular attention to the steps envisaged in the year following the application, and including envisaged results and benefits from the initiative
The pilot of initiative was developed for 5 last years in micro neighbourhood of 4 households of Osiedle Wilga and fulfilled expectations. Key elements of an idea “living in beauty and in nature” became a source of concept to integrate local community working locally, sharing skills and experience for better life of the patchwork community composed by senior and “new comers” inhabitants.
To be more precise in our planning we included a detailed timetable of the “HERE …” project as an attachment in below (PDF).

Please provide documents that demonstrate the maturity level of the initiative and commitment to implement the initiative in practice (e.g.: evaluation report, final or mid-term initiative report, certification, publications, building permit, grant agreement, letter of support, partnership agreement, etc.)
PDF
PDF
- pdf-1-26104.pdf
If relevant, please describe how your initiative contributes to developing new competences, especially in the context of the European competence framework on sustainability.
Inter-generational exchange of know-how and skills would offer a mutual development of new competences in both senior and young generations: traditional crafting learned by youth will bring this generation to protect the roots and heritage in modern way of processing. For seniors it will be an opportunity of expression and mentoring - new competence of teaching and expression in the relation with young people using different way of communication. In our project one of the inspiration would be an natural environment and observation of the ecosystem. The project would create new copetences related to use of natural resources, new style of consumption and creation friendly and balanced conditions of life.
Please attach at least 6 high resolution images or visual representations of your initiative to your application.
If you would like to upload additional documentation, please upload or write below.
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By submitting your application you confirm that you are the copyright owner of the images provided and that they can be used by the European Commission for the purposes of promoting the New European Bauhaus on all platforms (websites, print, social media and other).
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that you are not in in one or more of the exclusion situations foreseen under Article 136 of the Financial Regulation.
Yes

By submitting this application, I declare that I am not related to the entities subject to EU restricted measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and subject to Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)1, and entities covered by Commission Guidelines No 2013/C 205/05), which are not eligible to participate in any capacity.
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that all the information provided in this form is factually correct, that you assume sole liability in the event of a claim relating to the activities carried out in the framework of the contest, that the proposed initiative has not been proposed for the New European Bauhaus Prizes in any other category or strand and that it has not been subject to any type of investigation, which could lead to a financial correction because of irregularities or fraud.
Yes

By submitting your application, you guarantee that you are the author or have the rights to proceed with the application and to authorise the use of the initiative and that you have obtained any necessary consents, licenses or assignments from third parties and included copyright notices when necessary
Yes

By submitting your application, you understand that all the applications that meet the eligibility requirements will be shared for the purposes of the selection processes, and notably published on the secured platform prizes.new-european-bauhaus.eu and for the purposes of the promotion of these on the New European Bauhaus website and/or other European Commission communication channels. In this sense, the applications would be widely available. Applicants should ensure that they present their initiatives, initiative, in such a way that they could be shared without giving rise to intellectual property related concerns. If your submission is selected as one of the finalists, it will additionally be shared for the purpose of the public vote that will take place. The European Union is granted a licence to use and share your application with the general public and the official external experts for the purposes of the selection process, including the voting. The European Union has the right to use the images and visual materials and the description provided in the application for communication purposes related to the contest and beyond. Rights granted comprise the right to store, reproduce, display, publish and communicate or distribute copies in electronic or digital format, including, but not only, through the internet. Unless you have disclosed your name, the European Commission has no obligation to share your name when using or disseminating your contribution to the public. The European Union cannot be held responsible in case any submitted initiative, initiative is found to infringe third party’s rights. The European Union shall be neither responsible for the use that third parties may do of the applications or related content.
Yes

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you read and understand that the ‘Guide to Applicants’ of the NEB Prizes 2023, available online in the website of the NEB Prizes 2023, is an integral part of this application form and that it must therefore be observed when completing and submitting your application.
Yes