FA BUT Graduate Among the Winners at the BIG SEE Awards 2026: Tomáš Müller Succeeds with His Vision of Interactive Architecture
The Faculty of
Architecture at Brno University of Technology is represented among the
prominent young creators who have succeeded on the international stage.
Graduate Tomáš Müller was named a winner at the BIG SEE Awards 2026, where he
impressed with his project focused on adaptive and interactive architecture.
Müller’s project,
“Interactive Architecture: Origami-Based Kinetic Shells,” which he developed as
his thesis under the supervision of Martin Kaftan at the Institute of
Experimental Design at the Faculty of Architecture, Brno University of
Technology, presents an approach in which architecture is not static but
actively responds to changing environmental conditions.
The design is based on
the principles of paper folding—origami—and combines them with digital design,
parametric tools, and advanced manufacturing processes. The result is a system
of kinetic shells capable of adjusting their shape in response to sunlight or
user movement.
This creates a dynamic
environment that adapts in real time and opens up a new type of relationship
between people and space. The project also responds to current environmental
challenges—adaptive shading systems represent one way to improve the thermal
comfort of buildings and contribute to more sustainable design.
A Strong Nomination
and Potential for the Future
The project’s
nominator, architect Marek Jan Štěpán, also agreed on its quality. In his
evaluation, he highlighted above all the “freshness and clarity of
architectural and conceptual thinking,” which he believes can significantly
influence the future of architecture.
He also emphasized the
author’s ability to design structures capable of adapting to changing
conditions and human needs. According to him, Müller’s project thus opens up
new possibilities for interactivity in architecture, made possible by current
technological developments, and points the way toward more resilient and sustainable
solutions.
The design’s development progressed from experiments with paper models through physical prototyping to the creation of a digital tool that enables the design and control of kinetic structures’ behavior. This process integrates research, design, and technology, underscoring the complexity of the author’s approach.
From Studies to
Pedagogical Collaboration
Müller continued his
work on his thesis project even after graduation. Last year, he continued his
collaboration with the Institute of Experimental Design at FA VUT, where he
helped lead the Design and Build studio, focused on the practical
implementation of projects.
This experience
demonstrates the ability to transfer an experimental approach from the academic
environment into real-world design and implementation processes, while also
engaging the next generation of students in current topics in architectural
design.
Being named among the winners of the BIG SEE Awards confirms that the young generation of architects from the Faculty of Architecture at Brno University of Technology is capable of addressing global issues and coming up with innovative solutions at the intersection of architecture, technology, and environmental responsibility.
Interview with Tomáš
Müller
In your project,
you work with kinetic structures inspired by origami. What was the biggest
challenge for you during the development process—and how did your original
concept evolve?
The Interactive
Architecture project began with an exploration of origami. Using digital design
tools (the Rhino Grasshopper environment), it was no problem to create complex
structures and their manufacturing data. However, to simplify the development
of the kinetic shells, it was necessary to compromise and work with more
regular forms. At this point, I reached a stage where I needed to come up with
a mechanical principle that would further enable the development of the
adaptive system that interactive architecture is.
During this
development, interdisciplinary consultations with Petr Frantík, an expert in
structural mechanics from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Brno University
of Technology, were absolutely invaluable. The opportunity to connect
architectural conceptual thinking with structural mechanics was a fundamental
experience for me, one that shifted the entire concept from a purely
theoretical vision significantly closer to potential feasibility.
Once my thesis
advisor, Martin Kaftan, introduced me to the basic principles of environmental
analysis within the Climate Studio environment—a specialized add-on for digital
simulations in the Rhino/Grasshopper design environment—the subsequent digital
simulations of kinetic structures posed no further problems.
The BIG SEE Awards
highlight the relevance and social impact of architecture. In your opinion, how
can interactive architecture realistically respond to climate change and the
needs of users?
Interactive
architecture emerged from an effort to avoid designing structures that consume
large quantities of building materials, the overproduction of which in the
post-World War II era (the Great Acceleration/Anthropocene) contributed to
climate change. This led to the exploration of lightweight and durable origami
structures. Furthermore, as the natural balance shifts, extreme weather events
are becoming increasingly common, which further compels us to develop adaptive
systems that might one day be able to counterbalance these changes.
However, the resulting
work did not achieve this. Instead, it focused on demonstrating the ability to
create an adaptive space that automatically ensures the comfort of its users by
monitoring surrounding conditions. The first area in which this was
demonstrated was the adaptive shading of the structure’s users. Imagine a space
you walk through that monitors where the sun is shining in the sky and how you
are moving through the space. The kinetic structure changes shape and consumes
energy only when and where it is truly needed.
How did your
studies at FA VUT influence your approach to experimentation and working with
technologies—and what are you taking from them into your future practice?
I view experimentation
as a way to test all possible variations in design. There’s no need to fear
making a mistake, because often it isn’t a mistake at all, but merely a variant
that can be improved upon and developed further. This experimental process can be
accelerated if one manages to actively collaborate with experts across
disciplines, which I was able to do thanks to my studies at the Institute of
Experimental Design at FA VUT.
During my studies, I
learned to model almost unlimited forms, but that is no longer enough today. It
is truly necessary to integrate and interconnect disciplines; architecture
combined with computer science gives us the opportunity not only to design any
form, but also to create its iterations. At the same time, using the same tools,
we can and must subject the resulting form to analysis and, based on
evaluation, choose the best possible variant, or adapt the form so that it
responds to changing conditions.
It is also extremely
important to follow technological developments, explore the possibilities these
advancements enable, apply them, and demonstrate what can be achieved. From my
entire studies, I take away the courage to experiment, a passion for keeping up
with technical innovations, and the confirmation that digital design remains
relevant.
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