International Design Competition for the Redevelopment of the University House Garden Announces Winner: Vlad Sebastian Rusu Architecture Studio

Strong Interest in the Redevelopment of the University House Garden: 36 Projects Submitted to the Community Involvement Competition Launched by the University of Bucharest

On Tuesday, 28 July 2026, during a press conference organized in partnership with the Romanian Order of Architects (OAR), the University of Bucharest announced the winner of the International Design Competition for the Redevelopment of the University House Garden. The competition was won by ”Vlad Sebastian Rusu” Architecture Studio (Romania), whose proposal was selected by the international jury as the best solution for the revitalization and transformation of the University House Garden and its existing ancillary buildings. The winning team consists of Vlad Sebastian Rusu, Andra Vlădoiu, Eliza Fürjes, and Robert-Vasile Țonea as lead authors, together with architectural collaborators Georgiana Condurachi and Dan-Nicolae Șut, and specialist consultants Păunița Boancă and Ovidiu Rusu.

The winning proposal will form the basis of the redevelopment project for the University House Garden, a site of significant historical and cultural value for both the University of Bucharest community and the city itself. The proposal responds to the complexity of the site through an integrated approach that strengthens the relationship between the estate and its surrounding urban fabric, restores the historic garden and former orchard, highlights the heritage value of Casa Filipescu, and accommodates the new functions envisioned by the University of Bucharest. It also introduces contemporary architectural interventions that remain clearly distinguishable from the site’s historic character while being discreetly integrated into the existing setting. According to the jury’s assessment, the proposal re-establishes the historic garden – until recently inaccessible to the public – as an important urban space, enhances the prominence of Casa Filipescu, a listed historic monument, and revitalizes the estate it anchors. The project also reinforces the value of the protected historic area in which the site is located while strengthening the ecological role of this green space within the urban environment.

Launched on 30 April 2026, the competition challenged participants to envision a comprehensive transformation of the University House Garden and its ancillary buildings into a multifunctional space dedicated to cultural and educational activities. The competition called for a holistic approach that considers the site as a whole, its relationship with the surrounding urban fabric, and the existing architectural heritage. The University of Bucharest is the contracting authority for the competition and will become the beneficiary of the project resulting from the winning proposal. The competition is organized in partnership with the Romanian Order of Architects and was conducted as a single-stage, open international competition, welcoming entries from Romania, the Member States of the European Union, the European Economic Area, and the Swiss Confederation.

Projects were evaluated against a comprehensive set of criteria that considered both architectural and landscape quality and each proposal’s ability to respond to the complexity of the site. The assessment focused on urban integration and the relationship with the surrounding neighbourhood, the careful treatment of cultural heritage – given that the University House is a listed historic monument located within one of Bucharest’s protected heritage areas – as well as environmental sustainability and the long-term economic efficiency of implementation and maintenance. The jury also assessed the functional and artistic quality of the architectural proposals, the social value of the proposed interventions, the garden’s capacity to accommodate both academic activities and public events, and the overall technical and financial feasibility of each project. Ultimately, the winning proposal was expected to establish a meaningful dialogue between the site’s historic heritage and contemporary interventions while presenting a coherent, sustainable, and feasible vision for transforming the University House Garden into a landmark for both the University and the city.

“The winning project demonstrates a profound understanding of the site’s history. It is thoughtfully integrated into the civic and social rituals of the neighbourhood. The proposal interprets the garden as a layered labyrinth of history and lived experience – a living archive in which memory and traces of past lives form the core of its heritage value. The overarching concept is that of an ‘active archive’, presenting a comprehensive vision of the site as an integrated whole composed of landscape, architecture, and its urban surroundings. The ‘other garden’, introduced through the existing greenhouses, is conceived as a grove – a miniature woodland sheltering a reinterpretation of the vanished orchard and a community garden. In doing so, it revives the historic combination of ornamental and productive landscapes that once defined both the estate and the surrounding neighbourhood. The evolving character of the gardens and the sequential nature of the proposed interventions are subtly expressed in the façade facing the square adjoining the Anglican Church, whose transparency gradually dissolves into the surrounding vegetation,” the jury stated in its evaluation.

The competition jury was chaired by Kázmér Kovács (Romania) and included Imke van Hellemondt (landscape architect, Netherlands), Francesca Torzo (architect, Italy), Giuseppe La Mastra (landscape architect, Italy), Toader Popescu (architect and urban planner, Romania), Sorin Istudor (architect, Romania), Ștefania Tîrcă (architect, Romania), Bogdan Guiu (architect, Romania), Professor Marian Preda, PhD, Rector of the University of Bucharest, and Professor Răzvan Mihail Papuc, PhD, Vice-Rector for Infrastructure, Administration, and Heritage.

“For the University of Bucharest, this competition represents both the culmination of an initiative we have been developing for several years and the beginning of a transformation through which the University House will regain its rightful place in the life of the University and the city. The remarkable level of interest generated by this competition and the high quality of the submitted proposals demonstrate that opening the process to an international field of participants can produce valuable and relevant solutions for the community. A design competition is a public procurement procedure founded on fairness, transparency, competition, and excellence. The outcome of this competition illustrates why this approach should be adopted more widely by public institutions undertaking projects of strategic importance. Over the coming years, we envision the University House Garden becoming a vibrant, publicly accessible place where heritage, education, culture, and innovation naturally come together through the creation of new cultural spaces, an innovation hub, and a diverse programme of events that brings together students, the academic community, and the people of Bucharest,” said Professor Marian Preda, PhD, Rector of the University of Bucharest.

Further information about the jury process, detailed descriptions of the finalist projects, and an extensive photo gallery are available here.