Anna Switaj awarded inaugural Jonathan Hill Architectural Design PhD Prize

This news is from the Bartlett School of Architecture.

Anna Switaj, a PhD candidate in the Architectural Design programme at the Bartlett School of Architecture, has been awarded the inaugural Jonathan Hill Architectural Design PhD Prize Fund.

Professor Swati Chattopadhyay (University of California, Santa Barbara) reviewed all internally shortlisted applications and selected Anna as the winner.

Anna’s research is supervised by Professor Eva Branscome and Professor Francois Guesnet (UCL Hebrew & Jewish Studies). She is currently on exchange at the Yale School of Architecture.

About the prize

The Jonathan Hill Architectural Design PhD prize was established with the generous support of a private funder in memory of Professor Jonathan Hill, and developed in close collaboration with the Architectural Design MPhil/PhD programme directors, Dr Stamatis Zografos (interim) and Dr Nina Vollenbroker. The fund honours Jonathan Hill’s legacy while supporting doctoral researchers to push architectural thinking in experimental and socially engaged directions.

By recognising design as a mode of research and knowledge production, the prize strengthens the visibility of practice-based research within architecture. It also supports early-career scholars at a crucial stage of their academic and professional development.

It’s a real honour to have my work recognised, especially through this award, as Jonathan Hill’s approach to design has been deeply inspiring for my practice. My project focuses on bread and how it can be treated as a tool to investigate the built environment. I work across analogue photography, film, installation, writing and weaving. The award will allow me to further develop my films and installations, as well as expand the film negative–weaving practice I began at Yale.