Urban spaces often become a meeting point for the community, and the courtyards of Vilnius are particularly inviting for their greenery and cosiness. The courtyard of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH) in the Old Town is no exception, bringing together the communities of the Faculties of Architecture and Creative Industries. The third-year students took up the challenge to enliven the faculties' courtyard by greening it, adding new elements and opening it up to a wider circle of people.

The workshop "Let's Courtyard" at VILNIUS TECH Faculty of Architecture invited students to reflect on public urban spaces and materials used in architecture in response to the renovation of the courtyard of the VILNIUS TECH, during which it was covered with concrete. The workshop "Let's Courtyard" was organised by the Architecture Students' Club, Tallinn-based architect Madli Kaljuste and architects Aistė Gaidilionytė and Kamilė Vasiliauskaitė, and was accompanied by open lectures.

Artists Nomeda and Gediminas Urbonas shared with students their artistic practices of activism in public spaces in the lecture "Pro-test Lab: hacking public spaces in Vilnius". Architect Ella Prokkola also gave a public presentation on her practice in Finland in creating public spaces through planting and small scale elements in the lecture "Ephemeral gardens: 'The Growery' and other interventions for vegetalizing courtyards". Architect Luka Smišek shared his furniture design in the Netherlands using second-hand materials and furniture in the lecture "Furniture"... "making".

Students had the opportunity to plant and construct mobile community objects in the courtyard using recycled materials. "We think it is important that the environment of the Faculty of Architecture also reflects contemporary trends in architecture - the promotion of biodiversity, the multiplication of green spaces. The Faculty's courtyard could be greener, more cosy, after all, not too long ago some of the trees disappeared from it, so we hope that the university community will be able to tame the suggestions and look more courageous, more modern", says the workshop curators, AF alumni A. Gaidilionytė, K. Vasiliauskaitė and M. Kaljuste. In preparation for the workshop, the historical plans of the courtyard were studied, revealing that in the past, the courtyard had been a garden connected to the garden of the Franciscan monastery. This fact provided an even stronger basis for the activism of the courtyard, which also raised the question of the heritage of the spaces of the Old Town - why are buildings being protected while courtyards that used to be gardens are becoming wastelands of concrete and cars? 

The workshop culminated in a public evening in the courtyard, trying the results practically. The creators presented mobile courtyard elements made from used building materials, which can be easily disassembled and can act as a library of materials: a table for the community, seating and different types of structures for plants. The students carefully wrote down the names of all the plants, so that everyone could get to know them and take care of them.

Although the workshop is over, the experiment continues. Time will tell whether the elements will take hold in the courtyard and whether the community will tame the proposals. Or perhaps they will want to continue the action?

Photo: Rimgaudas Barauskis