Winner of the MCH + TC cuadernos scholarship in 2025-26
Scholarship Winner
The Master in Collective Housing MCH, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid UPM + Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich, together with TC Cuadernos, present the results of the 2025/26 call for the publication of a book in collective housing and city:
“Soft Boundaries. Textile devices in collective housing” from Dymitr Ignatiuk.
Winner of the scholarship for the support, publication and dissemination of a thesis/research on collective housing and city.
Congratulations, out of more than 30 candidates from all over the world, this was the chosen winner by the jury.
The jury was composed of:
- A professor representing the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid UPM. Dr. José María de Lapuerta Montoya – MCH Director.
- A member of the UPM master’s team. Architect Camilo Meneses Ferrada – MCH manager / Academic Program Lead
- A professor representing the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich ETH. Dr. Elli Mosayebi, MCH Co-Director.
- A representative of the TC Cuadernos publishing house. José Miguel Rubio, TC Cuadernos Director.
- An outstanding professional in the housing area. Dr. Fernando Altozano, MCH Housing Practice Specialty Leader.
- The winners of the first edition of this competition. Architects Justo Díaz and Guillermo Pozo – Padd estudio.
About Soft Boundaries. Textile devices in collective housing:
Soft Boundaries offers a new perspective on contemporary housing by shifting attention away from architecture’s traditionally permanent concerns—typologies, structures, and fixed layouts—and toward the everyday elements that allow domestic space to adapt over time.
Through the study of curtains, membranes, shades, and other textile devices, the book examines how these often-overlooked elements operate as architectural instruments that regulate light, privacy, climate, and relationships between inhabitants without requiring changes to the building itself. In response to current housing challenges—including evolving household structures, hybrid work models, affordability pressures, and the need to extend buildings’ life cycles—Soft Boundaries argues for understanding housing not as a static object but as an environment shaped through continuous adjustment and negotiation.
Combining theoretical essays with international case studies, detailed drawings, and interviews with architects and residents, the book reveals how textile strategies can support more flexible, resilient, and responsive ways of living.
More about Dymitr Ignatiuk:
Dymitr Nicola Ignatiuk is an architect whose work explores the intersection of housing, urban environments, and contemporary forms of living across different cultural and geographic contexts.
Educated between Germany, Chile, and the United Kingdom, he holds a Master of Science in Architecture from Technische Universität Berlin through a double-degree program with Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, where he also received the professional title of Architect with highest distinction.
He previously completed a Bachelor of Science in Architecture at the University of Bath with first-class honors and was awarded a DAAD scholarship. His professional experience includes positions in Switzerland, Italy, and South Tyrol, working on collective housing, architectural competitions, and feasibility studies. Alongside practice, his research and writing have been recognized through academic publications addressing architecture, domesticity, and design culture. Fluent in five languages, Ignatiuk brings an international and interdisciplinary perspective to architectural practice and research.
About the Scholarship
The MCH Master + TC Cuadernos Annual Grant is an international initiative promoted by the MCH Master in Collective Housing in collaboration with TC Cuadernos to support outstanding research and thesis projects focused on collective housing and the city. The grant provides funding of up to €6,000 and offers recipients the opportunity to publish their work as a bilingual (Spanish–English) book, with editing, translation, printing, and international distribution covered by TC Cuadernos. The initiative aims to promote innovative ideas and expand the global impact of research in architecture, urbanism, and housing studies. The call for applications is held annually and is open to any postgraduate student, researcher, or architect.
Author: Camilo Meneses. MCH Manager