Congratulations to our master’s student Anna Aurelia Minev, who has been awarded a €3500 scholarship from Riigi Kinnisvara Aktsiaselts [State Real Estate Development and Management Company] to dedicate to her thesis on accessibility. The scholarship evaluation committee highlights:
“Anna Aurelia Minev was awarded a scholarship from Riigi Kinnisvara AS thanks to the broad social dimension of her work. Anna Aurelia points to a current concern where accessibility requirements exist, but do not always guarantee accessibility or equity of services, because, regrettably, accessibility is often seen as an additional layer of a building, rather than as an inherent part of the building. The result of the work is a system in which the strict requirements are integrated in a user-friendly way and as universally as possible, making them usable in different situations or spaces. And the practical output is a tangible example that points out how the requirements can relate to society and architecture in a more holistic way. Accessibility to buildings is also a key issue for us, due to the diversity of the State Property portfolio, the specificities of the buildings and their age.”
RKAS press release on scholarships:
This year, 27 final theses were submitted to the State Real Estate Scholarship Competition “Tops of the Future”, from which the jury selected the four best, among which 14 000 euros will be distributed. The authors of the best theses are all MA students.
“The work of State Real Estate in real estate development and management is in the public eye, and we are also at the forefront of change. The issues of the future are complex, and it is important for the new generation to maintain their idealism,” said Kalle Komissarov, State Kinnisvara architect and member of the scholarship competition jury. “On the one hand, the scholarships are our mission to support and recognise students in the field, and on the other hand, to be inspired in a difficult time. This year’s recipients are bright students who are looking for innovative approaches to their research. In addition to up-to-date topics, we valued the ability to present complex problems in a clear and understandable way,” added Mr Komissarov.
Anna Aurelia Minev, a Master’s student at the Estonian Academy of Arts, was deemed worthy of the scholarship for her thesis “Normal Environments for Normal People”. The thesis deals with the creation of good public spaces through accessibility. The narrowed focus of the thesis is to collaborate with visually impaired people to understand how to create spaces that are as equally perceived as possible.
The second scholarship was awarded to Maria Pernits, a Master’s student at Tallinn University of Technology, whose thesis “Fire resistance of recycled wood” focuses on the reuse and fire resistance of old wood and its behaviour in fire situations. The research will help to find solutions for the maintenance and restoration of old wood to meet modern fire safety requirements, thereby reducing long-term maintenance costs and ensuring the safety of structures. The work will help shed light on how old materials can be used safely and efficiently, reducing waste and carbon footprints.
The third scholarship is awarded to Daniel Tootsman, a master’s student at Tallinn University of Technology, for his thesis “Reusability of dismountable elements in buildings”. The master thesis has already started to develop a methodology for the dismantling and performance testing of donor building elements. The aim of the thesis is to provide input for increasing the share of reuse of elements in Estonia, which would mean a closer integration of circular economy ideas in the construction sector.
The fourth scholarship was awarded to Marten Sauter, a Master’s student at Tallinn University of Technology, for his thesis on “The impact of rising sea levels due to climate change on the sea border and buildings in Tallinn”. The sea is one of Tallinn’s greatest assets, which is why urban planners and architects have been constantly striving to bring the city closer to the sea for the past decades. The master thesis will create simulations of the situation in Tallinn, draw up an overview of potential worst-case scenarios and identify ways to prevent them. In addition, the thesis will develop a project (architectural and structural solution) that will help to protect a specific location in Tallinn from the effects of sea level rise.
The jury consisted of State Real Estate experts Kalle Komissarov, architect, Kadri-Ann Kertsmik, project manager for the environmentally sustainable development of buildings, Marek Moldau, project director, Marelle Esko, head of the legal department, Chris Naerismaa, property manager for the Northern Region, and Kristin Tuule, strategy manager.
The amount of one grant is €3500. The scholarship will be awarded to the selected student on a one-off basis and will be paid in one instalment.
The State Real Estate AS has been supporting research and development activities in the field for 14 years through the “Tops of the Future” scholarship competition, with the aim of inspiring students to create a user-friendly and more sustainable real estate environment. The 2024 scholarship was open to all undergraduate, postgraduate, engineering, master’s and doctoral students from Tallinn University of Applied Sciences, Tallinn University, TalTech, Estonian University of Life Sciences and Estonian Academy of Arts.