Three of her students reached the finals of the Hornbach Design Challenge, and the winner was Klára Olšanská, a student of the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology.
“We connect science, craft, art, and technology, giving industrial materials a new life and meaning. The festival confirmed that our students have great potential and can hold their own among designers and artists. We want them to understand materials and master both traditional and modern processes and innovations,” said Kamila Janovská, Dean of the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology at VSB-TUO.
The Faculty of Materials Science and Technology showcased its work at the Meat Design festival through three departments and study programmes. The Department of Metallurgical Technologies presented final projects by students of the Artistic Foundry programme, which is unique in the Czech Republic and offered only at VSB-TUO. The Department of Materials and Automotive Technologies introduced the StudentCar project—an innovative concept of educational electric vehicles created at the intersection of technical research and original design. The Department of Thermal Engineering exhibited objects produced using 3D printing of silicate materials and presented the use of industrial waste in creating new pigments and glazes.
Alongside the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering also took part in the event. Its study specialisation Industrial Product Design was created in response to industry needs and is highly popular among students. The core of the programme is to prepare future designers for work in development teams.
Students of VSB-TUO were also very successful in the Hornbach Design Challenge summer student competition, whose results were announced at the festival. The task, set by Hornbach, was to design and create a piece of furniture that can survive any move, fit into a small apartment, and remain environmentally friendly. Three VSB-TUO students reached the finals with their works—Jakub Záhora and Matěj Schikora from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and Klára Olšanská from the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology. It was her piece that ultimately won the public vote, and she also received a cash prize. She designed a clever multifunctional piece of furniture made of wood and jute, which transforms from an armchair with a footrest into a table with a stool with a single 90-degree rotation.
The three-day Meat Design Festival has become a popular gathering for design enthusiasts, attracting a high number of visitors. It took place in Dolní Vítkovice in Ostrava and, in addition to exhibitions and sales stands, featured inspiring lectures, workshops, fashion shows, and other engaging programme elements.