Next to the religious and secular works, representative and economic buildings and other kinds of architectural works, there is also villa architecture, considered as the very important part of European cultural heritage. Especially modern architectural design in all European countries pays attention to villa architecture, represented by the significant movable and immovable monuments of cultural heritage. However the inadequate attention is still given to this area of architectural design of villas.
Apart from generally known and respected architects and their works, there are works of tens and hundreds architects unjustly omitted in each European country. This omission by research community is serious both for impoverishment of wide awareness of cultural heritage of villages, cities and regions of individual countries and as well as for impoverishment of an inspirational role of these buildings, inter alia to 40% of the population living in villas.
It is generally accepted that villa is a touchstone for each architect, who examines its features during the anytime of architectural design. Therefore each architectural work can tell us about current state of the society, its history, as well as the routing for the future. Through the development of the villa can be well-read a social level and architectural culture. Therefore the raising awareness of residential architecture through project will enrich not only cultural heritage of particular European regions, but also enable the understanding of the roots and inspirational role of this recent culture.
The project intention corresponds with the Czech project Famous Villa of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia and Slovak project Famous Villa of Slovakia, dealing with history of residential architecture. The Czech and Slovak knowledge of residential architecture is valuable and contributive to this project. The involvement of partner organizations from Poland, Slovenia and Hungary, countries, where the area of residential architecture is not demonstrably processed integrates this significant part of cultural heritage in these countries both from educational point of view as well as from the view of cherishing and preserving of the cultural heritage.
The educational aspect is to be achieved twofold. The lectures and seminars will be organized during the local exhibitions, where besides the villas themselves, also the architectural, historical, cultural-esthetic and built technical level of residential architecture as well as personality and design of then architect, the role of constructor and the connection of architectural development and cultural social life in the country will be presented and explained in order to address the widest range of historians, cultural professionals, teachers and students of universities of art and architecture as well as museums, libraries and other cultural institutions and general public.
VIA VILLAS offers the educational opportunities for young architects on European level. Eight young architects from all partners’ countries as well as more young architects from other countries, wishing to be involved in the mobility project will attend the international workshop in Debrecen. They will have opportunity to discuss, cooperate, change ideas with senior architects, researchers and other cultural professionals about historical and current aspects of residential architecture in order to better develop their national projects – design of the villa/family house dedicated both for younger as well as older generation, meeting the local aspects of historical and modern residential architecture.
