FAST 2025, the third edition of the festival, unfolded in Iași across multiple venues and was shaped in essential ways by the generosity, openness, and commitment of our host partners. This edition was not only organized in Iași, it was truly carried by a local community that welcomed the festival as its own and transformed it into a shared platform for students, educators, and professionals.
We extend our gratitude to our host colleagues for their dedication to the subject and for the care invested in curating exhibitions, discussions, and spaces of encounter. Their work created an environment where students felt invited to participate, question, and contribute. The openness shown toward young participants was not symbolic, it was structural to the festival. It shaped the tone of the conversations and reaffirmed that architectural education thrives when institutions actively support experimentation and dialogue.
The exhibitions curated during the festival demonstrated how academic work can move beyond the classroom and enter public space. By presenting student projects with seriousness and professional respect, our hosts reinforced an important message: today’s students are already active contributors to the future of the discipline. The festival became a bridge between education and practice, between learning and public engagement.
FAST 2025 confirmed that the future of architecture depends on communities willing to invest in the next generation. The hospitality, trust, and intellectual generosity shown in Iași had a direct impact on the students who participated, and, by extension, on the architects they will become. Supporting education is not an abstract gesture, it is a long-term commitment to the quality and relevance of the profession itself.
For welcoming the festival, for standing behind its values, and for opening doors to students and ideas, we thank our host community in Iași. FAST continues to grow because of partnerships like this, grounded in shared responsibility for the future of architecture.
Photo credits: @the_phope – Csaba Szekely, Bumbu Oliver
