Zavod Big is a non-profit organisation that conducts a wide range of activities with the aim of fostering cooperation between the private sector and creative industries active in the fields of architecture and design.
In 2018, Zavod Big significantly upgraded the front-facing aspects of its work under the banner BIG SEE - Where Life is Creativity. The re-brand corresponds with the ambitious goal of serving as a central creative hub for the broader region (SEE stands for Southeast Europe), with the organisation deepening its involvement with the 19 countries that make up the region and broadening its scope to take a vast range of design-adjacent fields such as art, culture, sports, science, education, politics, commerce, and travel and hospitality.
Festivals and awards
Zavod Big (BIG SEE) organises festivals that serve as an opportunity to showcase relevant achievements and promote interaction and networking between creators and businesses: it has organized the annual Month of Design festival since 2003 and the Big Architecture Festival since 2008. Pursuant to the goal of promoting excellence in architecture and design, awards play a central role at both festivals. The National Design Award presented at Month of Design recognises excellence in Slovenian design; though no longer presented, the Hiša Award once fulfilled a similar function in the framework of the Big Architecture Festival.
Since 2018, BIG SEE has sought to draw creative forces throughout the Southeast Europe region into its ambitious festival and trade fair infrastructure to stress the creative vitality of the region as a whole. Though the organisation continues to acknowledge achievements in Slovenian design with the National Design Award, the awards have been expanded considerably and are now presented to outstanding creators from the 19 countries for architecture and a wide range of design fields. A Visionary award was also added to recognise the lifetime achievements of the biggest names in design from the region. Ultimately, BIG SEE envisions a more permanent structure for its trans-regional activities, with countries setting up permanent pavilions to continuously showcase local design excellence to partners and stakeholders from the region and beyond.
In its various iterations, Zavod Big has organised a number of prominent festivals that serve as an opportunity to showcase relevant achievements and : the annual Month of Design festival , Big Architecture Festival along with the Hiše Awards exhibition and ceremony. Furthermore, Zavod Big is a marketing strategy for all the mentioned events and publications, including the web Big Design Store and a web collection of a wide range of international awards ; All Design Awards. Last but not least, Zavod Big is an idea, growing and evolving under different names and the same vision: to reach business through the promotion of creative production within the frameworks of fashion, architecture, design, art & culture, and lifestyle.
Besides maintaining a website that serves as a go-to resource for creatives and stakeholders from throughout the region, BIG SEE also publishes Hiše Magazine.
