With the third issue we continue the series of books devoted to the architecture competitions. The end of the year and the beginning of the new one is always a time to think about the past challenges, learn from them and celebrate the successes. It is time to appreciate the effort we put and proudly look into bright future. Architecture Competitions Yearbook is a celebration of the most interesting projects that were designed during 2021. With this issue we would like to honor all winners, offer them deserved recognition and share their stories that can inspire many more. Who knows, maybe, next year edition will be about your path to the victory!
Architecture Competitions Yearbook 2021 answers the question that can be bothering for young architects. What’s the secret behind the awarded submissions? How to come up with an innovative solution to the given problem? How to make your presentation board stand out? It is a complete guide that shows how to take part in architecture challenges and get to know the world without designing limitations. You can find there many clues which will help you in searching for the ideas for your projects as well as managing and improving designing process itself. By taking a little time to learn from this book, your projects will stand out and gain well-deserved recognition. Looking through hundreds of awarded competitions’ entries you can learn more about graphical representation that will enable to get your design to the next level.
What can be found inside?
As always, ACY showcases 10 the most inspiring competitions launched in 2021. We are presenting all winning entries as well as honorable and/or golden mentions of each contest. In that way we have over 240 pages covered with illustrations and a wide collection of good projects examples that might help us as references in the future.
This year we even took one step further into our exploration, searching for the means that will help young architects develop their careers and encourage them to facing the challenges. For this special issue of Architecture Competitions Yearbook 2021, we requested professionals whose projects win awards in international competitions to share their winning strategies and unique experience. On a few dozens of pages, designers from Zaha Hadid Architects, Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects and Society of Architecture share their knowledge and present their approach to architecture competitions.
The book begins with the interview with Mariana Cabugueira, a Senior Architecture Designer at Zaha Hadid Architects and a teacher at Architecture Association in London. She was part of the design team at ZHA of winning projects such as: Navi Mumbai Airport, Western Sidney Airport, Exhibition Centre Beijing, and most recently the Tower C in Shenzhen. She shares the story about remote collaboration giving many practical advice. She pointed out that it is natural that we disagree at some points with our collaborators, and it shouldn’t be taken personally. Furthermore, she advises young designers to pay a lot of attention to develop the renderings to make sure that the exterior and interior visualizations reflect our intention and present the design in the most attractive way. After all, the jury panel will only see the spaces that you show on your renders and visuals. Last but not least suggestion is to always consider as fundamental sustainability in your design, especially in current constantly changing environment.
What we can learn from Bartek Winnicki, an architect at Schmidt Hammer Lessen working in Shanghai, is that passion and consistency in reaching previously set goals is the overriding aspect that leads to the success. Based on his experienced gained during designing Shanghai Library East (the competition entry was awarded with the first prize that was the construction, and the library is gonna to be opened for the visitors this year), Bartek shares the knowledge about approaching projects of public building. He also claims that the clarity of the message and design simplicity is the most powerful weapon in the arsenal of a good designer and frequently encourage young architects to incorporate ecological trends in modern design into their ideas.
Designing process of Metropolitan Small Manufacturers’ Support Centre Competition presented by Yerin Kang, the founder of Society of Architecture, drives us to think about the proposed building as an integrated part of a bigger structure – the city. She points out that it is extremely essential to make pre-design analysis of urban context that will help make the building meaningful in the surrounding areas. It is important to reveal the architecture attitude towards the city. This is because we are not only designing a stand-alone building, but also, we should remember about trying to create a relation between the city, community, and the proposed structure.
The main part of the Architecture Competitions Yearbook 2021 is devoted to challenges such as: The Kaira Looro Competition – Women’s House, Iceland Cave Tower by Bee Breeders, eVolo Skyscraper Competition 2021, Reuse Italy with Reuse – The Roman Ruin – Italy Piscina Mirabilis Competition as well as Accustoming’s Senegal Elementary School, where authors share the whole process of designing, with unique tips, that led them to victory. All to implement in your projects.
How we won that competition?
In the section “How we won that competition?’ the authors awarded with the first prize share their stories with detailed description of their struggling. They explain how to get to the final winning solutions and how to know weather the idea is ‘the one’. Thanks to them we will be able to follow the whole designing process, look deeply into the first sketches and see the evolution of the concept. Moreover, the winners reveal and show us hidden drawings that were the key to the success. Without this publication those sketches would have probably remained forgotten, and their value would never be appreciated. We share stories where they describe the process step by step and give advice that will allow you to understand their ‘secret formula’ to win architecture competition better.
The book is also full of personal impressions of the winners about architecture competitions. All of them consider participation as a range of many eye-opening activities that stimulate the imagination and are a perfect springboard from everyday professional and university life. Winners see that taking part in architecture challenges may be beneficial in many ways. Starting from developing personal skills and broadening own horizons, through exploring new concepts and ideas. Finally, they admit that working with colleagues has improved their interpersonal skills and prepared to the future work which requires collaboration with other people who pursue to the common goal.
Architecture Competitions Yearbook 2021 is a publication from architects for young designer. We hope that it will help many talented students take a risk and try their chances in international challenges.
If you would like to read case studies of awarded projects please check
Architecture Competitions Yearbook.
This book is perfect for you if you want to know:
- What’s the secret behind winning submissions?
- What makes a good project?
- How to create an innovative solution to the given problem?
…and much more.
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