Architecture competition Adelaide Creative Community Hub Honorable mention - Chang Yuan Max Hsu, Hadeel Ayed Mohammad and Veronika Volkova

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the winners of the Honorable mention of our “Adelaide Creative Community Hub” competition - Chang Yuan Max Hsu, Hadeel Ayed Mohammad and Veronika Volkova from United States!

Hadeel Ayed Mohammad, Chang Yuan Max Hsu and Veronika Volkova from United States

Chang Yuan Max Hsu is an architectural designer based in New York City where he is currently a designer at James Carpenter Design Associates. He has previously worked at SANAA (Tokyo, Japan), and Bing Thom Architects (Vancouver, Canada). He holds a Master’s in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania (2016), and a Bachelor’s in Environmental Design from the University of British Columbia (2012).

Hadeel Ayed Mohammad is an Architect and Fulbright Scholar from Jordan. She is currently based in New York City, as a designer at SHoP Architects. Previously she has worked at Ewing Cole (Philadelphia, PA), and Sahel Al-Hiyari Architects (Amman, Jordan). She received her Bachelor’s in Architecture from the University of Jordan (2013). Afterwards she was granted a Fulbright Scholarship in 2015 to pursue graduate studies in the US, where she attended the University of Pennsylvania, and received a Master’s in Architecture (2016).

Veronika Volkova is Fulbright scholar currently pursuing her Master’s in Architecture at Arizona State University, where she is researching interactive environments. Prior to her education in the US, she graduated from the Moscow Architectural Institution (2013). She has previously worked at MAD Architects (Beijing, China), AABA Architects (Moscow, Russia), Strelka KB (Moscow, Russia), and interned at SHoP Architects (New York CIty, USA).

"Our combined experiences have ranged from pavilion designs to master planning, such as we do not see ourselves limited within the boundaries of any particular scale. Instead, we are interested in the investigation of any dynamic scales of influences that an ideology has on the built environment and the natural ecosystem. This can be adaptive qualities that are either informed by a social context, or a catalyst to drive for positive change."

What does architecture mean to you and what is the role of an architect in your society?

We take inspiration from Charles and Ray Eames’ “Powers of Ten”, where different magnitudes of systems are interlocked with one another. The crucial part of our roles as designers is to understand, and carefully mediate between these domains in order to address different social/environmental issues. By doing so, we have the opportunity to reimagine the qualities of spatial conditions and their impact on the public realm and beyond.

Why do you participate in architecture vision competitions?

Architecture competitions of this nature allow anyone to challenge and provide a fresh approach to a design dogma. It is an incredible chance to step away from conventional means of execution, and channel a different point of view to a broader audience. It facilitates the change in the profession through exposure and discussion, as well as one's professional growth.

What advice would you give to individuals who struggle to decide whether it would be beneficial for them to participate in architecture vision competitions?

Competitions are time-consuming endeavors, and as such be specific about the ones you participate in. Find what inspires you about a particular topic, and then let passion take over. This process has a way of allowing you to find your voice within the realm of design. You define your visions, and then re-discover it amongst the projects of your peers. The experience is an enriching one, and it opens up a chance to test innovation before applications in the practice. We strongly believe that it can benefit enthusiasts who strive for professional development, while building upon the networks of critical thinkers around the world.