Beyond Isolation: Senior Housing Honorable mention winners - Cardiff University

 We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the Honorable mention winners of our Beyond Isolation: Senior Housing competition – Yat Long Aaron Fan, Chantelle Reme Margaret Lennard, Samantha Jennifer Powell, Christopher George Adams from United Kingdom!

Yat Long Aaron Fan, Chantelle Reme Margaret Lennard, Samantha Jennifer Powell, Christopher George Adams 

Please tell us about your company (when it was founded, where it is based, how many employees, etc) Alternatively, if you do not have a company, please give us some insights on your own professional/academia background.

We are four students from the Welsh School of Architecture in Cardiff. We are all currently in our final year conducting theses on the principle of ageing in place and the architecture of a rapidly ageing population.

Brief information about the projects that you/your company have been involved with. For instance, what scale have you focused on/preferred, any significant projects where the company/ individuals have been Involved?

As students our projects have varied in programme throughout our education but have tended to focus more at the tactical level. However, this year’s focus on the crisis of an ageing population has introduced a new strategic premise to our design development.

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

Architecture to us is about creating spaces which have the potential to enact positive change. For too long society has had a myopic focus on the short term with disregard to the long-term consequences of our actions. As future architects we want to think about people and new sustainable approaches which can ensure a prosperous built environment for generations to come.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

Competitions give the opportunity to test ideas uncontained from real world constraints. New concepts can be experimented which broaden our research and offer critiques or opportunities for implementation in our own future projects.

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

Go for it! You never know what you can discover and achieve. Teamworking on the design process can be a fulfilling process which results in personal and creative growth.