Architecture Competition Home For The Blind Honorable mention - Horatiu Bran

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of our Honorable mention winner for our "Home For The Blind" competition – Horatiu Bran from Romania!

Horatiu Bran from Romania

I am an architect, that just after graduating, emboldened by my enthusiasm for interior design, and by a dream of making on my own, I founded a small interior design studio “Design by Horatiu” that is based in my hometown Cluj-Napoca. The studio was born from my passion for beautiful interiors and I haven't thought more about anything else from that time on. For now the studio is represented just by me, so you could say that I am the brain and the muscle of the studio, however in reality no matter how small your practice is, the beauty of design is that it always involves more people, design connects people, so you are never alone.

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?

The projects that I have worked on and that fascinates me are residential interior design projects. In the last years my focus shifted on how I can implement a more sustainable and environmentally friendly design approach to my work.

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

Architecture should be the beautiful part of the constructed world, that is made for the people, meeting their requirements and also that has respect for the environment. An architect should aim to think and create spaces that increase human well-being and user experience, with care for everyone, especially the natural environment.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

I participate in architecture competition for a number of reasons. Firstly, I enjoy the thinking process, the search for solutions to different challenges that the competitions provides. Secondly, they test and at the same time, they expand my view about design, helping me to evolve my practice.

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

Because I am a shy person I can understand how it is to try something new, something that gets you out of your comfort zone, so this endeavor could be tricky for the first time. My advice would be to chose a competition that you like the theme, one that relates to you, maybe to one of your passions. Then just focus on the process and please don't forget to enjoy this journey!