Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025 competition Honorable mention winner - Christina Sophia Heck

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce the Honorable Mention winners of Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025 competition – Christina Sophia Heck from Germany!

Christina Sophia Heck

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.

During my academic studies, I developed a strong focus on sustainable and energy-efficient architecture, which I continue to pursue in professional practice. I currently work in an office dedicated to environmentally responsible design and resource-conscious construction.

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?

My professional experience spans a wide range of scales, from large luxury hotels to small, highly personal residential projects. While I enjoy conceptual design, I am particularly drawn to smaller projects, where careful detailing becomes central. Developing construction details and consciously shaping each decision is currently the most rewarding part of my work, as this is where architectural ideas become tangible.

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

Architecture, to me, is a quiet mediator between people, resources, and time. It shapes everyday life in subtle but lasting ways. Having seen both the strengths and challenges of the architectural industry, I view the architect not as a distant creator, but as a responsible decision-maker within complex ecological and social systems. Architecture is therefore less about iconic objects and more about creating meaningful, long-lasting environments. The role of the architect is to balance ambition with responsibility and to design spaces that support daily life while respecting planetary limits.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

As professional practice becomes increasingly technical, architecture competitions offer a valuable space for exploration. They allow ideas to be tested freely and provide room to experiment beyond everyday constraints. Competitions also offer an ideal framework for learning and testing new tools and software within a meaningful design context. For me, they are not separate from practice, but complementary, a space for curiosity and experimentation.

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

A competition can be an opportunity to learn a new software, to explore a theme that has always been of personal interest, or to develop a design approach that one rarely has the chance to pursue in everyday work. When the focus shifts from the outcome to the process, participation becomes valuable regardless of the result.