Architecture Competition Columbarium – The Chamber of Memories Honorable mention - POZNAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of our Honorable mention winners for our "Columbarium – The Chamber of Memories" competition – Michalina Linkowska, Zuzanna Zdanowicz and Joanna Spychała from Poland!

Honorable mention winners from Poland

Currently we are Master's students at the Faculty of Architecture, Poznan University of Technology in Poland. We get to know each other better on an Erasmus exchange trip to Madrid when we spend half a year. It was an amazing adventure that continues to bear fruit in our projects to this day.

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?

Each of us has been involved in a variety of projects during our education and additional professional work. We have had the opportunity to participate in small scale projects as well as entire urban developments. Despite this diversity, each of us takes the human scale as the overriding one and strives to create the best possible living space for people.

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

Architecture is a complex field which responds to many of our time's problems: social, climatic, economic and demographic. The art is to create a solutions that takes into account all these aspects without losing the quality of space. Architecture provides a framework and a background for everyday life. The mission of an architect is to design in a way that improves not only the aesthetics of space but also improves the quality of human life and well-being. Taking care of mental and physical needs, the environment and the cultural context is the foundation of good architecture for us. 

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

Competitions take on interesting, innovative and forward-thinking topics. They are often the only formula for expressing creativity without inhibition. The international character of the contests strongly motivates us for personal development and is always a valuable perspective-broadening experience.

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

Architectural competitions focus on real-world problems whose solutions develop designers on many levels. They also allow us to learn about cultures and climatic conditions in other parts of the world. Architecture is an area where creativity is particularly important. Competition projects are a great opportunity to practice it without any boundaries!