Architecture Competition Cambodia Remote Hideout Huts 2nd prize winners – Bachir Benkirane and Megi Davitidze

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the 2nd prize winners of our “Cambodia Remote Hideout Huts” competition – Bachir Benkirane and Megi Davitidze from Morocco!

Megi Davitidze and Bachir Benkirane from Morocco

Megi was born and raised in Tbilisi, Georgia and is currently based in Munich, Germany. Bachir was born and raised in Casablanca, Morocco and is currently based in Berlin, Germany.

From 2016 to 2019 we both attended the Architectural Institute of Prague to complete our bachelor's degree and have often shared similar points of view and were constantly exchanging references. We recently caught up, vented, and shared advice about our bureaucratic issues as aliens in the EU. One thing led to another, and we started to work on a range of side projects that interested us. We found a nice balance in our remote workflow and have more projects in the pipeline.

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?

We have interned in a range of offices based in Munich, Prague, San Francisco, and Copenhagen, exposing us to multiple scales and typologies. We have found a common liking in residential, hospitality and small-scale architecture, leading us to collaboration in designing modest and sustainable interventions.

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

Our profession leads us to impact people’s life not only on a practical, but also on an emotional level. Architecture is a manifestation of ideas, attempting to ease and benefit the general user. We have the opportunity to create atmospheric, memorable and beautiful moments, whether it is consciously or subconsciously. Now more than ever, being stuck indoors, we realize how important the built environment is and how much architecture surrounds and shapes us. Since we both have exposure to multiple cultures, we often compare and discuss the importance of urban and architectural decisions and how they impact us directly. As architects, we play an important role in the well-being of our society, whether it is physically or mentally.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

We are both working and attending school which can get overwhelming and limiting at times. Choosing our competitions allows us to escape our pragmatic daily routine, is a way to exercise our minds, and acts as a platform to test our ideas. Competitions are also challenges that give us the opportunity to work on different scales and discover diverse locations.

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

Participating in an architectural competition is important for personal, as well as professional development. Competitions are a great way of developing narratives and they allow us to have more freedom than we typically would.