Architecture Competition Caramel Shore Traveler Rooms 2nd prize winner – Clara Copiglia

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the 2nd prize winner of our "Caramel Shore Traveler Rooms" competition – Clara Copiglia from United States!

Clara Copiglia from United States

Clara is an architect and urban thinker whose practice, Terri-Tour, intersects communities, tourism, and architecture at the scale of the territory. She is originally from Switzerland and obtained her M.Sc. in architecture at the ETHZ. Currently, Clara practices in Boston, where she focuses on public infrastructures, urban design, and community involvement.

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?

Clara’s work focuses on transforming tourism and its impact on the territorial scale through tactical renovations involving local crafts and communities in Switzerland. In her practice, she also developed mapping strategies, proposing critical readings of the relationship between tourism and indigenous communities in the Australian territory and designing alternative tourism circuits in parallel to the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. Beyond territorial and mapping strategies, Clara’s practice leverages participatory workshops to anchor tactical interventions in territories and communities.

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

A successful architecture project should be the materialization of its surrounding territory, history, and population through carefully chosen materials and community-engagement strategies. Today more than ever, architecture must respond to climate change and the needs of the local communities. The role of an architect is shifting to respond to the current crises, and more and more young architects question 'traditional' architectural practices.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

Architecture competitions are a great way to explore personal interests, test strategies, and have more creative freedom.

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 architecture competition can help you frame your interest in the vast field of architecture by selecting some topics you want to explore but don't have the opportunity to in your office or your school. It also gives you a chance to test and develop your design approach.