Architecture Competition Humble Architecture: Everest Challenge Honorable mention - UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIʻI AT MĀNOA

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of our Honorable mention winners for our "Humble Architecture: Everest Challenge" competition –  Irish Feryle Barruga and Elenie Joyce Pagtulingan from the United States!

Elenie Joyce Pagtulingan and Irish Feryle Barruga from the United States

We completed this project as 4th year environmental design/architecture students at the University of Hawaii Manoa, which has the only school of architecture in the state and has approximately 300 students total between undergrad and grad. Our 12 student studios entered the competition in teams of 2.

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?

As UH SOA students, many of our previous projects and work have been based in Hawaii and the Asia-Pacific region, all at a larger scale, and all with a strong focus on culture and environmental conditions. Our professor, Lance Walters, is originally from Alaska and has a strong interest in Arctic regions, and also recognizes the importance of global connections and practice. This competition was selected to explore and engage the studio students with these ideas in mind.

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

Architecture is the symbiotic relationship between science, art, and technology, and we see our design studios and competitions in particular as opportunities to investigate and explore future potentials of our built environment. We also believe that an architect's primary role in society is to make meaningful contributions that improve, shape, and guide us to a better world.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

This was our first ever competition. We were excited about the challenges this particular competition offered, and the opportunity to participate in an international competition that addressed such a unique situation, site, and important topic.

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

We say go for it! We ended up entering two competitions that semester and found that these architecture competitions are a great way to challenge ourselves in new ways and to engage with other students and practitioners on an international scale. We honestly saw the competition itself as a win-win opportunity whether we placed or not, because we both got so much out of the experience from the way the competition was structured to the investigations and experts we spoke to, and just knowing that we had responsibilities to a real client, real situation, and an impressible, diverse, and experienced jury.