Hospice - Home for the Terminally ill #3 competition Honorable mention winner - Celine Kohlhaas

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the Honorable mention winner of our "Hospice - Home for the Terminally ill #3" competition – Celine Kohlhaas from Germany!

Celine Kohlhaas

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.

I am 25 years old and have just graduated from university. I completed my bachelor's and master's degrees in architecture at the MSA - Münster School of Architecture. I am now looking forward to finding my first job abroad in Copenhagen. During my master’s thesis, I researched extensively about hospices and the topic of "Healing Architecture." I am convinced that hospices, and especially the people who work there, need more recognition for the work they do every 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?

Right now, I can only describe my projects in university and projects from working as a working student/ tutor. My past university projects range from small scales, such as furniture design, to larger scales, such as urban design concepts. In the architecture offices where I worked as a working student I was involved in museums and office buildings, which helped me a lot in understanding the constructional part of architecture.

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

I think my experience so far is also showing the various scales and variations of architecture - and this is what makes architecture so beautiful and interesting to me. As an architect, you should always be aware of the people using the buildings. We should intensively consider the subject of the building to bring people together and improve people’s life.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

Architecture competitions are a great opportunity to explore new topics or building typologies that you may have never used before. I believe that every competition is a win for you—you always gain new knowledge and new ways of thinking!

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

Go for it - there is nothing to loose! Take it as a challenge for yourself and in the end you will be thankful for taking part in it.