House of the Future Honorable mention winners - Xavier Martin Fontbote, Guillem Canudas Gorgas, Aldana Nizza and Camila Fagnani

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the Honorable mention winners of our "House of the Future" competition – Xavier Martin Fontbote, Guillem Canudas Gorgas, Aldana Nizza and Camila Fagnani!

Xavier Martin Fontbote, Guillem Canudas Gorgas, Aldana Nizza and Camila Fagnani

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.

Arquitectura Sideral was established in 2018 in Barcelona, Spain. After finishing our studies at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), we won our first international architectural competition in Russia that summer, laying the foundation for what is now Arquitectura Sideral. We define ourselves as an ultra-local studio because we firmly believe that the cultures we develop are completely connected to the place we are from. For us, architecture is the connection between humans and the space we live in.

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?

Since 2018, we have been involved in quite a different type of projects, from the first international competition held in Russia called Russia's Alternative Housing Competition to the latest public competition we won with our proposal called "Nous Vestigis" for a new building in Barcelona's parks and gardens, creating a new entrance for the world-famous Gaudi's Park Güell.

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

For us, architecture is the art and science that allows us to shape our lives in the environment. We can find architecture in nearly everything we do, from how we arrange chairs and tables in a coffee shop to how we design new cities or neighborhoods. There is architecture at every step in between.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

As an established architecture firm, we typically participate in competitions that are held for construction. However, in this case, we thought it could be an incredible opportunity to open new relations with people in the UAE, in which we, as a firm, are quite interested. One of our partners, Xavier Marín, has lived in Dubai, and he is genuinely interested in the Emirati potential to develop a new architectural model based on the region's historical knowledge but with modern tools and ideas.

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

Architecture competitions are always a great way to progress in your own knowledge. Being challenged by other professionals and having to respond to something that was not established by yourself, typically on short notice, helps a lot in developing as an architect and as a firm. Get out of your comfort zone and use them as a way to progress in your career, even if you end up not winning.