Architecture Competition Monte D'Oiro Wine Hotel Client Favourite prize winners – Anton Burdein and Diana Burdein

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the Client Favourite prize winners of our "Monte D'Oiro Wine Hotel" competition – Anton Burdein and Diana Burdein from Germany!

Anton Burdein and Diana Burdein from Germany

I have graduated from the London Metropolitan University in 2009 with a bachelor's degree (with honours) in architecture. 10 years later, in 2019, I have finished my master’s degree in architecture at the Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule, Regensburg. In November 2021, after 2 years of practice in a local architect’s firm in Sulzbach-Rosenberg, I will be eligible to apply for a membership at Bayerische Architektenkammer and become a fully licensed architect. My wife Diana is an art photographer, and we work together on architectural visualisations and projects.

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?

I have worked on diverse residential, industrial, and public buildings in Bavaria, Germany, participating occasionally in different competitions. As a starting architect, I am interested in smaller scale architecture and suburban, rather than urban context. I feel that there is a greater need to get involved in rural and suburban architecture, as there are more unanswered questions. The future of ever-expanding peripheries and decentralisation of towns conceal certain risks that need to be dealt with intelligently.

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

The role of an architect is to be a sort of radical optimist. Every creation involves a certain amount of resistance from the society, which can only be addressed with optimism. This is the way to form a healthy future society.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

Apart from obvious reasons, I become interested in a particular topic or brief. In the case of the Monte D’oiro Hotel, it was a challenge to continue the previous studies of wine architecture in the low-density suburban environment. Whenever I see an objective that interests me, I start thinking. If I can’t stop thinking, I participate.

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

It is important to find interest in the topic of the competition and to remember that the most rewarding achievement is the refinement of your skills.