Architecture Competition Iceland Black Lava Fields Visitor Center Honorable mention - Catalina Edey

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the winner of the Honorable mention of our “Iceland Black Lava Fields Visitor Center” competition - Catalina Edey from Australia!

Catalina Edey from Australia

I'm a recent graduate of architecture and in unison with my passion for architecture, I also have an interest in visual art, artistic practice and the way artists represent their perceptions.

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 company/ individuals have been involved?

In my professional life I have worked for small practices doing mainly residential work. Although the opportunity hasn't arisen, I would love to work on cultural projects where greater access means more people can be enriched by the experience.

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

Architecture is an art of encounter. The distance between elements, material presence, effects of light and shade and the person’s position in space is revealed consciously and not through the experience of the encounter. It is a continual process of exploring the essence of things to arrive at conceptual clarity; from abstraction toward function. With conceptual rigour, the aesthetic experience can conjure a particular quality, relationship or atmosphere that is conveyed to the person encountering it.

Based on their passions and skills, each architect has their contribution to make, so I don't believe that there is one homogeneous answer to the role of architects in society. To me, the role is about having empathy and using skills in artistic abstraction to imbue an understanding of the way architecture can affect people and its context. This is important in the making and impact of a work of architecture.

Why do you participate in architecture vision competitions?

I enjoy the dynamism of leaning toward ideas or toward reality. I find clarity from the ideas that inform the aspects of reality I want to represent.

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

I would recommend doing research to find the right competition for you and when you find it, you will have a lot of fun and gain a lot in terms of defining an area of interest. What you're drawn to can tell you a lot.