Architecture Competition Iceland Lake Myvatn Community House Honorable mention – GRAEME MASSIE ARCHITECTS

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of our Honorable mention winner for our "Iceland Lake Myvatn Community House" competition – Graeme Massie Architects from United Kingdom!

Graeme Massie Architects was established in 2004, and is based in Edinburgh, Scotland. We have developed a strong reputation for producing exemplary design across a wide-ranging project portfolio that encompasses architecture, master planning, landscape, product design and public art.

We place great importance on collaboration and engagement with our clients, future users and other construction experts to ensure we develop the right project. Whether creating spaces in which to live, work, visit or simply pass through, each project is viewed as a unique opportunity that requires a unique solution. We believe a deep understanding of each project is vital to delivering outcomes with lasting value, relevance and purpose.

We have worked in many countries, including Iceland where we have previously won competitions for the town centre of Akureyri; Vatnsmyri, Reykjavik; and Old Harbour, Reykjavik. A number of our projects have come from winning competitions, and we recently completed our RIBA International Competition winning project for the transformation of Centenary Square in central Birmingham.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

Since the formation of the practice, competitions have played an important role for us.  Initially, on a practical level, they were a potential means of winning work, and fortunately we had some early competition success.  Subsequently they have become a means of testing new ideas and broadening the scope of the work we undertake.

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

There are many things to consider before launching into an architecture competition.  You have to decide why you are entering (to test ideas, to collaborate with others, to add a new project to your portfolio etc) and how much time you are willing to spend on it.  For individuals, trying to find the right balance between developing the competition project and other commitments is most likely difficult – but often rewarding.