Architecture Competition Iceland Volcano Lookout Point Honorable mention - ZACHODNIOPOMORSKI UNIWERSYTET TECHNOLOGICZNY W SZCZECINIE

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of our Honorable mention winners for our "Iceland Volcano Lookout Point" competition – Wiktoria Szaratkiewicz, Zuzanna Mitera and Gabriela Pietras from Poland!

Honorable mention from Poland

We all come from West Pomeranian Voivodeship, but we crossed paths at the West Pomeranian University, led by an utter admiration for art and architecture.

From that day on, we have eagerly taken up different challenges regarding architecture and other branches of art; one of us is an adept sculptor, another is passionate about art history, and the last one is a skilful painter. By merging these diverse hobbies, we are expanding our views on architecture, trying to look at it from different perspectives. Each of us loves travelling and being in touch with foreign cultures, and as a result we went abroad for studies to places such as Malaga, Valencia and Budapest. Even though we are fresh out of undergraduate studies, we look forward to seeing what the future holds for us!

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?

During our undergraduate course, we came across projects of altered scales, from urban planning to detailed architecture.  Being part of these projects and observing them step by step has been very important for us and has let us play different roles in the team.

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

In our opinion, the main component of architecture is the space and it has a strong influence on our behaviour; architecture is important, because It has the power to change the area completely by making it charming and safe to use. We are surrounded by architecture, and we spend most of our life in the buildings – that is why we are in the position of setting comfort, functional, and aesthetic standards. People do not have to be fans of architecture or know the freshest trends – everyone has some views on particular forms of the buildings and can clearly say whether she or he likes it or not. And to us, being in charge of designing the most functional and endearing architectural forms is a great privilege.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

There is always the same path leading to the final stages of every competition; there are moments when you have dozens of ideas, then you want to give up and back down because you cannot choose which alternative to pick, and after that you feel very confident about what you did. It is a big sinusoid that consists of ups and downs, but whenever the deadline comes, you are always extremely proud of the work you had put in the project. This emotional design process linked with motivation makes us want to do our best. You can try different things that have never crossed your mind before and create ideas that you have never considered. Whenever you come out of your comfort zone, you are going through differential experiences which are expanding your imagination.

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

By all means, the main goal of each competition is to succeed, and this craving often leads to so many different creative stages that it can actually surprise you. Moreover, when you are part of the team and you have to make a decision about particular idea, you can learn a lot from your colleagues and expand your imagination. Sometimes it is necessary to feel out of your element, because in the end, you can be grateful for the choices you have made that seemed pointless at the beginning. Participating in competitions is like going on an adventure – no matter how difficult it is going to be, it will definitely pay off in the end.