Architecture Competition Tiny Kiwi Meditation Cabin Green Award winner – Matteo Foresti and Arianna Boccalatte

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the Green prize winner of our “Tiny Kiwi Meditation Cabin” competition – Matteo Foresti and Arianna Boccalatte from Sweden!

Matteo Foresti from Sweden

My name is Matteo Foresti (1982), I have a master's degree (2007) from Politecnico di Milano, and a post-master's degree from Universitá RomaTre (2009). In 2017, I decided to open my own office in Stockholm (Sweden), two years after working at Aires Mateus in Lisbon and five years after working at JRN in Stockholm.

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 work mostly on residential projects of different scales: renovation of apartments and houses, but also new construction of villas and small saunas. Lately, I´ve been involved in some bigger housing developments.

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

Architecture is, without any doubt, my passion and main interest, and luckily, also my work. I really like to work with natural materials, mixing traditional and modern building techniques with care for details to create timeless and welcoming atmospheres. I like when architecture is meant to last in a resilient, humble relation with nature.

I don´t know if there is a “general” role of an architect in the society anymore, but I definitely admire all the architects who, even if the program changes, if the area evolves, if the surroundings vary, show the same care for architecture.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

I like to challenge myself with projects and tasks that I don´t have in my normal working routine. I work mostly on small residential projects, so I like to challenge myself with competitions where I can try something different and learn something new.

The second reason why I like to participate in architecture competitions is to challenge myself with other participants. It´s quite easy to close yourself off and work on the same routine and ideas when you have an office. So, when the results of the competition come out, it´s always interesting and refreshing to see how other colleagues have approached and solved the same problems.

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

I would suggest just to try. Especially try competitions where you are “uncomfortable” and where you have to make an effort to learn something new. Try to break your working routines and experiment with new ideas. It´s always worth trying.