Architecture Competition Legendary Bird Home / Edition 2 1st prize winners – Liliana Krzycka, Rafał Pieszko and Szymon Tobias

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the 1st prize winners of our "Legendary Bird Home / Edition 2" competition – Liliana Krzycka, Rafał Pieszko and Szymon Tobias from Poland!

1st prize winners from Poland

Menthol Architects is an interdisciplinary design office that creates fresh ideas and sustainable architecture. We are based in Wroclaw, Poland. We are a small and creative practice, combined of four people. Besides the variety of design projects, we also create a friendly, home-like workspace, where exchange of information is carried out during meetings and workshops with students and other specialists.

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?

The studio successfully explores various areas of design from industrial design to architecture and urban planning. Our work is the result of a broad analysis and multidisciplinary cooperation, which responds to the user’s needs, respects the nature and benefits from its renewable resources, and creates friendly places to live regardless of scale which gives joy to future users. We represent an emerging architecture movement that is exploring mankind’s desire to reconnect to the natural environment through the built environment, referred to as ‘natural architecture’. It aims to create a more harmonious relationship between man and nature by exploring what it means to design with nature in mind. Our commitment to produce sustainable designs is permanent in our design process, with the goal of benefiting the community and environment.

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

Architecture is a special art for us, having features of social utility, the art of a specific social mission.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

The variety of design challenges, where participating in competitions is one of them, is for us a key element in the search for our own identity; this preserves the flow of creative energy.

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

Do not hesitate, do not think of being the greatest, or compare yourself to others. You do have a potential to explore your creativity. Win or lose and learn each time with the competition results, fine-tune your best assets. Please remember that competitions require large amounts of energy, so do your homework on competition rules and requirements, and focus on just one.