Architecture Competition Mega Dunes Eco Lodges 3rd prize winners – SNONO STUDIO

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the 3rd prize winners of our “Mega Dunes Eco Lodges - Abu Dhabi” competition – Ahmad Nouraldeen, Luca Fraccalvieri, Jana Semaan and Lama Barhoumi from Lebanon!

Ahmad Nouraldeen, Luca Fraccalvieri

Jana Semaan and Lama Barhoumi

Snono Studio is a team of multidisciplinary designers who combine their knowledge and expertise in architecture, environmental consulting and parametric algorithms, imbued with their affinity for beauty and poetry, to produce intelligent, performing designs for both the individual and the natural environment.

Snono Studio was co-founded in 2017 by prof. Ahmad Nouraldeen and Luca Fraccalvieri, alongside founding partners Rudy Joe Spiridon and Francesco Angiulli. The studio’s main office and fabrication lab is based in Bari, Italy, with satellite bases in Düsseldorf, Germany, and Beirut, Lebanon. The team is composed of four partners, six architectural assistants and two engineers.

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?

Snono Studio has covered projects of varying scales, from design and construction of lightweight, tensile, and shell structures, to buildings and masterplan designs. The firm also provides environmental, sustainability and engineering consulting to both the public sector and private businesses.

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

Snono Studio sees architecture as a union of both art and engineering. The firm’s conviction is that architects contribute beauty to people’s experiences, which can be defined as an intervention that is both conceptually and functionally driven.

Why do you participate in architecture vision competitions?

Competitions are an integral part of the studio’s focus on research and development (R&D); they provide an opportunity to test, combine and iterate contemporary ideas and technologies that become part of our growing tool kit.

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

Competitions are a wonderful opportunity to explore and test ideas; they provide enough freedom for teams and individuals to express themselves fully and make a case for any topic they care about.