Architecture Competition Memorial for Witches Honorable mention winners - Gemma Annear and Paolo Kirsten

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of our Honorable mention winners for our "Memorial for Witches" competition – Gemma Annear and Paolo Kirsten from Belgium!

Honorable mention winners from Belgium

We are both originally from South Africa. After our architectural studies, during the COVID-19 pandemic we relocated to Belgium for Gemma to pursue a Masters in Human Settlements at KU Leuven. We are now both working in Flanders and are immersed in the challenge of experiencing and integrating ourselves into a completely different architectural heritage, language and context than the one that we were educated in.

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?

We have both had exposure to urban scale projects, social housing, cohousing and public projects in the professional realm but have also previously participated in ideas competitions in the academic environment.

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

The role of the architect is to use the tools of creative and critical thinking whilst bound by the physical constraints of reality to positively contribute to the built fabric of the place they work in. The architect makes manifest the ambitions and values of a society, curates experience of place and aims to produce a beautiful physical thing.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

The conceptual freedom offered when studying architecture stands in stark contrast to the pragmatism required in the professional practice of architecture. For this reason participating in competitions is important because it offers an opportunity for challenges to one’s creativity, an opportunity to play experiment and ultimately strengthen your design capacity as a young architect. We believe that it is important to participate in competitions as a working professional, because they keep you tethered to the importance of design and narrative so that as you grow, you understand how pragmatic reality and conceptual design come together to help make you a more powerful thinker and competent maker as an architect.

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

The architecture competition will only be as beneficial for you as you allow it to be. Use the constraints offered by the brief as the framework for experimentation or to hone a skill that’s needs improvement. The established premise laid out by the competition can help ease creative pressure and allow you to focus on a specific thing that you wanted to explore.

Open architecture competitions

  • Closest Deadline first
  • Project competitions first
    Selected winning projects have the potential to be constructed
  • Ideas competitions first
    Experimental competitions with the focus on pushing the boundaries of creativity
ideas COMPETITION
The Architect's Chair
Edition #1

Take a seat and make a statement!

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Jun 06
Sep 06
Nov 01
ideas COMPETITION
Beyond Isolation: Senior Housing
Senior living. Edition#2

Reimagine senior living spaces

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Jun 08
Sep 08
Nov 02
project COMPETITION
The Legendary Highway 14 Tower
South Dakota, USA

Design an iconic tower for De Smet, South Dakota, USA

Prize: MONETARY AWARD + POTENTIAL TO BE REALISED
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Jun 09
Sep 12
Nov 03
project COMPETITION
Iceland Beer Spa

Design a beer spa in Iceland's captivating landscape

Prize: MONETARY AWARD + POTENTIAL TO BE REALISED
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Jun 14
Sep 14
Nov 08

Reccuring architecture competitions

ideas COMPETITION
Silent contest
For this competition, NO DESCRIPTION TEXT is allowed. The architecture ideas must be communicated strictly with visuals.
Museum of Emotions
Edition #4

Use architecture to create different emotional states

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Sep 27
Nov 28
Jan 30
ideas COMPETITION
Silent contest
For this competition, NO DESCRIPTION TEXT is allowed. The architecture ideas must be communicated strictly with visuals.
The Last Nuclear Bomb Memorial
Edition #3

Design a memorial that speaks to the cause of ending all nuclear weapons programs

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Jun 26
Sep 03
Nov 05
ideas COMPETITION
Workplace Reimagined
Edition #3

Redefine the future of workspaces

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Sep 14
Nov 16
Jan 18
Run repeatedly
Los Angeles Affordable Housing Challenge
Affordable Housing Series #16

Design affordable housing solutions in Los Angeles

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Jun 07
Sep 07
Nov 01
Register now

Please enter your email address to receive download link

Thank you!

The download link will be sent to your email shortly

please check the spam folder
in case you can not find it
OK

Competition results

Hong Kong 
Pixel Homes

Hong Kong Pixel Homes

Affordable Housing Series #2
MICROHOME

MICROHOME

Small living, huge impact! Edition #4

Sign up for our newsletter

Be the first to know when
new competitions are launched!