Architecture Competition Memorial for Witches Honorable mention winner

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of our Honorable mention winner for our "Memorial for Witches" competition – Nima Shariat Zamanpour from United States!

Nima Shariat Zamanpour from United States

I am a Boston-based artist and designer who recently graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Design with a Master of Architecture. Prior to my time at the GSD I did a triple major in Computer Science, Economics and Art at UC, Santa Cruz.

Brief information about the projects that you have been involved with. For instance, what scale have you focused on/preferred, any significant projects you have been involved in?

I have long been interested in ‘fringe’ topics, with my thesis centering around survival bunkers and simulated cities on military bases. I also co-hosted a radio show with Gabe Colombo called (im)material that interviewed faculty and students on the sacred and the occult in architecture.

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

Architecture is a synthesis for me, pulling from a range of disciplines and mediums to construct space and knowledge. I see the role of the architect in society as a facilitator of civic needs, translating ideas, organizations, and gatherings of people into spaces that house those entities.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

I participate in competitions partly to develop my skills in designing narrative spaces and to hone my craft in representation. Prompts I am drawn to exist outside of the reality of a traditional brief for a built project as they stimulate creative impetus in a way that is difficult to source outside of academia or intentional collectives.

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 tell an individual who struggles to decide on participating in an architecture competition to reflect and seek. Reflect on what skills they want to advance and what stories they want to tell. And to seek out particular prompts that excite them and align with interests in a way that inspires thought but maintains friction in the path towards arriving at a proposal.