Architecture Competition MICROHOME 2020 Honorable mention – Zuzanna Słabik

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of our Honorable mention winner for our “MICROHOME 2020” competition – Zuzanna Słabik from Poland!

Zuzanna Słabik from Poland

I am a professionally active architect while studying for my master’s degree at the Warsaw University of Technology in Poland. I also studied at Brno University of Technology for one semester during my Erasmus exchange in Czech Republic. I have been working for over two years in an architecture studio in Warsaw, where I have learnt a lot. I plan to develop my career and possibly move to another European country in the following years to gain more experience and improve myself as an architect.

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?

In my professional work, we focus mostly on residential buildings. In our practice, we have won some competitions for municipal housing in Poland. In my personal projects, I like to focus on the user. My bachelor’s degree was focused on elderly housing and intergenerational integration.

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

For me, architecture is like solving a complicated puzzle with many variables. As an architect, it is important to take everything into consideration, starting from the user, through respecting history and context, through thinking about our environment, and ending with economic issues. Architecture is optimization combined with the art of creation, which is an architect's responsibility towards society.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

I like to challenge myself, and during every competition I learn something new. It is a very intense process, but I wouldn’t change it for anything else. At the end of the competition, I love to go through my sketches and steps to see the path that I have taken and what I can improve in the future.

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 say that each competition is a possibility to improve your skills and to learn something. Even if you don’t succeed, nobody can take away from you the knowledge gained during that process. And if you are afraid of failure – with each competition you do, your chances are getting better. Don’t quit and challenge yourself.