Architecture Competition MICROHOME / Edition #5 Honorable mention winners – Nasim Mollazadeh Sorkhabi, Arezou Fallah, Sara Vejdan and Niki Haddadrazavi

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of our Honorable mention winners for our "MICROHOME / Edition #5" competition – Nasim Mollazadeh Sorkhabi, Arezou Fallah, Sara Vejdan and Niki Haddadrazavi from Canada!

Honorable mention winners from Canada

We first met each other at the university campus when we were architecture undergraduate students. Today, Niki is about to graduate and is working on her bachelor’s final project, Nasim is a graduate student, and Sara and Arezou are working as freelance designers.

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?

There are a few topics we are interested in; parametric and modular architecture, and sustainable design. We are currently exploring these topics on small to medium scale, mostly residential, academic or professional projects.

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

Architecture is a field where art and science meet each other to shape an aesthetic space that can answer people’s needs. And an architect is one who identifies and understands these needs, and is able to offer aesthetic and efficient solutions/designs for them.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

Competitions are fun but serious, short but have a lot to learn from, and most importantly are usually on new and most contemporary issues. Therefore, competitions are a great way for architects to gain experience, stay up to date, and greatly improve their skills in just a short period of time.

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

Pick a competition that you find most close to your heart that is not so beyond your abilities. For example, you might want to start with small-scale competitions and build from there. Once you’ve decided on a competition, pay attention to the skills and knowledge you need to possess in this competition, and while you’re working on the subject of the competition, develop or master the needed skills. Once the competition is over, you’ll see how much you’ve been improving all the while you were participating.