Architecture Competition MICROHOME / Edition #5 Honorable mention winner – Han Kuo

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of our Honorable mention winners for our "MICROHOME / Edition #5" competition – Han Kuo from Taiwan!

Han Kuo from Taiwan

Supra-Simplicities is a small architectural studio with team based in Taiwan and New York. As young practitioners, recently we’re fortunate to completed some small-scale projects, including a small office for soil waste management and a residential house in southern Taiwan. We keep challenge ourselves through different types of design. This competition was mainly led and designed by one of key member of Supra-Simplicities, Han Kuo.

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?

At this moment, we only focus ourselves on a small-scale design mostly, which is more controllable and aligns with the thinking and knowledge of our initial concept of studio. Moreover, we always believe designers can come up with big idea from a seemingly humble and human-oriented scale of architecture design.

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

As one of long-lasting profession in human civilization, architecture is a complicated process and choreography between not only artistic expression but also exquisite engineering. This industry keeps evolving along with the advance of technology and new building technique; hence we regard architects as scientist or doctors who help to diagnose and improve our living environment and society.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

To me, every architecture competition is an uncharted journey and challenge. Competition help us think in a wider variety of perspectives that we never did before. I really like the main subject of microhome competition. The allowed buildable footprint is tiny but I don’t consider it as limitation. Instead, the restriction is the force triggering more creative and unthinkable imagination.

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

In order to building up constant conversation with yourself and keep challenging and renewing all your established thinking, competition is an effective way to achieve that goal.