MICROHOME competition Kingspan Award winner - Alessandro Ghidini

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the Kingspan Award winner of our "MICROHOME competition" – Alessandro Ghidini from Italy!

Alessandro Ghidini

Please tell us about your company (when it was founded, where it is based, how many employees, etc) Alternatively, if you do not have a company, please give us some insights on your own professional/academia background.

My name is Alessandro and I graduated from the Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade de Lisboa (FAUTL) way back in 2016.
After working for some Italian studios as an architect, I decided to open an architectural images studio named lens and at the same time attend the Master's "Emergency Architecture and Human Rights" at the IUAV in Venice.
Since then I have mainly worked with 3D images while, time permitting, taking part in architecture competitions focused on emergency issues or small-scale projects. Like microhome.

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?

lens has given me the opportunity to work on a vast number of projects of all scales in various parts of the globe, even really far from where I am based. I had the chance to assist several architectural firms in various competitions and also to work on approved project on their way to be constructed. Among the most significant projects in which I can say I have participated, I would like to mention the two competitions HALO and PONTE SOBRE O DOURO with noarq architecture studio of Porto, both now under construction.

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

To me, architecture has always been a very fascinating world capable of stimulating my attention and pushing me to investigate its themes. I believe that the role of the architect is that of a problem solver through the use of creative solutions. Unfortunately, today the aesthetic impact of the project predominates over its functional character. I believe that a good architect must be able to reconcile the two aspects, today more than ever.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

I like taking part in architecture competitions because, at the end of each one, I come out professionally enriched.

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

I personally think that participating in competitions is the most practical way to enhance your design skills. Competitions like microhome in particular force you to develop an "idea", a sort of foundation from which the rest of the project can emerge. I believe that this "idea" is the basis of a satisfactory architecture and an effort in this direction can only be positive for an architect or an aspirating one.