Architecture Competition Museum of Emotions Honorable mention – HOCHSCHULE MAINZ

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of our Honorable mention winners for our "Museum of Emotions" competition – Mira Gerhart and Felix Zaglauer from Germany!

Mira Gerhart and Felix Zaglauer from Germany

We are students of the masters course „Kommunikation im Raum“ at the Hochschule Mainz, Germany. This course is based on interior design and shifts its focus on spatial communication.

We, Mira (interior designer) and Felix (carpenter and communication designer), decided to team up for the design competition, because of our different backgrounds, a certain „common sense“ of designing and our productive working vibe. We wanted to combine our individual strenghts and learn from each other during the project with the positive sideeffect that it was fun.

Due to our studies, we worked on a variety of projects so far. The common denominator has been furniture design and buildung, such as the shaping and designing of interior situations.

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

Architecture is omnipresent. It starts with the place we live in, surrounds us in our daily lives and vacations through the city. It has a permanent influence - be it subtle or offensive. Architecture is more than just a physically built space. It is a spatial display of relationships. Architecture can influence the well-being of a human. It can inspire us, can give us new impulses or can take a stand to some degree. What ever it triggers in us - it always communicates.

Architects are not just single designers and developers, they are part of a greater good. The respect for our environment and an eye for social matters plays an important role. Architecture is alwayas an intervention into an existing kontext and needs to respect historical and ecological correlations. Architects have a responsibility to the users, to the urban and rural regions such as to ressources and the environment.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

An architecture or design competition in general bears the chance to make use of your skill in a free way without any given boundaries. Boxes can be comfortable but you have to leave them to think outside of them. For young designers and architects the competitions are the chance to give themselvses a voice and call attention on socially relevant subjects for example, without working in prestigious bureaus.

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

Try to understand the competition as a creative playground. You have the chance to create something from scratch just by your own. Your idea realised with your skill set. The final result is visible to others, but the whole process is yours and you will grow with it. You will get inspired by others and you will inspire others. Especially for students, the competitions are a good opportunity to show themselves with new experimental concepts to a wide audience.