Architecture Competition Museum of Emotions / Edition #2 Honorable mention winners - University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras Campus

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of our Honorable mention winners for our "Museum of Emotions / Edition #2" competition – Mariana Merlo Zurinaga, David Acevedo and Diego Estrada from Puerto Rico!

Honorable mention winners from Puerto Rico

We are currently 2nd year undergrad students at the Escuela de Arquitectura, Universidad de Puerto Rico Recinto de Río Piedras. We have done small scale class projects like beach showers and pavilions to name a few.

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

Architecture is a tool for improving the quality of life through space and ambience. For example, architects use skills ranging from technicality to artistry, in order to solve infrastructural and social issues in our society. Thus, architecture is the manifestation of these efforts to maintain and push the barrier for our quality of life.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

This has been our first time participating in an architectural competition as a team. Although sometimes loosely based on reality, competitions let us go all-out and experiment with ideas and concepts we wouldn’t be able to carry out realistically.

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

Participating in architecture competitions is definitely taking a leap of fate, since you never know what the outcome will be. Regardless, this has been a way of testing our architectural creativity and process when faced with a challenge, making it an important and invaluable learning experience for us. This was also a fun opportunity to show our passion for design.