Mujassam Watan Urban Sculpture Challenge #8 – Salwa Road Site – Honorable mention Winner: Brandon Ong Hing

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the Honorable mention winner of our Mujassam Watan Urban Sculpture Challenge #8 competition - Salwa Road Site – Brandon Ong Hing from United States!

Brandon Ong Hing from United States

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.

Brandon Hing is an architectural designer. He is a graduate from the University of Southern California and is currently attending the Masters program at Harvard Graduate School of Design. Some of his recent professional experience includes architectural internships at Takenaka Corporation in Tokyo and Snøhetta Oslo.

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

For this project, I treated architecture as a means of connecting the automobile and the person. The speed of the automobile creates a distance between how we view and experience the city as drivers and as pedestrians. I see the architect’s role as negotiating this tension, creating spaces where movement and pause can coexist and where the relationship between the car and the pedestrian can be reconsidered.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

I participate in architecture competitions as a way to experiment in architecture adjacent fields. Because I spend most of my time designing traditional architecture, I typically select competitions which offer me opportunity to explore other areas of design. The Mujassam Watan Challenge was the perfect mix between art, architecture, and urban design.

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

My advice is to consider what you can gain from the process of competing. For me, architecture competitions have been the most rewarding when I approach them as opportunities to learn. Every competition is so different, and each teaches me something new about how I work. I see participating as an investment in refining my own personal methods/interests/ability in design.