Mujassam Watan Urban Sculpture Challenge #8 – Tharwa Sea Front Site – Honorable mention Winner: Niloufar Maleki Pour Horjandi

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the Honorable mention winner of our Mujassam Watan Urban Sculpture Challenge #8 competition - Tharwa Sea Front Site – Niloufar Maleki Pour Horjandi from Australia!

Niloufar Maleki Pour Horjandi from Australia

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.

Nile House is a small architecture and design studio based in Sydney, Australia, founded in 2025. We are a two-person team with backgrounds in architecture and civil engineering, working together remotely. We work on architectural design projects as well as architectural competitions, which give us the opportunity to explore new ideas and develop our design approach. Having both architectural and engineering backgrounds helps us look at projects from both creative and technical perspectives.

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?

As a newly established studio, Nile House works on architectural design projects as well as architectural competitions and conceptual design. We are interested in projects at different scales, particularly those that allow us to explore the relationship between people, place, culture, and context. Competitions are an important part of our work because they give us the freedom to test new ideas, while our architectural projects help us develop practical and buildable design solutions.

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

For us, architecture is more than creating buildings. It is about understanding people, place, culture, and the way they influence each other. We believe architecture should respond to its context and create spaces that are meaningful, functional, and connected to the people who use them. In society, an architect has a responsibility not only to design well, but also to consider how spaces can improve everyday life and contribute positively to the character of a place.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

We participate in architecture competitions because they give us the freedom to explore ideas beyond the usual limits of a project. They allow us to challenge ourselves, test different design approaches, and think more openly about architecture, culture, and public space. Competitions are also an important way for us to grow as a young studio, develop our design identity, and learn through the process. 

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

We would encourage them to take part. Architecture competitions are valuable not only because of the possibility of winning, but because of what you learn during the process. They give you a chance to develop ideas, improve your design thinking, and work outside your usual routine. Even if a project is not selected, the experience can still help you grow and understand your own approach to design more clearly.