Architecture Competition Office Design Challenge / Edition #2 Honorable mention winner – Toronto Metropolitan University

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of our Honorable mention winners for our "Office Design Challenge / Edition #2" competition – Parinaz Nabavi, Liam Roberts, Angela Le and Golara Pourvakil from Canada!

Honorable mention winners from Canada

We are Architectural Science students at Toronto Metropolitan University. In our academic journey, we strive to implement sustainable thinking into architecture as a means to accommodate to the world’s ever-changing environmental needs. As a group, we found our common ground in formulating spaces that prioritized occupant health and happiness by finding a balance between function and aesthetics.

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?

Through our university’s collaboration with organizations and businesses in the city of Toronto, we have participated in small-scale projects such as design-builds. In terms of school projects, we have designed residential projects such as laneway houses and mid-rise developments. We have also designed libraries, performance spaces and pavilions.

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

Although a singular piece of architecture cannot fundamentally alter the core values of the site in which it inhabits, it has the ability to incite change to its surroundings. Architecture has the ability to enhance existing conditions by providing a healthy framework which improves the overall well-being for occupants/users without taking away from the prevailing society. Ultimately, to us, architecture is an art that combines culture, politics and more, problem solving in order to create an environment that people want to engage in.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

As architecture students, we are always looking for ways to challenge our creativity and hone our design skills. Design competitions allow us to exercise our abilities in design and software, as well as give us more opportunity to work with a team and collaborate towards a common goal. Moreover, it opens us up to a broader horizon of architectural possibilites whether it be through materiality, construction technique, or spatial organization.

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 an architecture competition allows for a secondary gateway to furthering architectural design and skill through a medium that is less high-stakes; whilst still providing ample payoff in terms of exploration and learning. Architecture competitions are a great platform to practice radical and contemporary ideas. It is a great opportunity to collaborate with others and formulate design solutions that enrich society.