Architecture Competition Omuli Museum Of The Horse Honorable mention – Carley Chastain

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of our Honorable mention winners for our “Omuli Museum Of The Horse” competition – Carley Chastain from United States!

Carley Chastain from United States

I attended Auburn University, the institution where my parents met, and graduated with a professional degree in architecture in 2017.

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?

I have spent most of my brief career practicing design in the nonprofit sector, collaborating on a range of projects that include community centers, educational projects, and hospitals. A particular curiosity about the nature of culture and design practice has taken me far afield to places such as Istanbul and Kigali; the same curiosity has led me back home, where I currently practice with a firm located in my home, the American South.

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

Today, to me, architecture is a manifestation of acting and living with a level of intention in a network of systems, which in a fundamental way is what all design is (with varying degrees of impact or success). The reality of this in practice comes in many forms.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

This was the first competition I participated in. I entered so that I could regain some autonomy over the type of design practice I wish to engage in. I was able to apply a system of thinking that (compared to other work I’ve done in school or practice) originated from a higher level of personal interest and thus, I hope, generated a compelling result.

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

If you have questions about the nature of practice and your place within it, try a competition. You’ll interact more closely with the parameters of a design and, hopefully, come to conclusions about practice when you have the opportunity to assume responsibility for your work.