Design a memorial that speaks to the cause of ending all nuclear weapons programs
We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the winners of the 2nd prize of our “Pape Nature Park Gateway” competition - Jeffrey Clancy from United States!
Jeffrey Clancy from United States
Since graduating with a Master’s in Architecture from Arizona State University in 2012, I have worked at WEDDLE GILMORE black rock studio (also in Arizona) where I have gained experience in a variety of scales and typologies - from small-scale desert trailhead buildings to large-scale botanical gardens and community museums. By and large, my interest lies in the public realm: architecture that is accessible to everyone and makes a positive impact on people’s lives. Studying, living, and working in a unique desert climate has instilled in me a great appreciation for context and the influence it asserts on a project. I believe in a design methodology that grows from the site - not only the physical context, but the social and political context as well.
I very much enjoy working on small-scale interventions. Not only does it allow one to focus on details and materiality, but it also affords the opportunity to make landscape a more important part of the project. I’m always interested in design solutions that fuse architecture with its surroundings.
Architecture informs so much of our lives and yet is extremely undervalued in the United States for the most part. For that reason, I am interested in the architect’s role in shaping public space. I want to see people’s lives enriched by the spaces they inhabit (whether they know it’s happening or not).
I enjoy the creative freedom that these competitions allow. While daily practice is incredibly rewarding, competitions such as this offer a chance to exercise my mind and explore design problems that I might not otherwise have the opportunity to delve into. They provide me the opportunity to research and explore a place and context that I may not otherwise have explored. I enjoy that. And I enjoy seeing other solutions to the same problem.
There exists a broad range of design competitions. Find one that piques your curiosity and makes you want to learn more. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. We are all better off for it.