Architecture Competition Portugal Olive Guest House 2nd and Student prize winners – Warsaw University of Technology

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the 2nd and Student prize winners of our "Portugal Olive Guest House" competition – Karolina Rorat and Ewa Maniak from Poland!

2nd and Student prize winners from Poland

We are architecture students from Warsaw University of Technology. This year we had the opportunity to participate in the Erasmus exchange program in Lisbon, which inspired us to further explore Portuguese architecture.

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 students, we have been involved with many different-scaled academic projects, ranging from small shelters and single-family housing to urban-scale ones. We are still learning and exploring various design opportunities.

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

We believe that architecture is not only a connection between art and science but, more importantly, a way of creating architectural facts through which we can start a dialog with society. For us, the role of the architect is to provide people with spaces that answer to their needs as well as with experiences that enhance their sense of identity and belonging.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

In our opinion, architecture competitions provide a wonderful opportunity to challenge ourselves by engaging in unconventional projects around the world. We thoroughly enjoy exploring different cultures, and architecture competitions serve as a means to do just that.

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

Risk it for the biscuit!