Architecture Competition Rammed Earth Pavilion 1st prize winner – Roger Boltshauser

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the 1st prize winner of our "Rammed Earth Pavilion" competition – Roger Boltshauser from Switzerland!

1st prize winner Roger Boltshauser

I founded my office Boltshauser Architekten almost thirty years ago after completing my studies at ETH Zurich - where I now teach myself. Today we employ around 80 architects in Zurich and run our own model studio. In 2021, we opened a second office in Munich.

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?

Today, as an office, we enjoy the privilege of not having to commit ourselves too much in terms of the size and type of projects. Our work includes small and very small buildings, temporary exhibition spaces, as well as large housing developments, complex technical buildings and almost self-sufficient administrative buildings. One focus of our work has always been on earthen building and its further development. The potential of this material is enormous! In general, we attach great importance to innovative approaches in dealing with resources and energy: the right choice of materials plays an important role, as do passive construction measures. Among the projects that represent our work are certainly the Rauch House in Schlins, Austria, and the Equipment Storage Buildings And Finishing Tower Sihlhölzli in Zurich. In both projects, rammed earth is the focal point in terms of design and construction. The new swimming and sports center in Zurich-Oerlikon is thermally self-sufficient thanks to twelve massive storage towers clad with earth. In Zurich's university district, we executed the ETH's GLC building, and we are designing and building the new centre for dental medicine as a timber structure. On the Zwhatt development site in Regensdorf Zurich, the high-rise H1, a timber hybrid building, is being built.

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

For a long time I was in a quandary. Should I devote myself to art or become an architect? In my mid-20s, I decided to study at ETH Zurich and to pursue architecture - but not against art. It is still present today in my way of understanding architecture, creating architecture and teaching architecture. The art of building does not "only" mean meeting a design requirement, but also understanding and respecting the rules of construction and creating a work that, as a result, has an inherent constructive aesthetic. Architecture operates at the interface between society, politics, economy and ecology. As architects, we have a responsibility to constantly question and, to a certain extent, redefine ourselves. This responsibility extends beyond building to the environment, to society, to place and its culture. I am an advocate of an integral approach: everything is the designable material of architecture. It takes an eye for the whole, and the architect can only fulfill his or her task if he or she is considered a specialist for the whole and can act as a generalist.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

There are several aspects to why we as an office invest our energy in competitions. They create a certain visibility and charisma. But the most important argument: competitions provide innovative impulses and initiate a learning process. The task is to find a convincing answer to challenging and constantly new questions in a short time. This always results in strong concepts and surprising approaches to solutions. We always have to question ourselves in the process - and as a result we observe a natural and perpetual further development of our work. And, of course, winning a competition is a huge boost and motivates us immensely.

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

In my view, competitions are essential for young architects in particular: they are like a continuation of your studies that helps you to train and develop. Competitions are the only way to compare yourself with other architects, and you can learn a lot about your own work from them. As far as the specific competition is concerned: You have to be genuinely interested in the project that is being advertised and have the feeling that you can contribute something with your ideas and convictions. But the motivation should definitely go beyond winning - otherwise frustration and disappointment are programmed.