Re:Form - New Life for Old Spaces #2 competition Honorable mention winners - Aaris Katsoulakis and Angus P Robson

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the Honorable mention winners of our Re:Form - New Life for Old Spaces #2 competition – Aaris Katsoulakis and Angus P Robson from Australia!

Aaris Katsoulakis and Angus P Robson from Australia

Please tell us about your company (when it was founded, where it is based, how many employees, etc) Alternatively, if you do not have a company, please give us some insights on your own professional/academia background.

Angus: currently completing his Master of Architecture at RMIT. The concluding semester focusing on a major project, a self-led studio like class. His research is investigating regional conditions of small Aus towns. Has Worked 4 years professionally in student positions, and currently in his second year working at Melbourne firm KKAP.

Aaris: Graduate of Architecture from RMIT, completed his masters in 2025 focusing on social housing projects and adaptive reuse of existing machinery and non conventional structure. Has worked in small to medium sized architectural practices in Melbourne over the last 5 years.

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?

We are intrigued in small to medium interventions in the existing fabric of the city. The personal experiences of the city we have lived and studied in (Melbourne) directs the intent of our research.

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

The role of an architect in our opinion is to be a curator of art, materiality and space. A good architect is one who not only drives to produce a beautiful building, but one who uses their craft to correlate structures to their wider social and political contexts.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

We participate in architectural competitions to maintain strengths in creative and critical design practices. Within the workforce it’s often easy to get bogged down and focused on the practicalities of everyday design. We wish to be not only architects that can see a building through its construction, but also designers that can create a piece of architecture through study and research.

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

The only way to know if you have an idea or a drive to compete in a competition is to start designing. Not every competition is a winner and not every idea makes it far off the ground. It is only through testing and failing that a project can really improve its worth.