Re:Form - New Life for Old Spaces #2 competition Honorable mention winners - Etienne Gary and Nasrdin Chiuti

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 – Etienne Gary and Nasrdin Chiuti from France!

Etienne Gary and Nasrdin Chiuti

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.

We are two young architects who recently graduated in architecture in Paris, where we met at school. We wanted to take part in this competition in order to freely experiment alongside our professional activity, to help shape our future practice, and to have the opportunity to reflect on themes that we are passionate about.

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 we are just out of school, we have not yet built any projects. During our studies, we shared a strong interest in questions of transformation and the renewal of the city upon itself. We are particularly interested in understanding the existing context, which involves surveying, as well as photography and photogrammetry.

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

Architecture should contribute to society and be in tune with its time, offering spaces where people can flourish and live freely and happily. We are convinced that today it is more important to rehabilitate than to build anew, and to learn to look carefully at what surrounds us in order to transform it and extend the life cycles of buildings.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

Above all, it is a pretext to give us the opportunity to reflect on themes that interest us and to experiment freely, helping us shape our perspective as young architects and find our place within the discipline.

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

We are not sure we are in the best position to give advice, but perhaps it would be to enjoy the process and allow yourself to dream a little.