Re:Form - New Life for Old Spaces competition Honorable mention winners - Sechang Oh and Hwang Miri

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the Honorable mention winners of our Re:Form - New Life for Old Spaces competition – Sechang Oh and Hwang Miri from South Korea!

Honorable mention winners

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 graduate students from XA Lab, an interdisciplinary research group within the Department of Architecture at Sungkyunkwan University.
XA Lab explores human-centered architectural design across digital and physical environments.
The lab integrates architecture, design, representation, writing, and digital rhetoric to prepare students for diverse professional paths.
It emphasizes the harmony between humanity and technology in an era of rapid digital transformation, positioning architectural experience as a catalyst for social and spatial change.

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?

I mainly focus on small to medium-scale design projects.
Previously, I was selected as Finalists in Buildner’s Nuclear Bomb Memorial #2 Competition with the project Tears,
and also participated in the Iceland Beer Spa Competition.
Through these international challenges, I have explored diverse cultural contexts and experimental design methodologies.

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

For me, architecture is a relationship of love and hate.
During the process, it feels exhausting, but once it ends, I miss it and start again — it’s a creative addiction.
As technology and AI advance rapidly, I believe architecture must remain a vessel for humanity.
Architects should balance technological progress with human sensitivity, creating environments that embody both innovation and empathy.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

What fascinates me most about architecture competitions is seeing how different designers interpret the same topic. When designing, it's easy to become confined to one's own perspective, but competitions allow us to learn how others think and respond, expanding our design horizons beyond borders.

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

It’s important not to be confined by your own ideas.
Competitions are valuable opportunities to grow by learning from others’ perspectives and approaches.
Focus on the process rather than the result — that’s where true growth happens.It’s important not to be confined by your own ideas.
Competitions are valuable opportunities to grow by learning from others’ perspectives and approaches.
Focus on the process rather than the result — that’s where true growth happens.