Re:Form - New Life for Old Spaces competition Sustainability Award winners - Hwanseo Lee, Kuenwoo Park and Hyeonjin Cho

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the Sustainability Award winners of our Re:Form - New Life for Old Spaces competition – Hwanseo Lee, Kuenwoo Park and Hyeonjin Cho from Italy!

Hwanseo Lee, Kuenwoo Park and Hyeonjin Cho

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 Korean architecture students at Politecnico di Milano, Italy.

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 interested in how different scales influence one another, how small interventions can impact larger systems and how the large shapes intimate spaces. Our projects explore the dialogue between old traces and new materiality, as well as how new ideas can reinterpret historical or existing contexts.

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

Architecture is not just about solid but about a continuous process. It is a path where ideas, people, and contexts come together. As architects, our role is to open this path, direct it thoughtfully, and allow society to engage in shaping it.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

Competitions give us the chance to share our ideas and test our methodology in a wider context. They are both an opportunity to communicate and a way to grow as architects.

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

Competitions are valuable not only for the results but also for the journey. Even when the outcome is not as expected, the process itself teaches you something new about design, teamwork, and yourself. That makes it always worthwhile to take the challenge.