Architecture Competition San Francisco Affordable Housing Challenge Honourable mention - Jee Hyung Park

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to an Honourable mention winner for our “San Francisco Affordable Housing Challenge” competition - Jee Hyung Park from the United States.

Jee Hyung Park from the United States

I am currently a Designer II at CO Architects in Los Angeles. Prior to this, I worked at Beyer Blinder Belle in DC and Farshid Moussavi Architecture in London. I completed my Master in Architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design and Bachelor in Science with Architectural Design major at Konkuk University in South Korea.

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 company/ individuals have been involved?

As a young budding professional, I have been interested in all kinds of projects that have provided a great learning opportunity. I have worked on an urban school, a US embassy, high-value housing, flagship retail stores, and recently a coastal hospital. The diverse projects ranged from small to large scale projects.

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

This is probably a big question with an evolving answer. Currently, for me, architecture is one lens through which I observe the cultural, political, socio-economic context of our cities, among others. However, it is the one compelling tool that I acquired to support what I believe in and to re-imagine what we as a society could be. A case in point is my proposal for this competition.

Why do you participate in architecture vision competitions?

San Francisco Affordable Housing Challenge reminded me of my graduate thesis project in GSD. The competition provided a great opportunity to revisit and polish the idea, and share it with others.

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

Consider taking the time to research which competition fits your timeline and interests, and use the competition as an opportunity to develop and clarify your ideas. Everyone needs a project to get things going.