Architecture Competition Sleeping Pods On A Cliff Honorable mention – Ugo Felici Giunchi, Nathalie Esposito and Assia Cirillo

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of our Honorable mention winners for our “Sleeping Pods On A Cliff” competition – Ugo Felici Giunchi, Nathalie Esposito and Assia Cirillo from Germany!

Honorable mention from Germany

We are a group of three architects coming from Naples and living in Berlin. We studied at the University of Architecture Federico II. in Naples and for different reasons we moved to Berlin (Germany) where we collaborate with different architectural offices. Our academic backgrounds are the same, but our professional paths have taken very different directions. Each of us has followed different design styles, but the basic design process we adopt is the same. Our projects are then enriched by the insights and experiences that each of us has had. This gives us the ability to develop a project while keeping in balance different aspects, such as design, sustainability, and feasibility.

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?

Since the first year, parallel to our work, we have dedicated ourselves to design competitions together. We prefer to focus on small-scale projects. One of the key requirements for our projects is ease of construction, along with sustainability and relationship with nature.

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

We believe that the role of the architect today is to respond to environmental issues while offering spaces that create strong sensations and emotions. Therefore, our projects start from the small scale, where we can focus on the development of senses through architecture, up to the large scale of the relationship with the environment.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

We participate in architecture competitions because we believe that, in this way, we can deepen different topics that can allow us to learn and grow professionally so that one day we can start an architectural firm together.

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

We believe that tackling a new project is always an interesting challenge.
Architectural competitions propose design themes that are often particular, if not unique. Approaching a new project is always a reason for personal growth, regardless the result.