The Architect’s Chair / Edition #4 competition Honorable mention winners - Victor Percoco and Alicia Melancon

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce the Honorable Mention winners of The Architect’s Chair / Edition #4 competition – Victor Percoco and Alicia Melancon from Canada!

Victor Percoco and Alicia Melancon

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 focus on spatiality and have collaborated with graphic design professors at UQAM’s School of Design on temporary public installations. Notable projects include the 2025 Most Beautiful Swiss Books exhibition and ESPACE LOCAL, a gallery showcasing works by foreign designers exploring their relationship to the concept of being “local.” Additionally, we have supported students by providing screen printing workshops as part of FORUM, Montreal’s annual design assembly.

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?

To us, architecture is the spatial expression of systems, intentions, and cultural values—much like the grid is in graphic design. It shapes how people move, gather, and experience their environments. We see architects as historically and culturally aware mediators: they design for the needs of the many, but never in a vacuum. Their work exists within a long canon of architectural thought, continually responding to and extending it. Ultimately, architects serve as translators and stewards of shared space, transforming collective concerns into environments that are functional, equitable, and socially meaningful.

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

As young designers, we participate in architecture competitions because they challenge us to grow, build a meaningful portfolio, and put our work into dialogue with a wider creative community. More importantly, we believe that one does not need to be an architect or industrial designer to contribute to innovation in the built environment. Coming from graphic design, entering these competitions has pushed us to explore spatial thinking, collaborate with industrial designers, and expand our approach—from flat systems to considerations of volume, weight, materiality, and human experience.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

As young designers, we participate in architecture competitions because they challenge us to grow, build a meaningful portfolio, and put our work into dialogue with a wider creative community. More importantly, we believe that one does not need to be an architect or industrial designer to contribute to innovation in the built environment. Coming from graphic design, entering these competitions has pushed us to explore spatial thinking, collaborate with industrial designers, and expand our approach—from flat systems to considerations of volume, weight, materiality, and human experience.

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

We’d tell them that growth only happens when we take a step forward, even if the outcome is uncertain. We can’t discover our potential if we never give ourselves the chance to try. Participating in a competition is less about winning and more about opening doors, challenging our thinking, and seeing where our curiosity can take us. The simple act of showing up can change the way we see our work as well as ourselves.