The Home of Shadows #3 competition Honorable mention winners - Fung Shum, Lee Namkyu and Elisa Suzanne Lemonnier

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the Honorable mention winners of our "The Home of Shadows #3" competition –  Fung Shum, Lee Namkyu and Elisa Suzanne Lemonnier from United Kingdom!

Elisa Suzanne Lemonnier, Fung Shum, Lee Namkyu 

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 students at the Architectural Association School of Architecture, pursuing the second year of the RIBA part 1, bachelor’s degree.

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?

As we are still in midst of studies, our scope of works could vary from small scale projects to urban scale interventions. However, we mainly focus on the domestic scale on our current projects and study of research.

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

To our team, architecture is a way of experiencing life both directly and indirectly through space. It allows us to engage with people and perspectives beyond our own, and to design with empathy for lives we may never live. In this sense, architecture is both a lens to see others and a mirror that reflects our values and curiosity. We believe the role of an architect is to observe closely, respond responsibly, and create spaces that hold meaning as well as function. Within any society, architects shape more than buildings. They shape experiences, relationships, and the everyday rhythm of life.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

This is our first architecture competition as a team, and it felt like a natural extension of how we envision architecture—as a way to experience life through space. Beyond our academic projects, we were looking for new inspirations: unfamiliar sites, new briefs, and stories we hadn’t yet imagined. While working on this competition, we envisioned a life in a house built into a cliff, putting ourselves into the shoes into a fisherman, or as someone living with a writer. We were deeply immersed in a life led by natural lightwhere its presence shapes the rhythms, moods, and experiences of everyday living. We plan to continue participating in competitions that allow us to explore diverse ways of living and expand my perspective as a student of architecture.

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

By our personal experiences, we would tell them that architecture competitions are not just about winning or producing polished work—they are opportunities to explore, imagine, and connect with lives and stories beyond your own. If you see architecture as more than construction—as a way of thinking, empathising, and experiencing the world—then competitions can offer a space for that kind of exploration. You don't need to feel fully ready; you just need to be curious. For us, even in our very first competition, we found ourselves immersed in unfamiliar places, new ways of living, and questions we hadn’t asked before. That kind of experience, we think, is beneficial for anyone still discovering what architecture means to them.