The Home of Shadows #2 competition Honorable mention winners - Gerald Yi En Low, Bo Yi Low and Johnson Ho

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the Honorable mention winners of our "The Home of Shadows #2" competition – Gerald Yi En Low, Bo Yi Low and Johnson Ho from Australia!

Gerald Yi En Low, Bo Yi Low and Johnson Ho from Australia

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.

Gerald Low, a recent graduate from the University of Melbourne, has recently begun his career as a Graduate of Architecture at BKK Architects. His final thesis project, "Démontage," focused on the sensitive preservation and sustainable revitalization of a heritage-significant social center.

Edwin Low is a Graduate of Architecture at StrataPNA and an experienced drafter who has worked on numerous government projects. Along with Johnson, he won 2nd place in the 2019 SONA Superstudio Student Competition.

Johnson Ho is a Graduate of Architecture at Bruce Henderson Architects. Together with Edwin, he won 2nd place in the 2019 SONA Superstudio Student Competition and was later invited to join the jury panel for the 2021 SONA Superstudio Victoria. His final thesis project at Deakin University was showcased in the Paper Space Exhibition at the Deakin Waterfront campus.

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 focus on various scales but primarily work on government and commercial projects across Melbourne, including police and fire stations, multi-residential developments, and road infrastructure.

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

Architecture weaves itself into many aspects of our lives beyond our careers. In terms of architectural design, we like to think of architecture in its purest form, as an assemblage of raw building materials. As architecture graduates, it is our job to imagine and reimagine how these elements fit together to make life more fulfilling.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

Ironically, we take part in architecture competitions to create more opportunities for us to design. The majority of our time spent in practice requires us to deal with the pragmatic aspects of architecture. While that is fulfilling in its own way, competing allows us to be freer in our designs.

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

Have fun designing, and the rest will take care of itself.