The Home of Shadows #2 competition Sustainability Award winner - Natalia Belén Marino

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the Sustainability Award winner of our "The Home of Shadows #2" competition – Natalia Belén Marino from Argentina!

Natalia Belén Marino with Team

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 a team of four individuals with independent practices who came together to participate in this competition.

Natalia Marino, who assembled the team, is an architect (University of Buenos Aires) and woodworker.
Mercedes Muiño is an architect (University of Buenos Aires).
Gonzalo Córdova is a visual artist with a background in lighting design and set design.
Agustin Terrizzano has a background in industrial design (University of Buenos Aires) and is a woodworker.

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?

Natalia and Agustin have worked together for the last six years at Sur del Cruz, a studio-workshop in Buenos Aires, where they developed their love for trade and design. They have worked on projects of multiple scales, including objects, furniture, and architecture. They have plans to further develop their practice together in the coming years.

Mercedes works in real estate developments as a project manager. She is an architect, PMP professional, and is currently pursuing an MS in Finance. She has a passion for fueling projects and motivating teams, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

Gonzalo has worked in opera and theater since 1990 as a director, lighting designer, and set designer. He has created light art installations, performances, and design concepts as an artist or art director on multiple occasions. He also works as a professor of Theater Design at the Universidad Nacional de las Artes in Argentina and has written two books on lighting design.

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

The role of the architect, framed within the field of design, is that of an inventor of environments and spaces for the creation of a community.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

What motivated us to participate in this competition was the proposal: connecting with light as a material of visibility and knowledge. Light-based design questions the design process, inverting the idea of habitat, intimacy, and protection, and challenging the choice of materials and the scope of the technical aspects of elements.

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

In our experience, participating in architecture competitions was a great exercise in teamwork, allowing us to come together and tackle different challenges. Competitions create a unique space to think about diverse problems and explore new ideas. For those of us who come from practical and tangible practices, it was particularly valuable to engage with abstract concepts and creative thinking.

My advice to individuals who are unsure about participating in architecture competitions is to choose competitions that truly motivate you and address issues you find inspiring.