The Next House: USA Honorable mention winner - Aaron Paul Whalen

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the Honorable mention winner of our The Next House: USA competition – Aaron Paul Whalen from Canada!

Aaron Paul Whalen

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.

SNDBOX Architecture Ltd. is an independent studio founded in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada in 2024. Led by its founder, Aaron Paul Whalen, the studio operates as a focused, one-architect practice. SNDBOX approaches architecture through research, prototyping, and iteration — driven by a belief that meaningful design emerges at the intersection of thoughtful questioning and unexpected discovery. The studio's name draws on the concept of the classic sandbox: a bounded space where creativity and problem-solving flourish.

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 its founding, SNDBOX has focused primarily on residential architecture — specifically missing middle housing. What began as a design focus has grown into a broader practice: the studio now works with multiple municipalities across British Columbia, contributing to housing policy development and cataloguing housing designs to support local planning efforts. Alongside this municipal work, SNDBOX has developed relationships with First Nations communities in BC, with a focus on affordable housing. This reflects the studio's broader commitment to architecture that is not only well-designed, but accessible and responsive to the communities it serves.

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

Architecture is the only art form we are required to live inside. To practice it is to accept a quiet responsibility — that the spaces we design will shape how people feel, move, and connect with one another, often without them ever knowing why.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

The best architectural ideas often arrive uninvited — and competitions are one of the few places where that's actually allowed. Without a client brief narrowing the aperture before the thinking has even begun, competitions create the rare conditions for genuine exploration.

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

Do it. Competitions are one of the few spaces in architecture where the stakes are low and the creative freedom is high. There is no client to disappoint, no budget to defend — only an idea to pursue. "Nothing bad can happen, it can only good happen." DJT