Architecture Competition The Home of Shadows 2nd prize winner – Estudio Astra

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the 2nd prize winners of our "The Home of Shadows" competition – Rodrigo Galvez and Estefania Miralles from Guatemal!

Rodrigo Galvez and Estefania Miralles from Guatemal

Estudio Astra was founded in 2021 in Guatemalan origin and currently has 3 members in the architecture team.

We started Estudio Astra with the aim of letting the world know our style and thinking about architecture as a process and product.

We are of the idea that global architecture has lost its essence in general. We seek to reborn architecture as habitable works of art. Hence our motto "We make architecture, works of art".

Making a functional project is easy. Any good architect can do it. We go further and make these spaces artistic pieces with a high level of aesthetics.

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 have worked on projects from 10m2-3,000m2. Commercial, offices, housing and interior remodeling are some of the categories we have worked on.

In the 2 years that Estudio Astra has been running, we have managed to obtain more than 5 national and international recognitions. The last recognition being the 1st place in the "Central American Architecture Biennial" with the Yalipur project.

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

For us architecture is the perfect result between art, aesthetics, functionality and engineering. We believe that the architect must provide the best possible solution for the client without neglecting aesthetics. This implies knowing how to manage costs, flows, materials, climate, etc.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

Architectural skills provide us with the opportunity to consistently exercise high levels of conceptualization for a project.

Based on the results we achieve in a competition, we can identify areas for improvement and necessary changes to refine both the project itself and its presentation format.

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

Competitions put us to the test. We all want to win and to be able to do so, you must have discipline, order, time management, knowledge of architecture, but above all, creativity. Being part of a competition makes us strengthen these characteristics of ourselves.