Architecture Competition Yoga House On A Cliff Honorable mention – Rafael Cruz, Gabriel Molina, Sebastián García and Sebastián Moreno

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of our Honorable mention winners for our “Yoga House On A Cliff” competition – Rafael Cruz, Gabriel Molina, Sebastián García and Sebastián Moreno from Colombia!

Rafael Cruz, Gabriel Molina, Sebastián García and Sebastián Moreno from Colombia

We are four Colombian architects from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, and for more than nine years we have collaborated together in the development of academic projects, architectural competitions, and multi-scale design commissions. Since college, each one of us has delved into different specialties and skills, achieving complementary and synergistic work when designing.

ABOUT OUR PROJECTS - Thanks to the diversity of interests, as a group we have been able to work on projects of different scales, from location adjustments to city planning and urbanism projects. Although all projects and their scope are different, our principles are constant when designing, where we seek the balance between the environment, the atmosphere and the use.

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

We understand architecture as an activity that starts from understanding and then executes; to analyse and then project. For our team, a good design encompasses an innumerable number of factors and variables that must be resolved with elegance and simplicity, achieving spaces that generate atmospheres, a sensory exploration that responds to the need of the project and yet always leaves space for wonder and creativity in the project.

As architects, we design not only physical spaces, but also habits, routines, sensations, and emotions in the people who inhabit them. We have the responsibility and power to create, adapting to needs and ensuring well-being in a changing world that demands new challenges every day.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions? 

It is the opportunity to try new ideas and to set ourselves design challenges that we are not used to on a daily basis. Contests are the means of expressing our creativity, finding tools and knowledge that we can later apply in our professional practice.

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

It is a personal and professional challenge worth taking. Even when the project is not a winner, the creative design experience will always bring knowledge and exploration, as it will show you what you are capable of, what you have learned, and what you still have to learn and improve.