Architecture Competition Yoga House On A Cliff Honorable mention – Amos Bok, Raphaël Luchs and Florian Mahieu

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 – Amos Bok, Raphaël Luchs and Florian Mahieu from Belgium!

Amos Bok, Raphaël Luchs and Florian Mahieu from Belgium

Our team is a temporary association of three former architects, based in Brussels, Belgium. Since we graduated from the Faculty of La Cambre Horta in 2017, we specialized in multiple diverse, yet complementary fields. While Amos Bok has learned woodworking and carpentry, Raphaël Luchs specialized in residential architecture, and Florian Mahieu experimented with earth construction, mushroom-based materials, and graphic representation in architecture. We are currently all working in architecture offices in Belgium.

Amos Bok worked on a large-scale renovation in Bordeaux, France where he explored the participatory mechanisms of architecture. In Brussels, he organized woodworking workshops with socio-cultural aspects, and now works in an architecture office specialized in self-construction assistance.

Raphaël Luchs worked on multiple architecture projects in Brussels, from single family houses to large-scale housing projects, focusing mostly on renovation.

Florian Mahieu specialized in earth construction, particularly during the design and construction of a reception centre in Benin, and through the experimentation around bio-based materials, constructed from mycelium (fungi). He’s involved in a discipline which reinforces its bonds with the land, its cultures, its users, its builders, and the matter.

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

Architecture deeply influences our lifestyles. We believe that a sustainable way of living should be supported by a human-scale architecture. Thus, we’re looking for alternatives to the mainstream building methods, such as bioclimatic and “right-tech” architecture. The aim is to reconnect to its context by optimizing the use of technologies, energies, and material and human resources. Architects have a major social function, as projects can help promote local craftmanship and circular economy in a given territory.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

We see the competition as a challenge, forcing us to get out of our comfort zone. It’s an interesting exercise where we have to experiment and materialize ambitious ideas, thus pushing our boundaries of creativity and freedom. Furthermore, it is a great opportunity to experiment with new graphic representation techniques to communicate about architecture. 

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

If not now, when?