Summary of "[정림학생건축상] 2026 ‘우리 어떡해’ 주제설명회"
Summary of the 2026 Jeonglim Student Architecture Award Briefing Session
Main Ideas and Concepts
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Purpose of the Jeonglim Student Architecture Award:
- An annual competition since 2012 by the Jeonglim Architecture Foundation encouraging students to explore societal and urban phenomena through architectural imagination.
- The 2026 theme is “How We Are”, focusing on self-reflection, personal care, and expanding to collective/social care through architecture.
- The contest invites students to imagine how they live individually and collectively, and how architecture and cities can embody these ideas.
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Event Structure:
- Introduction of judges and their backgrounds.
- Judges’ presentations on their interpretations of the theme.
- Addressing frequently asked questions about the contest.
- Live Q&A session with judges.
- Explanation of the schedule and submission guidelines.
Key Lessons and Insights from Judges’ Presentations
1. Director Im Tae-byeong
- Emphasizes starting from self-care (“How am I?”) and expanding to collective care (“How are we?”).
- Highlights the importance of reflecting on personal stories as a foundation for architectural creation.
- Discusses the concept of “No Man’s Land” or intermediate spaces that mediate between private and public realms.
- Uses examples like Bologna’s porticoes and illegal yet socially accepted architectural extensions to illustrate flexible boundaries in architecture.
- Encourages exploring architecture beyond strict legal frameworks, allowing societal agreements to shape space use.
- Suggests reading:
- Future of the Future by Jang Gwang-myeong
- Works by sociologist Han Byeong-cheol for deeper understanding.
2. CEO Hong Bo-ra
- Describes her role as an art planner interested in urban observation and experimental, creative research rather than traditional architectural problem-solving.
- Highlights the value of flexibility and interdisciplinary approaches combining art, technology, and community.
- Shares examples of collaborative projects with artists and engineers, emphasizing friendship, self-care, and community.
- Introduces the concept of computers as caring devices rather than controlling ones.
- Recommends books:
- The End of Reality by Han Byeong-cheol
- Acceleration and Reflection by Hartmut Rosa
- Notes themes from design weeks such as repair, repurpose, roughness, self-sufficiency, and creative hacking of urban spaces.
3. Director Choi Jae-pil
- Discusses the dual questions: “How do I want to live?” and “How can we live together?”
- Advocates fantasy and research as complementary methodologies:
- Fantasy: Imagination to envision new ways of living and architectural forms.
- Research: Understanding urban structures and social contexts to inform design.
- Shares examples of architectural projects integrating nature, mobility, and community.
- Explains urban research methods like pattern language, DNA of cities (e.g., Tokyo), and mapping communal events.
- Presents two master’s thesis projects:
- “Houses for Living with Horses” exploring coexistence of humans and animals in urban spaces.
- Designing houses that expand into villages, creating private-public hybrid spaces fostering community.
- Encourages integrating research and fantasy for meaningful architectural proposals.
4. Professor Yoon Joo-seon
- Reflects on the changing role of architects in an era of population decline and social diversification.
- Notes the historical context: architects as multi-skilled creators before the modern profession’s specialization.
- Highlights the rise of young architects expanding their roles beyond design to include community engagement, construction, and operation.
- Shares examples from Japan and Europe where architects run cafes, galleries, guesthouses, and collaborate closely with local communities.
- Emphasizes appropriate, sustainable architecture using local materials and moderate design.
- Encourages students to research their own neighborhoods, engage with residents, and design spaces that reflect real lives and needs.
- Advocates for architects as researchers, operators, and creators, not just designers.
5. General Advice and Contest Guidelines
- No strict judging criteria or scoring categories; evaluation is qualitative and holistic.
- The concept of “us” can be interpreted broadly—from individual, student, to societal levels.
- AI-generated images are generally discouraged but may be used if contextually justified and cited.
- Submission format is flexible but should include basic architectural expressions (drawings, diagrams, etc.) and reflect research intentions.
- Encouragement to start small, focus on personal interests, and dig deeply into why you like something as a form of research.
- The contest is open to currently enrolled students, those on leave, and those graduating by February 2026.
- Registration and payment must be completed online before deadlines to avoid technical issues.
- Final presentations require team member attendance, with exceptions considered case-by-case.
Methodology / Instructions for Participants
Theme Approach
- Begin with personal reflection and self-care.
- Expand ideas to collective and societal contexts.
- Consider intermediate spaces that mediate private and public life.
- Embrace flexibility and question legal or institutional boundaries.
- Use fantasy (imagination) and research (contextual understanding) together.
Research
- Conduct urban and social research beyond objective data—interpret architectural and urban narratives.
- Explore local environments, community stories, and vernacular architecture.
- Use existing theories like pattern language or urban DNA to frame research.
- Incorporate research findings into design proposals meaningfully.
Design and Presentation
- Express architectural ideas using drawings, diagrams, models (PDF submission only, no physical models).
- Reflect research and conceptual thinking clearly.
- Be open to various forms of expression; the work does not have to be limited to buildings.
- Consider multiple sites or movable objects if relevant.
- Avoid relying heavily on AI-generated images; if used, cite sources and show manual work.
Participation
- Register early and pay the fee online.
- Submit assignments by the deadline in the correct format.
- Final presentations require team attendance unless exceptions apply.
- Engage actively in Q&A sessions and forums for deeper understanding.
Speakers / Sources Featured
- Shin Mi-seon – Jeonglim Architecture Foundation (Event Host)
- Director Im Tae-byeong – Judge, Architect
- CEO Hong Bo-ra – Judge, Art Planner
- Director Choi Jae-pil – Judge, Architect and Researcher
- Professor Yoon Joo-seon – Judge, Architecture Professor
Additional references to:
- Writers Kim Ha-ra and Hwang Seon-woo
- Author Jang Gwang-myeong (Future of the Future)
- Sociologist Han Byeong-cheol (The End of Reality)
- Philosopher Hartmut Rosa (Acceleration and Reflection)
- Architect Riken Yamamoto (Boundary Theory)
- Japanese architect Takashi Kenji (Master’s thesis example)
- Other architectural teams and projects from Japan and Europe
This briefing provides a comprehensive overview of the 2026 Jeonglim Student Architecture Award’s theme, expectations, and inspirations, encouraging students to deeply engage with their personal and societal contexts through imaginative and research-driven architectural work.
Category
Educational
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