Congratulations to the national winners of SuperStudio 2021, Angela Xu and Thomas Li, currently in their third year at The University of Sydney for their submission, Sedimentary Fabrics. SuperStudio is a national conceptual design challenge that encourages students to think creatively and to experiment with different design techniques and methodologies to produce a response to a brief.
This year’s Creative team led by Susan Ang, Associate Head (International) of School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University and Wei Yap, Ooi, Principal, HAYBALL Architecture, worked closely with Aremel Tibayan, SONA Vice President; Competitions and Events, to formulate the 2021 SuperStudio brief.
"The creative team recognises the need to reflect and explore the complex palimpsest of our collective past, present and pluralistic future. As architects, we want to look keenly beyond the lens of self, so we may see the views of others; we want to listen with intent, so we may hear the voices of our communities. Superstudio 2021 is a doorway to an experience that will allow participants to contribute to the making of meaningful architecture in the next decade and that will mark a milestone year of the 90th anniversary of The Institute."
This year 148 students across the country formed 51 teams. The teams had one week to work on their proposals. After presentations were held in each state, a shortlist of teams progressed to the national judging to be considered for the overall prize of $3000.
After deliberations the national jury selected Sedimentary Fabrics as the national winning submission.
Now in its sixteenth year, SuperStudio is a long running and much-loved SONA program. The competition cannot go ahead without volunteers from the architectural community that contribute their time and expertise to help deliver this program for our SONA members.
A special thank you to these volunteers, our creative directors, mentors, members of the jury in each state, and design day speakers as well as our wonderful SONA representatives and SONA executive team who together made this competition possible.
From the winning team
What we propose unites past and present, to invite a future that celebrates the fluidity of identity. The sites we have chosen are abandoned industrial spaces across Sydney, that have not only become a neglection of land, but also our heritage and cultural identity. Our design blends architecture with sculpture, inviting the community to bring a part of themselves, their clothes, to partake in an act of collaboration and sharing.
Angela Xu and Thomas Li, 3rd Year students, University of Sydney.
