Congratulations to Florence Ma, 1st place winner of the SOPREMA Award. Several awards are presented annually to full-time undergraduate or graduate students in the School of Architecture who enrolled in ARCH 473, ARCH 493, ARCH 673 or ARCH 693. Selection is made on the basis of a strong technical understanding of the building envelope and great design skills as evidenced by the grades received in the final project and technical report.
Florence Ma (she/her) is an MArch student at the School of Architecture. Her current research focuses on the death and architecture, particularly on how designers can encourage a positive connotation on the sentiment of death, through spatial design. Growing up and residing between different countries, she was fascinated by vernacular architecture, how they reflect the unique character and culture of cities they house, and the nuances in materials and styles, which consequently inspired her practice in the architectural profession. Florence believes in purposeful manipulations of space can create a positive impact on users, and through so, hopes to take an active role in combating the unspoken social injustices in this world.
"The Mechanics Institute" is inspired by the cliff on site, various strategies are used in this project to delivering an energy-efficient building complex. It also strives to create a dialogue between the building and the cliff, where the main volume of the building is elevated to allow a straightforward transition to the visual overhang. This experience is then amplified upon reaching the upper floors, where a higher altitude would better frame the visual extension of the river. The essence of the project relies on the use of locally sourced materials, which echos the importance of both visual continuity and sustainability.
