WINNING ESSAYS: The Berkeley Prize Competition

Neelakshi Joshi, Birla Institute of Technology, MESRA, Ranchi, India; "Banaras- A Continuing Natural, Cultural and Architectural Landscape."

"I was born into a family and culture that has its vast mesh of roots embedded deep in history. Parents and grandparents in India constantly instill us with a respect for nature and the virtue of frugality in everyday acts of life . This is their greatest gift to us and our only hope if we wish to sustain ourselves on this planet. Being an army brat, shifting base every two years and living in ancient forts, old stone houses and thatched huts had its unique thrill as a child. However, looking back , with the perspective of an architecture student, it helps in undestanding the diverse and intricate relationship between climate, culture and the built environment.

In college, I enjoy the constant debate with professors who encourage us to seek local solutions towards a sustainable future and to look beyond the green wash the movement has faced in the recent past. After four years of architectural education, I am currently training with a firm that specializes in respecting local climate, material and temprament. It has greatly helped me to understand the translation of traditions in a contemporary scenario and seek a solution to the problems of cultural erosion, climate change and material depletion. Banaras has been my home for the last seven years. Its antiquity, lifestyle, festivity and vigour has left a lasting impression on me. I hope to carry forward the research that started with this essay and give it a more tangible form in the future as an architect and also a proactive citizen."

Sharayah Jimenez, University of Arizona, USA; "Los Recuerdos del Barrio (The Memory of the Barrio)"

"I grew up in the Sonoran Desert of Tucson, Arizona, and I can trace my roots back to five generations from this place. It is a part of me. I have always felt very rooted to my place and my culture, which is Mexican-American. I had the fortune of listening to my grandparents tell stories of the way that the desert used to be; they lived in a time where people lived off of the land, and most people built their own homes. I think this is where my interest in architecture began. I am fascinated by the way that vernacular architecture happens, and the way that it often representative of culture and place. My real interest in architecture is about this mediation between people, place, and the intangible aspects of both.

I am in my final year of architecture and am excited to be graduating at such a time in history as now. Even though the road in uncertain, I feel that it is one of the best times to be exploring social issues in architecture because there is an atmosphere of change in the air. I would like to dedicate this honor in memory of my grandpas, Pete Jimenez and Jim Orosco and my great grandparents, Trinidad Robles, and James and Theresa Orosco, who are no longer with me, I miss them very much and know that they are very proud."

Second Place Prizes for the 2009 BERKELEY PRIZE Essay Competition are awarded to:

Hajir Alttahir, Manchester School of Architecture, UK; " Mesopotamian Peace Park"

"British by birth and Iraqi by heritage, my outlook is the culmination of disparate ideas and cultures. I was born and raised in London, England. My family, proudly Arab, left their country to pursue university educations only to find they could not return to their homeland as a consequence of political instability. Accidentally displaced, they sought to impart the importance of identity and tradition to my generation. Inadvertently, this has become one of my interests within my studies.

Living in London was an exhilarating experience. The city provided copious opportunities to explore urban occurrences, hosting a wealth of architectural treasures and unique places to discover. Home to a melting pot of races and nationalities, these many iterations of the city fuelled my interest in architecture and urbanism. Through a series of studio projects based in various European countries and self-directed travelling, my fascination in context driven architecture has led me to studying emerging topography this year. It is my belief that design generated by an exhaustive analytical process of the surrounding conditions and cultures provides a more accepted built environment, which successfully encourages interaction and growth within a community.

Whilst I appreciate the artistry of the buildings that grace various journals, I find myself drawn to the innovative ideas used in humanitarian architecture. Perhaps my interest stems from an intent to improve the quality of people’s lives but I feel the resulting interventions are a testimony to what we can achieve, regardless of the restrictions and limited means that typically accompany such projects.

Following the British system, at the end of this academic year, I will enter into a yearlong internship before continuing with the remaining two years of my undergraduate studies. The desire to develop socially responsible and sustainable architecture is something I wish to pursue in my studies and future internships."

Tyler Rozicki, Dalhousie University, Canada; "Learning from Canada's Brick Masonry History"

I grew up in a small northern Ontario city in Canada and have come to enjoy cold weather, snow, and the winter season. Climactic distinctions make our continents and cities unique, and today I find it inspiring to explore architectural concepts that celebrate these differences. I appreciate low tech passive solutions for the nuances of regional climates - probably because I'm not very good at math - but also because I think most people would rather open a window to let in a cool breeze than turn on a stuffy air conditioning. Simple, but good.

Studying art and design in Toronto and Guelph Ontario during my first undergrad made me want to experience the pictures I saw in history books in real life. Traveling and urban exploration ensued. Most recently the industrial buildings and landscape of Halifax lured me to the Canadian east cost where I'm studying architecture at Dalhousie University, there is an honesty in this port city that I find refreshing. Watching trains and boats ship and receive fuel, food, and waste is a reality of today's North America, and its truly awesome to be confronted with the scale of this operation by massive boats carrying cargo. I'd rather see it full on than pretend it doesn't happen.