WITH 90+ CATEGORIES AND 300+ JURORS, THE ARCHITIZER A+AWARDS IS THE WORLD’S DEFINITIVE ARCHITECTURAL AWARDS PROGRAM. IN THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE EXTENDED DEADLINE, JANUARY 30, 2015, WE ARE PUBLISHING Q&AS WITH 2014 A+AWARD WINNERS. TO SEE A FULL LIST OF CATEGORIES AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE A+AWARDS, VISIT AWARDS.ARCHITIZER.COM.
DIOINNO ARCHITECTURE PLLCwon the 2014 Jury Award for the Products+Living category for QUBE, a slatted wooden box unfolding to become a sturdy dining table with seating for five.
Your name: Jin Young Song, AIA
Firm: DIOINNO ARCHITECTURE PLLC
Location: Buffalo, USA, and Seoul, Korea
Education: Master in Architecture at Harvard University
When did you decide that you wanted to be an architect?
When I was in my first year at college, I saw a building designed by Morphosis (Sun Tower, Korea) in the middle of some old common retail buildings. Many friends asked me, “Why is that building still in construction?” But I knew it was definitely finished and very attractive. That was the moment I thought about being an architect for the first time.
What was your first architecture/design job?
Pro bono work designing millwork in a church — a small desk for computers and mixers.
Who is your design hero and/or what is your favorite building?
Nader Tehrani. His works show smart balance between figuration and configuration, structure and ornament, form and detail.
Tell us something that people might not know about your winning entry:
Qube suggests a simple and noble lifestyle. Other configurations, such as Qube 2 and 3, showing different functions and various possibilities, are on the way.
Among your fellow A+Award winners, what is/are your favorite(s)?
Perez Art Museum Miami Hanging Gardens by Patrick Blanc, Herzog & de Meuron, and jti.
Perez Art Museum Miami Hanging Gardens
Other than your computer (or phone), what is your most important tool?
The physical model. Since it is only loosely related to construction, texture, and space, the model can never be good representation of the end result. However, it is an independent tool with which we can explore new concepts and ideas.
Outside of architecture, where do you look for inspiration?
News media. Political and social conflict. And trying to imagine what design/architecture can do for us.
What do you find exciting about architecture and design right now?
We are witnessing dramatic social and cultural shifts at many different levels. The speed of the transformation in various fields is much faster than in the building industry. Now, more than at any time, we need design innovation to meaningfully frame our life in this disarray.
