A+Winner Q+A: Apichart Srirojanapinyo on Stu/D/O’s First Project

With 90+ categories and 300+ jurors, the Architizer A+Awards is the world’s definitive architectural awards program. In anticipation of the Awards Gala and Phaidon book launch on May 14, we are pleased to share the stories behind the winners of the 2015 Awards program — see all of them here.

stu/D/O won the 2015 A+Awards, Jury Choice, for the Commercial: Office – Mid-Rise (5-15 Floors) Category with Zonic Vision Office. The exterior of the building alludes to the company, which makes audio and GPS systems.

Your name: Apichart Srirojanapinyo
Firm name: Stu/D/O Architects
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Education: SMArchS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), BArch, Chulalongkorn University

First architecture/design job:

A private poolside villa while I was working with Architects 49 Limited.

Design hero and/or favorite building (and why):

Tadao Ando. He is one of my earliest inspirational figures because of his simplicity of forms, use of natural materials, and the emphasis of light and space.

What do you find exciting about architecture and design right now?

The advancing construction technology, i.e. 3D printer and responsive devices. It seems to me that there are more possibilities to explore the design under the same limited budget through the implementation of these technologies.

Tell us something that people might not know about your A+Award submission:

It is our office’s first project.

Which jurors do you find most compelling and why?

Sou Fujimoto and Bjarke Ingels. They always materialize the conceptual diagram clearly in their architecture.

Among your fellow A+Award winners, what is/are your favorite(s)?

High Line at the Rail Yards by James Corner Field Operations

What is the most important quality in an architect?

The quality of balancing the complexity of architecture. Since the architectural practice involves many parties, i.e. structural engineer, system engineer, client, users, the integration of the originality of those ideas in the construction is most important to me.

See all of the 2015 A+Award Winners here and all of the Winner Q+A’s here.