As the submission deadline approaches for this year’s A+Awards — the world’s largest awards program for architecture and products — we asked the winners from 2015 about the secrets behind their successes, the exciting new projects on their drawing boards, and their personal architectural inspirations. Up next, it’s architectural movie makers Spirit of Space, a studio that has won A+Awards for two years straight in the Architecture +Photography & Video category with its atmospheric portrayals of Steven Holl’s striking Chinese projects: Sliced Porosity Block and the Sifang Art Museum.
Names: Adam Goss, Red Mike and Ryan Clark
Firm: Spirit of Space
Location: Chicago, United States
Education: UWM-SARUP
1. What was it about your winning project that you think resonated most with voters?
The authenticity of our work. It’s very raw, atmospheric and poetic. It captures the emotion. This allows us to create encompassing films, films that transport the viewer not to the space, but to the experience of the space.
Sifang Art Museum by Steven Holl Architects, Nanjing, China; film by Spirit of Space
2. Since winning your A+Award, what’s the most exciting project you have been working on?
Coincidentally, while filming the Sifang Art Museum, we met Li Hu (founder of OPEN Architecture). We began a collaborative partnership to create a visual manifesto about architecture in China today, focusing on four of their built works. This culminated in an immersive film installation for the Chicago Architecture Biennial.
3. Which of this year’s A+Awards jurors do you find most compelling, and why?
Charles Adler, cofounder of Kickstarter. Besides the fact that we like that he is outside of the professional realm of architecture, he created a platform that disseminates ideas all over the world — and gives those ideas a chance to become a reality — including architecture.
4. Among your fellow A+Award-winners, which project is your favorite, and why?
Peterson Rich Office and their Telfair Studio. It is a beautiful and incredible project in which the artists’ work gets better from being in the space. It resonates with how small architecture can be very powerful and meaningful. Also unique is how this project came to be: the client was a professor of the founders. It’s a great story for students and young architects.
Sliced Porosity Block by Steven Holl Architects, Chengdu, China; film by Spirit of Space
5. Who’s your design hero and/or favorite building, and why?
Charles and Ray Eames. There is a famous Venn diagram of theirs that we love. It shows how their design process always included the architecture, the client and the public. From their architecture and furniture, to their wonderful videos they made themselves, they always strived to bridge architecture and design with everyone.
6. What do you find exciting about architecture and design right now?
Media platforms like Kickstarter, YouTube, Vimeo, Periscope and many others are giving great accessibility to the knowledge, value and excitement of architecture like never before.
7. Which city would you most like to visit next for its architecture?
How about a country? Cuba.
8. Which material do you most love designing with?
Gold.
