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.
Marte.Marte Architects won the 2014 Jury Award for the Architecture+Living Small category with Mountain Cabin in Laternser Valley. Rising from the steep Austrian hillside, the house blends into the forest landscape with its use of ash-colored concrete and heavy oak doors.
Your name: Stefan Marte and Bernhard Marte
Firm name: Marte.Marte Architects (German official name: Marte Marte Architekten ZT GmbH)
Location: Weiler, Austria
Education: Master of Architecture at the University of Innsbruck
Mountain Cabin in Laternser Valley
When did you decide that you wanted to be an architect?
We got a taste for crafts early on. Our father was a carpenter and we spent much of our childhood on building sites. This time has played a crucial role for us, although we quickly realized that we wanted to take another path and explore the world of creativity and design.
What was your first architecture/design job?
During our years of study, my brother Bernhard and I worked really hard on architectural competitions. Our efforts were rewarded with our first project, the “Mortual Chapel” in Weiler, which was a truly tiny but very tangible building. This small box, with a footprint of 66 square feet, was the start of our professional career, so to speak.
Who is your design hero and/or what is your favorite building?
We are fascinated by the work of many architects, from the big names of modernist architecture to some of our contemporary colleagues such as Peter Zumthor. We really admire his consistent position on architecture and the characteristic poetic sensuality of his buildings.
Mountain Cabin in Laternser Valley
Which juror(s) do you find most compelling and why?
Rem Koolhaas, because his architectural solutions are unexpected, at the first moment irritating but finally always fascinating.
Among your fellow A+Award winners, what is/are your favorite(s)?
Rotterdam by OMA, because it’s loud in a silent way.
De Rotterdam by OMA, Rem Koolhaas
Outside of architecture, where do you look for inspiration?
It may sound trite, but in the end it’s always fine art that gives us new ideas.
What is the most important quality in an architect?
To be consistent and not to lose courage when it comes to going one’s own way.
What do you find exciting about architecture and design right now?
The search for superlatives in the architectural world is an ongoing one. We find it both important and exciting to escape this trend and patiently follow our own path.