Wen Hsia shared her journey of searching for ideas and the importance of environmental consideration in architectural design with a group of high school students.

An Architect’s working process involves consultation, design, drawing documentation and construction, Wen expressed that the toughest and the most crucial part of this process is to look for the most appropriate idea. Her search involves looking for clues from the environment such as daylight, wind as well as design subjects such as dogs and durian (a spiky and stinky fruit in tropical region).

At the end of the session, she was asked what is her architecture experience in Olot and how would she design here. The landscape of Olot and the medieval cities around such as Besalú and Santa Pau had won Wen’s heart. She was excited to learn from ancient wisdom and believed that it can be beneficial to today’s design. “Building anywhere, understanding the occupants’ need and the surrounding context is the first step” answered Wen. She elaborated that careful study and sensitive observation will lead to good design. Finally, she told the students that architecture is a profession with great responsibility as good buildings will utilise natural resources wisely and minimise energy consumption, nevertheless the creative process is both fun and fulfilling.