He says the hardest thing he had to do was decide whether to play it safe or take a risk. He says he hardly noticed the time passing. He says his project was innovative and groundbreaking because he went above and beyond what was asked of him. In the end, Agustín Estefanell took a risk and came out on top.
Together with two colleagues and two members of the AEW Architects firm, he won first prize in May 2012 at the Manchester Corridor Competition, a contest seeking the best architectural solution for the Oxford Road urban corridor in Manchester, England. “We went beyond the proposed boundaries and focused more on thinking about what they really needed rather than just what they were asking for,” says this graduate of Universidad ORT Uruguay the interview we conducted with him.
-How did you end up studying in Manchester?
-I made the contact through ORT University. The Dean of the School of Architecture, Gastón Boero, put me in touch with a professor at the Manchester School of Architecture (MSA), who provided me with all the information. The MSA is affiliated with two universities: Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) and the University of Manchester.
-How long have you been in England, and how long do you plan to stay?
-I've been here since September 2011, and I still don't know how long I'll stay, since I still have some time to decide.
-What is the Manchester Corridor Competition organized by MMU?
-The "Manchester Corridor" is the name given to the urban corridor formed by Oxford Road, Manchester’s busiest street, which serves as the hub of the entire student district and the university campuses (Manchester has the second-largest student population in all of Europe). The area where we worked was the intersection of Oxford Road and Mancunian Way (MW), which is an elevated highway. The idea was to create a destination—a place that would attract residents from across the city, serve as a tourist attraction, be accessible, and bring order to the chaos that currently exists in the area.
-Tell me about your project: what does it involve?
-The innovative or groundbreaking aspect of our project is that it went far beyond the proposed scope. We pushed the boundaries and focused more on identifying what the community truly needed rather than simply fulfilling their requests. We conducted an urban analysis of the area, examining its relationship with the rest of the city and its connections. We focused on its strengths and potential.
-There was a large area previously used for parking lots, which we freed up by constructing two parking towers in strategic locations where they would have minimal impact. This created a scenario with far greater potential than the one originally proposed. We created a linear park parallel to Oxford Road and connected it to the road via the linear space formed beneath the MW. In this way, we connected the student area with the pedestrian paths leading from downtown (which is a fifteen-minute walk away). Underneath the MW, we created a multifunctional area for events, fairs, artistic activities, exhibitions, and so on. (All these activities take place continuously and are supported by the university.) We did not leave out everyday commercial activities, such as lunch, the cafeteria, retail, and the market. In summary, we created two large parking lots that connect to the entire city via highways and main streets such as MW or Brooks Street; we placed multifunctional spaces in the critical zone in an orderly manner; and we transformed and expanded green areas in residual spaces that were not included in the original proposal and linked them directly to the overall dynamic.
-What prize did you win?
-Since this was a competition organized through the university, the real prize was the work experience gained (not to mention any opportunities that might arise from it), a one-year membership in the Institute of Place Management and a modest sum of money.
-What steps did you have to take to win this award?
-The hardest part was deciding whether to play it safe or take a risk. Once we got past that initial nervous phase, everything went more than smoothly. The work environment was incredible. We worked for hours and hours, but it felt like no time at all. We were a team of four. However, the AEW Architects studio (with whom we worked for the competition) has departments that support everything being done there, and they were crucial in the final stretch. The organization and efficiency with which they work really caught my attention. Deadlines and schedules are met with a discipline that fascinated me. That contributed greatly to the entire process running smoothly and to there really being no difficult stages. When we reached the stage where every detail matters, we were well supported by the firm.
-Are you going to carry out the project?
-The plan is to go ahead with it, but there’s a very long process involved in which the project will likely change somewhat, many details will be negotiated, the budget will need to be determined, and so on. But from the start, the message was that they needed an urgent solution for that area. From my perspective, sooner or later it will be built (at least in part).
-Have you already received any major awards for your work?
-This is my first one. I've never been a big fan of entering contests. However, since I've been here, this is the third contest I've entered. Right now, I'm waiting for two more results.
-Do you feel that ORT provided you with the necessary tools to succeed in architecture during your time as a student?
-Without a doubt. Universidad ORT Uruguay was Universidad ORT Uruguay only an excellent place to pursue my degree with enthusiasm, but I also encountered a highly competitive environment, which always pushed me to give my all during my time as a student. The feedback I received during my first semester from my master’s professor (Eamonn Canniffe, a graduate of Cambridge and Harvard) was, in fact, that my academic foundation was very solid. An important point is that I obtained this master’s degree through the Student Exchange Office, which helped and guided me throughout the entire process even though I was already a graduate.