When I enrolled on the BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design course at AUB, I knew that my interests in spatial design extended beyond conventional interiors. While residential and commercial spaces are central to the discipline, I have always been more drawn to designing immersive environments, spaces that create memorable, inspiring experiences for the communities that use them. My motivation comes from a passion for working creatively and hands-on, and from the belief that thoughtfully designed environments can meaningfully affect how people feel, interact and experience the world around them.
One of the reasons I chose AUB was the course’s holistic approach to design. Rather than limiting projects to one narrow definition of interior design, the programme encourages students to draw knowledge from a wide range of disciplines. This approach allowed me to bring together subjects I had studied previously, such as psychology and economics, and apply those perspectives to spatial design. Understanding how people behave within environments, and how spaces influence emotion and interaction, has helped me develop projects that consider both human experience and wider social impact.
Studying Interior Architecture and Design at AUB has been challenging, but in the best possible way. The course constantly pushes you to explore new ideas and develop your own design direction. For me, this has meant investigating niche areas of spatial design such as projection mapping, holographic projection and immersive lighting environments. These explorations have opened up exciting possibilities for how technology can transform interior spaces into interactive and experiential environments.
AUB’s facilities have played a huge role in supporting this experimentation. The workshops provide incredible opportunities to explore a hands-on approach to making and fabrication. Through using the workshop, I’ve been able to revisit safe metalworking practices and gain a deeper understanding of materials, tools and fabrication processes. Techniques such as laser cutting, bending and heating metal helped me understand how digital design ideas can be translated into physical forms. These skills were particularly useful when constructing physical models for my projects, including the Forge project using 3D printed components. A Biomass Powered Forge, which demonstrated sustainable craftsmanship by reimagining blacksmithing as both a tool for learning and a catalyst for personal and environmental renewal, whilst preserving the site’s rich heritage and ecosystems through sustainable gas production.
Collaboration across courses has also been an important part of my experience. For example, while developing holographic installations for my Echo Point project, I was able to use the photography darkrooms to experiment with projection techniques. Access to facilities across different disciplines encourages experimentation and allows ideas to develop in unexpected ways.
The Central Media Store has also been an invaluable resource throughout my studies. Being able to rent specialist equipment such as iPads for digital sketchbooks helped streamline my workflow and allowed me to explore new ways of communicating design ideas, including experimenting with virtual and augmented reality.
Beyond academic work, AUB provides opportunities to engage with real-world projects. One of the most valuable experiences for me was working on the live project, Journey of Being a Boy. Collaborating with external clients meant working with real timelines, budgets and installation schedules, culminating in an exhibition at the Palace Court Theatre. Experiences like this offer valuable insight into how design projects operate beyond the university environment.
Beyond my academic work, AUB has also provided a range of extracurricular opportunities that have been an important part of my university experience. I have had the opportunity to represent AUB as part of the University swim team, competing at national-level university competitions. Balancing training with the demands of a design course has helped me develop strong discipline, focus and time management skills, while representing the University in competition has been an incredibly rewarding experience.
Alongside this, I have also enjoyed being part of the AUB/BU orchestra. Playing music with students from different courses has been a great way to connect with the wider creative community at the University and take a break from the intensity of studio work. These experiences outside the studio have helped create a more balanced university life and have allowed me to meet people across a wide range of disciplines.
Together, these extracurricular opportunities have played an important role in my time at AUB, providing valuable experiences beyond the classroom while contributing to the strong sense of community within the University.
Looking back, my time at AUB has allowed me to explore both the technical and creative sides of design. The course has given me the freedom to experiment, collaborate and develop a personal design approach centred on creating immersive environments that connect people, technology and place.
