My love for Interior Architecture and Design formed gradually throughout my studies – initially during my Foundation year here at AUB where I found myself gravitating towards interiors – before continuing this into my Bachelor’s degree.
Working on projects that you can physically step foot into is what captivates me – the idea that I can make real changes altering the ways people can interact and benefit from spaces is amazing.
A major cog within my creative process lies in the early developmental stages, mapping local context, finding the ‘Wicked Problem’ affecting both local and wider issues, and finally sympathising with our user base to form strong informed decisions moving forward.
Sketching and idea development is also key as my thinking is often messy and sporadic with ideas forming and shifting constantly, so it’s important for me to get all my ideas down on paper. I employ a mix of techniques from sketching and drawing both on paper and digitally, to making site and developmental models, getting hands-on with my ideas – helping myself and others to understand my ideas clearly.
AUB has been great! The support of tutors, technicians and mentors along the way have all heavily influenced my development with regular tutorials, group studies and critiques allowing me to truly grasp the steps within the creative process. They have great connections within the community, allowing me to gain valuable experience on live briefs and to produce work to an increasingly improved standard where I have truly loved interiors as a result.
Through my final major project, NODE, being able to take control of a project set against my own brief – built from my dissertation – my creative passion was captivated.
Focusing on Poole Town, I investigated how we can reshape movement systems to increase footfall within under-appreciated areas of the Old Town, reusing the Guildhall as a vessel for this. I designed a contemporary museum based on local history, retelling past lives of Poole, aiming to strengthen connections from the local community to its historical context and to each other.
From a collaborative approach, I was also heavily involved in the making of our graduate show, Contours, working alongside tutors and other students to design and construct the show – especially in the lighting design aspect where I was given more control. I was extremely satisfied by the outcome of this process, where it was well-received by visitors to the show.
Outside the BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design course, my main creative outlet isn’t necessarily a specific practice, but being creative generally and enjoying a range of doing. Whether sketching and drawing my environment, reading a William Goldman screenplay or a Cormac McCarthy classic, to making smaller models from clay or Lego, there’s always something interesting to do. I was able to do some of these through AUB, one example being a workshop in the Innovation Studio making a synthesiser, which was so much fun!
Moving forward, it’s all about landing that starting role and building experience within the professional environment. This has already started moving in my lighting design placement at the amazing Michael Grubb Studio, where I gained valuable insight and experience into how this specialism can enhance and change spaces.
Now, I want to get to work on developing exciting projects that allow me to put these skills into practice in spatial planning and urban spaces, working on local community-based projects where real changes can be truly felt.
