REBUILD – UNSW Interior Architecture Graduation Exhibition

“The constant reminder in the media regarding the global recession has resulted in every industry, including our own, struggling to redefine themselves in attempts to come up with new and exciting ways to revive the slowing markets. However, one need not try to reinvent the wheel, when it has already been done before.

Here at the University we believe the solution is simple. Let’s take a moment to remember the skills we have at our disposal, the resources which are available to us, and the responsibility of our actions.

REBUILD: our creative, innovative and educational response to a changing environment.”

 

12 months in the making, REBUILD: UNSW Interior Architecture Graduation Exhibition 2009 was officially opened on Tuesday, 24 November 2009 at the basement level of Kings Cross Carpark. Yes, it was held at a car park. Striving to be innovative, the Grad Show Committee (consisting of 11 graduating students) organised what became ‘a professional and edgy event and exhibition’ (quote from Kirsty Máté, Head of Interior Architecture Program).

The night was very successful with approximately 500-600 people meandering through 38 final graduation projects ranging from hotels, bars, theatre, forensic center and even a fire station! Congratulations to each and every student for producing an amazing range of work with high sophistication and detail. A huge thank you to all the academic staff, without whom all these work wouldn’t have been possible.

Again, Congratulations to the graduating students! Good luck, keep safe, live long and prosper! And remember – it is only the beginning.

If you missed the exhibition, feel free to log on to our website: www.rebuild09.com for a complete list of students profile and their works.

Dean Alec Tzannes, Kirsty Mate (Head of Interior Arch program) and the IA Committee

berth – Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Graduation Exhibition

The Berth exhibition showcased the work produced for the Graduating Studio by the 2009 Bachelor of Landscape Architecture graduating class. It was held on the 6th of November, 2009, and included industry professionals, BE staff, students and their family and friends. The exhibition also included the End of Year Review Night in which students from all years display their work from the current semester.

The exhibition displayed the range of skills taught to the students, and the way in which these can be applied to achieve new and innovative design outcomes. The site of White Bay was examined by the 4th year students, and a range of conceptual and theoretical approaches were developed and then applied to the site. The result was a series of design outcomes that addressed site issues, tested pre-conceived design resolutions and developed the existing theoretical body of knowledge to both urban design and local site design.

This exhibition provided an opportunity for viewing the work of the next generation of Landscape Architects that will guide the design of our cities and open spaces.

The night was a huge success due to the Berth Organising Committee, with many thanks to Ben Morrecroft and Jason Packenham for their efforts in organising the night.

Good luck and best wishes to the graduating class of 2009!

Urban Futures – Planning Graduation Exhibition

Well! It’s all over!

The collective sigh of the 5th Years was audible last Tuesday as posters went up and hair was let down. As part of the thesis project, each 5th Year had to produce an iconic image that best represented their thesis. These images were then blown up and presented next to each thesis abstract, over which the students, their parents and the academic staff pored and pondered. Although we had grumbled about preparing the iconic images during the intense study environment that was the thesis project, the fruits of our labours were realised in the exhibits and the associated end-of-year booklet. If you haven’t yet grabbed a copy of the ‘Urban Futures’ booklet (how aptly titled), make sure you get your hands on one. It certainly inspired some envious comments at work.

Of course, it wasn’t all about the 5th years. The exhibit included  amazing work from the students in the Urban and Regional Design, Images of Sydney and History, Heritage and the Built Environment electives. Urban Futures was thus a showcase of the talent within the Planning branch of the Built Environment, and I know that all of the students that I spoke were impressed with what they saw. My parents also enjoyed it (and how rare is it to find something that parents and students enjoy?).

Many thanks to the academic staff and administrative support staff for organising and encouraging this event and others like it at UNSW – it feels nice to know we leave with more than just a degree. To all planning students, best of luck in the future! And to the 5th years – we made it!

Alec Tzannes (Dean of Built Environment) and Peter Williams (Head of Planning program)

Pure Digital – Architectural Computing Graduation Exhibition

After what seemed like a long and enduring period, graduating students of Architectural Computing 2009 had finally accomplished their goals and dreams.

We held our Graduation Project exhibition on 12th of November. Overall the night was very successful with a huge turn out of people and delicious catering which ran through the whole evening.

The evening was organised by the graduating students, displaying our final graduation projects. Each student had chosen their subject of interest within the specialised field of Architectural Visualisation. Projects were based on real world clients and real world building and architectural projects this allowed students to present their compatibility with working in the current industry.

Displays ranged from interactive real-time projects to 3D still visualisation and 3D animation.

A huge applause goes to all the students involved in preparation to the event and the hours they had put in to make the exhibition evening a success. Also many thanks to the program head Stephen Peter.

e4: Explore, Expand, Explain, Excite – Industrial Design Graduation Exhibition

Christina Livers, Bachelor of Planning

Six months ago I was submitting an assignment about the Metropolitan Strategy, fast forward six months and I find myself in a boardroom where the Metropolitan Strategy is being discussed by a group of Planning professionals- welcome to the work experience program!

The last time I wrote my blog, I was about to embark on my work experience program at the Department of Planning. I can now confidently say that I am four months in. If I had to sum it up in a few words overall, I would say that it has been a massive learning experience. My prior two years of study at Uni have given me a really good grounding in Planning. The work experience program has given me the opportunity to apply this knowledge in the work place, whilst acquiring new skills as well. In addition, one of the aspects from the past two years of Uni which has been beneficial in the work place is the array of skills which I have acquired while undertaking group work.

It is that time of year again, for most Uni is ending for the year and summer is just around the corner. However, for those of us in third year who are on work experience life has been very different for the past four months. We have had many opportunities to witness different aspects of planning in practice, inclusive of meetings with different stakeholders, site visits, report writing, research, attending seminars and training days.

I have had many great opportunities while on work experience, ranging from the great projects that I have had the chance to work on, the Young Planners group which I have been involved in and participating in organised sport teams. I have also had the fortune of meeting many fantastic people within the industry, including some past graduates of the BPlan!

Lastly, I have enjoyed every minute of working as a Student Ambassador. Throughout the year I have had the opportunity of meeting many prospective BPlan students at the UNSW Open Days, I hope to see you around next year!

[re]vision 09 exhibition to celebrate Masters of Architecture students

Over 100 student projects will be showcased as part of the 2009 Masters of Architecture Graduation Exhibition — [re]vision09 — which will run from 20-26 November at CarriageWorks in Eveleigh.

It really is an exciting opportunity to look at the work of the next generation of architects who will design our neighbourhoods, towns and cities.

The student committee has been working hard for months to coordinate sponsorship, secure a venue and pull together this exhibition which, for many, will be the culmination of five years study in architecture.

We’re pleased to welcome a diverse range of industry supporters who have sponsored the exhibition and will be there to view this showcase of student work.

Please thank them for their support for students studying architecture at UNSW!  Thanks also to our generous alumni donors, particularly the leadership gifts by Glenn Murcutt and Thomas Ho.

The exhibition will feature work from a diverse range of design studios including ‘public space in Sydney’, ‘a manner of making things, ‘materials, tectonics and detailing’ and ‘living in contemporary Sydney’.

[re]vision09 opens on:

Friday 20 November

6.00pm

CarriageWorks

Wilson Street, Eveleigh

[re]vision09 will be officially opened by Professor Marco Frascari, author, architect, and Dean of the Azrielii School of Architecture and Urbanism, University of Carleton, Canada. Professor Frascari will also give a seminar on Scarpa’s view of construction drawings at 4.30pm at CarriageWorks.

UNSW Built Environment is grateful for the support of:

Founding Sponsor: James Hardie

Principal Sponsor: NSW Architects Registration Board

Director Sponsor: Australian Institute of Architects, FJMT. Stramit Building Products, PTW

Associate Sponsor: Indesign, BATESSMART, Cox, HASSELL, Woodhead

Congratulations to all the graduating students and we look forward to joining our community of students, staff, industry and alumni at this celebration.

Jess Pascoe, Bachelor of Construction Management & Property

A whole year is finished and I am feeling full of knowledge I did not know I would have! This second semester has been even better then first. I have settled in with friends which meant that I made even more, and now have a big group of people I am reasonably close to.

My school work has gotten easier in some ways, because I have more of an understanding of what is going on, and harder in others, because it’s harder. This semester I studied Low Rise Residential Construction, Construction and Property Economics, Building Structures and Project Management. I found them all interesting, and enjoyed Structures because it was basically maths so once you got the hang of it (which isn’t always easy) then you could go from there, rather then having to remember a million different bits of information. The only exams I had were for Structures and Low Rise, and I liked the assignment format of Economics and Project Management however sometimes it was more difficult. I am looking forward to my summer, but also to my second year. I’m glad it’s a four not a three year course because I love uni!

Shawna Ng, Bachelor of Landscape Architecture

It seems almost ironic to say this, but what made this semester truly enriching and fulfilling was the process of trying to understand and appreciate this quote by one of my tutors this semester. “Landscape is essentially space, and space is nothing. So as landscape architects, we design nothing.”

Indeed, in the process of designing nothing, the realisation that nothing is essentially everything started to dawn upon me. Not only did this knowledge empower me to consider the design of my designated site, Shrimptons’ Creek Parklands, in a more holistic manner, it also implied that every single experience of life in and out of the classroom was highly valuable in informing my design. This certainly helped me to appreciate all of life’s joys and drudgeries.

Working at Gardens-R-Us (as part of my work experience) is certainly a case of point.  The first few days of work were so physically demanding that the minute I got home, I crashed into bed. It was, after all, a very labour intensive job, which required the rearranging pots of plants, raking, heavy lifting work when deliveries arrived (which happened too often in my opinion!), weeding, price labeling and so on. In light of this, there were times I dreaded going to work. Just when I thought that I had nothing to gain from this experience but a weekly workout, I started to realise that I had subconsciously become more knowledgeable in plants. I remember that sense of satisfaction that filled my heart when I could identify one of the plants being discussed in studio; a great improvement indeed, considering how the only plants I ever knew were those that were found in my dinners! In hindsight, I do realise the significance of being aware of plants and how to manage and handle them even though having direct contact with them was never really part of the job scope for landscape architects. This knowledge is pivotal in making my designs more workable and successful in reality– A worthwhile experience indeed.

Time does not permit me to dwell too much on the wealth of information I have also gleaned from other lessons in history, computing and life in general but I can assure you that with this new found awareness about the work content of landscape architects, even the mundane act of eating can act as a source of design inspiration. Before I bore any of you further with more words, here are my final presentation boards presenting my proposed solutions for Shrimptons Creek Parklands, a leftover space.

I look forward to another year of challenges, for, despite having a knack of making me exhausted, they certainly spur me on in my pursuit of being a landscape architect who is truly aware and capable of designing something as abstract as nothing-ness.

 

 

 

Point and Line to Plane – Bachelor of Interior Architecture Exhibition 2009