MSDx Summer 2020

Lisa Iwamoto of award winning, San Francisco-based firm IwamotoScott spoke to the Melbourne School of Design's Dr Sofia Colabella about her career beginnings, her shift from engineering to architecture and the diversity of projects taken on by her firm

Amrita Mahindroo graduated from the Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning in 2005, completing a Bachelor of Planning and Design before going on to complete a Bachelor of Architecture with Honours.She has since founded the architecture, design and urbanism firm DROO which has been recognised for its innovation and creativity, most recently winning the Architecture Master Prize 2020 in the Residential Multi-Unit category.

With the pandemic profoundly impacting peoples’ lives and the day to day functioning of cities across the globe, Studio Leaders Tahj Rosmarin, Toby Woolley and Elliet Spring used their Master of Urban Design Studio, 'Post COVID Campus', to explore how designers could develop interventions within the built environment which could positively impact on individuals’ and cities’ ability to cope with living in a post-covid world.

Master of Architecture graduate Naveen focused on the history of Indigenous cultures in Australia in his Design Thesis titled "MEMORIAL REPRESENTATION REMEMBRANCE".

Claudia has embarked on a career as a town planner after completing her Master of Urban Planning in 2019.

After studying the Bachelor of Design and majoring in both Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Girvan has decided to pursue the Master of Landscape Architecture due to a passion for public spaces and our relationship with nature.

With a background in civil engineering, Hailey is studying Construction Management to develop a progressive understanding of the construction industry and establish a foundation of theory needed to excel on the professional stage.

Toby completed his Master of Property mid 2020 whilst working full time in the industry. We caught up with him to find out about his journey so far.

Originally from Mexico, Guillermo graduated with a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Melbourne in 2017 before going on to work in local government across Melbourne.

Studying the Master of Urban Planning during 2020 has positioned Paul to interact with engaged academics and develop a routine that's kept him organised and regularly communicating with his classmates.

In December 2019, Master of Architecture student Victoria King found out she’d been awarded the prestigious RIBA President’s Silver Medal 2019 for her project ‘Surface Tension: Blueprints for Observing Contamination in the Sydney Harbour Estuary’ created as part of her Independent Thesis studio. Now graduated, we caught up with her to find out more about her award-winning project.

With an interest in both architecture and engineering, Dale was able to gain a diverse skillset before moving into the engineering industry and a Master of Engineering.

The SMEC Summer Internship gives one masters student from each discipline (Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning and Urban Design) an opportunity to work collaboratively on an innovative joint research project within SMEC, a global consultancy headquartered in Australia. SMEC is recognised for providing technical excellence and consultancy expertise in urban, infrastructure and management advisory projects around the world.

Thomas began working in industry whilst finishing his undergraduate degree. Now working at an architecture firm, he’s opted to take on the Master of Architecture as well.

Briean Ranchhod opted to pursue a double major in architecture and construction in her Bachelor of Design. She’s now working in the construction industry as a project coordinator.

For Bachelor of Design student Mathew, online connections including class exhibitions, tutorials and meetings with friends were crucial to transitioning to digital learning.

Yang Ran is a first year Master of Landscape Architecture student whose start to the academic year was very much affected by the Covid-19 restrictions. We caught up with him to see how his semester of online learning evolved.

Marissa is in her third year studying the Bachelor of Design, majoring in Architecture, minoring in Urban Planning, and completing the Towards Practise Specialisation. We caught up with her to see how she has transitioned to online learning throughout lockdown.

The shift to online learning has proved both rewarding and challenging at times. We caught up with second year Master of Architecture student Gaby to find out about her experiences so far.

With the University of Melbourne transitioning into a virtual campus and Victoria enforcing social restrictions, the life of students has gone through a momentous change.As part of MSD at Home, undergraduate ambassador and Bachelor of Design student Khaing shares her experience studying from home, staying motivated and being a student during stage-3 restrictions.

Steph turned her love of illustration into a graphic design career after graduating from the Bachelor of Design.

Callum was amongst the first student cohort to graduate from the Bachelor of Design. Now working in urban planning, we caught up with him to find out about his experiences so far.

In late 2019 Dr Amanda Achmadi and Dr Sidh Sintusingha led a multidisciplinary group of 16 Melbourne School of Design students in Jakarta and Bandung, Indonesia. Their travels were for the ‘Indonesia Travelling Studio’ with two weeks of field observation and joint studio work with the Institute of Technology Bandung (ITB) and University of Stuttgart.

Roro made the move from Indonesia to Australia to pursue her PhD research into Indonesia’s architectural identity.

Stephanie Harder’s Master of Urban and Cultural Heritage led her to Sri Lanka and Nepal. We caught up with her to find out how her skills have helped her in working with the local communities.

Isabel has embraced digital design technology throughout the Bachelor of Design which has enabled her to produce more complex and interesting designs with greater efficiency.

Olivia Yu Qi combined her skills and interests by choosing to double-major in computing and landscape architecture. She is one of the first students undertaking the new Graduate Degree Package (GDP), guaranteeing her a graduate position as she enters into her first undergraduate year of the Bachelor of Design.

Travelling from Indonesia to Australia to undertake her PhD, Karina sees close cross discipline collaboration as key to solving complex built environment challenges and ensuring a sustainable and prosperous future.

Benjamin Petkov’s passion for heritage led him to complete the Master of Urban and Cultural Heritage (MUCH) in 2018. He has since been working on one of the largest excavation projects in Melbourne.

Charlotte Miller moved from Brisbane to study her undergraduate degree with the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, and is now in her final year of the Master of Urban Design. We caught up with Charlotte to hear about her experiences.

Will decided to return to study after realising the influence architecture has in shaping the world around us.

Rob Snelling sees architectural engineering as the perfect pathway to address critical sustainability issues in the built environment. We caught up with him to chat about his studies so far, and his recent opportunity to put his skills into practice in Madrid.

Grace was one of the first students enrolled in the Bachelor of Design course, and is now in her final year of the degree. We caught up with her to find out how her skills have evolved and what her journey has been like so far.

Laura had an established career in business in Colombia before she decided to follow her dream to be an architect and make the move to Australia. Read about her journey so far.

Víctor Alegría made the move from Chile to Australia to pursue postgraduate study in urban design. We caught up with him to hear about his experiences so far.

Marissa moved to Australia from Malaysia to experience a different culture and lifestyle. Melbourne’s mix of galleries, museums and arts provided the perfect environment to explore her interest in collaborative architecture.

Natalie has incorporated a lot of travel into her studies, heading to the Northern Territory, the Netherlands, and most recently travelling to Beijing to complete a six-month internship at MAD Architects funded by the Macdonald Scholarship. We caught up with her to find out about her experiences so far.

As part of MSD’s Vocational Placement subject in 2018, three Masters students completed work experience at SMEC, an engineering and development consultancy that specialises in delivering physical and social infrastructure services to clients, including managing the lifecycle of projects across urban renewal, transport design and the energy sectors.

Dale has always had a creative and a practical side, so majoring in Civil Systems in the Bachelor of Design was a natural fit. Through design, Dale aims to create innovative transport and infrastructure solutions to ensure a sustainable future for our cities.

During the second half of 2018 the Tongji University College of Architecture and Urban Planning ran an international design summer school focusing on Architectural History and Conservation, specifically rehabilitating built heritage in the water town of Nanxun. The Melbourne School of Design sponsored Master of Urban and Cultural Heritage students Gloryrose Dy and Paula Yanez Espinosa to attend.

Tao Wang’s experience growing up in Shenzhen inspired him to pursue studies in landscape architecture. Now completing his postgraduate degree, we caught up with him to hear about his experiences so far.

For Celeste Orange, property and valuations are her passion. She completed her studies whilst juggling work and a young family. Now working full time in the property industry, she has just won the 2018 Municipal Group of Valuers (MGV) emerging leader award.

Studio leader and founder of Siii Projects Ben Waters explains how his studio is bringing ancient artefacts into the virtual world and revealing our museum's hidden collections.

From Bachelor of Environments to a Master of Construction Management (including a working gap year), Laurence is now working full time in the industry.

Claudia Lombard was drawn to studying at Melbourne School of Design as a place to explore her social and environmental interests, alongside design.

The Fisht Stadium in Sochi staged major global events during the 2014 Winter Olympic Games and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. For architecture alumnus Damon Lavelle, Principal at Populous, London, the project was the culmination of the practice’s work in Russia. It is one of many venues – in locations across Europe, Australia, the middle east, Africa and central Asia – Mr Lavelle has worked on in more than 20 years in the field.

Claire Woodward was studying her first year of the Bachelor of Design when she landed her first job in the construction sector. We caught up with her to learn about her experiences so far and to find out her tips for balancing study and work.

During her visit to the Melbourne School of Design for the Dean’s Lecture Series in October, Alison Brooks, Principal and Creative Director of Alison Brooks Architects, sat down with Professor Donald Bates to discuss her career beginnings, philosophy, and her award-winning works.

From spending a semester abroad at Tongji University, to reaching the finalist stage of a design competition, Lindy Huang has made the most of opportunities in her final year of undergraduate studies.

Tony Luo recently started at the Victorian Planning Authority as a Student Planner, after finishing his undergraduate studies in urban planning at Melbourne. He believes it has boundless opportunities to build positive urban outcomes for all communities and neighbourhoods and shared with us his student experience.

Leelee was always in creative endeavours in high school, so she decided to study the Bachelor of Design. Read her story.

Did you know that the Bachelor of Design offers a pathway into a number of areas in Engineering? Spatial Systems student John Darwin Oanes shares his experience so far.

First year Bachelor of Design student Nora Tal received the DELWP Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship for 2018. We caught up with her to find out how urban planning inspires her and what her experience studying the Bachelor of Design has been like so far.

Catherine Bruckard studied urban planning because she is passionate about global sustainability. During the Master of Urban Planning, she travelled to Amsterdam and Singapore for credit and she shared with us her reflections on her student experience.

Nancy (Nan) Ma reflects on her time studying at the Melbourne School of Design, and what inspired her to pursue an international career in research which has led her to undertake her PhD at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States of America.

James Urlini was initially thinking about studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts, but after speaking with his school's career advisors and researching different courses, he chose to take the leap and apply for the Bachelor of Design and major in graphic design. He spoke to us about his student experience so far.

Sarah Chan majored in architecture in her undergraduate degree, but decided to change her focus to construction for her graduate studies. We caught up with her to find out about her experiences as a Master of Construction Management student so far, and to learn any advice she has for anyone thinking about studying at the Melbourne School of Design.

The Melbourne School of Design's newest qualification, the Graduate Certificate in Environmental Design, will be taught from 2019 onwards. We recently caught up with Dr André Stephan, coordinator of the GCED programme, to find out just how important it is for environmental design to be at the heart of all built environment disciplines in this day and age, and going forward.

Alumnus Stephen Yuen featured in this year's program for The Mental Health Services Conference in Adelaide, presenting his Master of Architecture thesis on the potential of virtual reality for therapeutic support.

Beijing is a modern city steeped in tradition that is now leaping into the cutting-edge of architecture. MSD Master of Architecture student Adrian Dong recently completed a four month internship with MAD Architects in their headquarters in China’s capital. He shared his experience with us there.

Many of us dream of living and working in New York. Earlier this year, Robert A.M. Stern Architects offered an internship, organized by RAMSA Partner and University of Melbourne alumnus Grant F. Marani, for a student from Melbourne to undertake ten weeks of paid work in their office in Midtown Manhattan.One of 24 interns and the only Australian, Master of Architecture student Hannah Puckey was this year’s successful candidate. We caught up with her when she returned to learn more about her experience.

Bona Lee relocated to Melbourne from Brisbane earlier this year to start her Bachelor of Design at the University of Melbourne. We caught up with her to ask about her first year experience with us.

Recent graduate Jeff Davies reports back from his burgeoning career in the property industry.

We recently chatted with 2018 Master of Architecture graduate Derek Huynh about how his career has progressed since finishing uni, and what advice he has for those thinking about studying design.

Matthew Oates moved from Lismore in northern NSW to Melbourne for the Bachelor of Design at the start of 2018. He’s pursuing a double major in Landscape Architecture and Property, and sat down with us recently to share his experience.

Your first year at university is often the toughest. Adjusting to new-found independence and being surrounded by so many people can be overwhelming, but it is also a time full of opportunity. Enter Felicity Karakiklas, a Bachelor of Design student who just finished her first year and shared with us her tips for nailing university.

Shruti Baporikar moved to Melbourne to pursue a Master of Construction Management after studying Architectural Design as an undergraduate student in Mumbai. We asked Shruti to share some of her experiences so far.

Often plans change after you start a course. For Lochlan Todd, originally from Launceston, starting work in the construction industry led him to switch majors within the Bachelor of Design. He sat down with us to share more.

Claire Woodward took a year off after high school and travelled to Canada before deciding to pursue the Bachelor of Design at The University of Melbourne. She recently shared her first year experience with us.

Charlie Rosanove made the move from Sydney last year to study the Bachelor of Design at The University of Melbourne. He sat down with us to share his first year experience.

Iris Fong developed a longing for green space while growing up in Hong Kong. Her passion for nature and geography led her through the Bachelor of Environments to the Master of Landscape Architecture. We caught up with Iris, now in her final year, to hear about her studies so far.

Siobhan Hudson came to the Master of Urban Design after completing undergraduate architectural studies in Sydney. We caught up with Siobhan, now in her second year at Melbourne School of Design, to hear about her experiences.

Alexia Baikie moved to Melbourne from Launceston to study the Bachelor of Environments and stayed on for the Master of Architecture. We caught up with Alexia to hear about her studies, her passion for health care and education architecture, and her hopes for the future.If you're a future student, you can speak to us at upcoming events, including one-on-one consultations in Tasmania on May 18.

After making an international engineering career at global multinational Arup, Enterprise Professor Brendon McNiven is shaping our architectural engineering curriculum.

Having a keen interest in computing, Kabir Sawhney originally from India, is now studying the Bachelor of Design at the University of Melbourne. We caught up with Kabir to talk about his student experience so far.

Ever since high school Melvin has had his mind set on architecture in pursuing a design career. But a year after coming from Indonesia to study the Bachelor of Design, Melvin decided to add Construction as a second major to his degree. Melvin spoke to us about his experience so far.

Penelope Web Gilbert is a second year Bachelor of Design student at the University of Melbourne. She shared with us her family connection to the university and her student experience so far.

Master of Landscape Architecture students Iris Fong, Wenjin Wang and Heidi Nurmio completed a three week internship with Tract Consultants, a leading planning & design practice using the professional disciplines of town planning, landscape architecture & urban design. We caught up with Wenjin to chat more about his time there.

Three MSD Master of Architecture students volunteered at the biennial Australasian Student Architecture Congress in Sydney in 2017. Rita Liao, Jinwoo Jung and Nathania Widjanarko report back on their highlights.

Antonia Besa Lehmann from the University of Melbourne as the winner of the 2018 HASSELL Travelling Scholarship - Robin Edmond Award.

Chen Shiting (Hazel) is an international student from China who is currently in her final semester of the Master of Construction Management. We had a chat with Hazel to talk about her studies so far.

Saran Kim is a Japanese international student who has just completed her first year of the Bachelor of Design. Having come from Mater Christi College in Belgrave, we caught up with Saran to chat about her experiences so far.

MSD alumna Elinor Moshe recently featured in Top 100 Women, an initiative celebrating influential women in the construction industry. The Master of Construction Management graduate shared her insights on building her career with the Top 100 Women community.

Targol Khorram started studying architecture in Iran in 1998 and completed a Master of Urban Planning in 2015 at the University of Melbourne. She currently works as an urban designer at the City of Stonnington and leads a place making studio at the University of Melbourne. She previously worked on the Queen Victoria Market redevelopment. More recently, she was the President of Architects for Peace for two years.

Not all our architecture graduates complete an architecture major in their bachelor degree before starting our masters program. Meet Ariani Anwar, currently employed at John Wardle Architects. She recently completed her Masters of Architecture, following a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Hispanic Cultural Studies from the University of Melbourne. She is a founding editor of Inflection, the internationally published student-run journal of the Melbourne School of Design.

How did Federation Square redefine the city of Melbourne? Listen to Professor Don Bates, the man responsible for its design, in conversation with Professor Alan Pert on Federation Square, the changing face of Melbourne and what the architects of the future will need to succeed.

Lauren Murrant is the second recipient of the DELWP Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship. Hailing from Berwick, Lauren began a Bachelor of Arts at Monash University, before transferring into the Bachelor of Design where she was awarded the scholarship.

Construction management students Ian Alcazar, Liam Nuttall, Matt Thompson and James Miller travelled to Hong Kong recently to represent the University of Melbourne at the CIOB Global Student Challenge Finals, accompanied by Dr. Paolo Vaz Serra.

Laura Brown is amongst the first cohort of students to undertake the Bachelor of Design, commencing study in Semester 1, 2017 and is the first recipient of the DELWP Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship.

Australian Design Review speaks to Lola Digby-Diercks, a current graduate architect and a past student of the Nightingale Night School at The University of Melbourne. She discusses the studio and what she gained from its teachings.

Machining Aesthetics is one of the studio subjects taught in the Master of Architecture and is one of many hands-on making experiences our students use to explore their creativity at the Melbourne School of Design. Our students produce stunning digital designs, making them using our state-of-the-art Fabrication Workshop. They also get to learn how to use robots...!

Catherine Duggan (Peter Elliott Architecture + Urban Design) and Michael Roper (Architecture Architecture) teach the Unliveable Berlin studio, which takes masters students to the ANCB Metropolitan Laboratory in Berlin for three weeks of intensive design work.

MSD’s program of travelling studio subjects regularly take our students to India. This year Master of Architecture students took a deep dive into Ahmedabad’s famous architectural craft practices. This program of design subjects, which take our students all over the world for intensive experiences of design in other cultures, are only on offer at the University of Melbourne.

Associate Professor in Landscape Architecture, Andrew Saniga, talks about his outback studio Terra Oddities and watercolour stunts at dawn.

In October 2016, the exhibition Pholiota Unlocked took place in the MSD’s Dulux Gallery. Master of Architecture students built a small house in the gallery space which was knit together by a beautifully unique brick system.

This piece is part of a series of interviews and pieces co-produced with the Australian Design Review. Here we speak to Elliot Summers, who graduated from MSD’s Master of Landscape Architecture course in 2012 and has since gone on to establish his own studio, Polygon, via which he has overseen the development of over 40 designs for play centres, residential and public spaces. He also teaches in his field at both Melbourne University and RMIT.

This is part of a series of interviews and pieces co-produced by the Australian Design Review and the Melbourne School of Design. Here we speak to Danielle Savio, who graduated from MSD’s Master of Architecture course in 2010 and is now a project coordinator at Brookfield Multiplex. She has recently worked on NAB D2 700 Bourke Street, the University of Melbourne: Faculty of ABP and the Monash Stage 1 Residential Project. In her spare time, she co-runs Gazella, a blog for women in the built environment.

This is part of a series of interviews and pieces co-produced by the Australian Design Review and the Melbourne School of Design (MSD). Here we speak to Dr Karen Burns, senior lecturer in Architectural Design at MSD. She is a frequent contributor to academic and professional architectural journals, a critic, and public commentator on issues in contemporary architecture. She is also the co-editor of Parlour, a website building discussion and exchange on women, equity and architecture.

Danielle Mileo is a recent graduate of the 300-point Master of Architecture program, which is for students who have studied a prior degree outside the built environment disciplines (career changers), at Melbourne School of Design (MSD). She is an artist and aspiring architect, and travelled to New Zealand in 2016 to install her thesis as part of FESTA – the Festival of Transitional Architecture.