Prior to attending GSA my interests in architecture were primarily focussed on the realness of the discipline, how materials came together to form buildings, spaces or objects. My process always began with developing an understanding of context and place, that being the complex mixture of physical, social, economic, historic and environmental influences.
Having formed this approach to architecture, I spent a year working in Copenhagen for the firm, Tredje Natur (Third Nature), who have a strong sustainable agenda and a portfolio that spans a broad range of scales and programmes. Here, I spent my time working on competition entries, public projects and also speculative research projects. This helped me to broaden my interests within the discipline.
Over the last two years during my time at GSA, I have found myself drawn to urban issues that are prompted by societal change. Therefore my approach has often been to begin with current societal issues, using them to develop a response that addresses a problem across all scales – from macro to micro. This is done through the process of researching and developing a theoretical position that can inform design decisions on every level.
I find that in many ways my interests in architecture are spread across all scale. On a theoretical level, I am driven by understanding our ever changing world and responding to that through design. However, I will never lose my passion for the realness of architecture, the bricks and mortar of the discipline.