“I thoroughly enjoyed my course and the autonomy it came with. I got a sense of owning my work and with that came a new confidence about my work. The virtual studio was challenging but I found that it was far more imaginative and with that came many successes.”

Hi Vanessa – please tell us a bit about your work and your influences.  

“Place-making and culture have always been something that is important to me and this year I actively made the decision to channel it into my final design project. These come from my interest in decolonial studies and questioning dominant systems that intersect with architecture. My proposal brings forward a cultural uprising over privatised land in the countryside, where inhabitants set up a new farming common that embraces mutual collectivism over individualist accumulation.”

How have you found your course and time at Brighton? 

“I thoroughly enjoyed my course and the autonomy it came with. I got a sense of owning my work and with that came a new confidence about my work. The virtual studio was challenging but I found that it was far more imaginative and with that came many successes.”

How did you choose your course – why did you choose to study MArch? 

“I always knew that I wanted to do something creative yet challenging. Architecture felt like a field where I would be able to explore my creativity while exposing myself to a wide range of lived experiences as Architecture is a universal practice. Time at University of Brighton exposed me to the various ways that I could do so.”

What are your plans after graduation? 

“Currently, I plan to stay and work in the UK to gain experience in a different context Within this work, I would like to carry on with my research on Decoloniality, in and out of architecture.”

See Vanessa’s final year design in the show.

Find out about studying Architecture RIBA Part 2 MArch.