Category: Undergraduate

Undine in front of a project poster

A day in the life of an architecture student

Read about what a typical day is like Undine Evalde as an Architecture BA(Hons) student at Brighton.

Before starting my studies as an architecture student, I knew close to nothing about the field. Now looking back on it, I believe that was what enticed me. My studies have been far from usual since I started university during the Covid pandemic. Nevertheless, my time at Brighton University has been eventful and fulfilling. In this blog, I will delve deeper into the last year of my studies to highlight what a day in a life of an architecture student might entail.

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Belong title graphic with images of the campus

Starting at uni with us in 2023?

We know you’re going to have a brilliant time here and to get your student life off to the best possible start find out all the information you’ll need by visiting the dedicated Starting at Uni pages on the University of Brighton website.

Come along to one of our online events, details of the next one below 👇

Get ready for your course: School of Architecture, Technology and Engineering

Friday 14 July 2023 – 11am -12pm online
Hear about how you can prepare for your subject, and ask any questions, to get your studies off to the best start. For students studying: architecture, interior architecture, civil engineering, computing, construction and building, engineering, and product design.

Click here to join the event on Microsoft Teams at 11am on 14 July

Online enrolment

You can enrol from August 21 and we’ll send you an email to remind you.  Once you’ve enrolled, you’ll be able to access My Studies where you’ll find all the information you need to prepare for your course.

Still have questions? Chat to a current student online.

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Headphones hooked over a wooden stand on a desk

Graduates 2023: Christy Cairns: Product Design BSc(Hons)

The course began with a very broad introduction to the breadth of what Product Design means and led to us all being in a position to pursue the areas that complement our interests. My work’s impact on the environment is a key driver for me. A lot of my work looks at resource use and circular systems.

Please tell us a bit about your work and your influences:

I have a love of nature and my work’s impact on the environment is a key driver for me. A lot of my work looks at resource use and circular systems. I’ve worked on projects here and abroad that have aimed to utilise waste materials. I’m influenced by designer’s with a similar ethos and are critical of their impact on the world.

How have you found your course and time at Brighton?

Good. It has been full of challenges, some hard, most enjoyable. The course began with a very broad introduction to the breadth of what Product Design means and led to us all being in a position to pursue the areas that complement our interests. The faculty are a real strength of the Product Design course. They’re engaging, supportive and exceptionally knowledgeable of contemporary design. Regardless of the direction you are travelling in, or where your interests lie, they are able to recognize its connection to the course and provide strong references to work from.  

How did you choose your course – why did you choose to study Product Design?

Initially I wanted a change and a challenge. I knew I would enjoy a course that combines creativity and research, it leads to creating with purpose. Over other courses the studio space we have is unique, it is intimate, casual and creative space which although daunting at first, having fellow students and your tutors constantly wandering past your desk and your work is incredibly beneficial. Forget the scheduled contact time, some of the most informative conversations I have had have been quick 10 minute chats on the fly.

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A model car made of brightly coloured cardboard

Graduates 2023: Max Male, Product Design BSc(Hons)

The strengths of the course are it’s passionate lecturers and the flexibility they give you to discover the stuff you care about

Please tell us a bit about your work and your influences

I’m an explorative maker and designer. My work is about fun, learning and making with a strong focus on sharing that with others. I’m also really interested in the psychology behind how we interact with objects and the hidden stories those objects tell. My graduate project SnapKit! is an invention toy that enables you to turn cereal boxes into inventions with a hole-punch and connectors. It enables anyone to unlock their invention potential! 

A hand holding a red piece of circular plastic
An abstract shape of interlocking pieces of cardboard

How have you found your course and time at Brighton?

I’ve loved my time at Brighton and the strengths of the course are its passionate lecturers and the flexibility they give you to discover the stuff you care about (not to mention the amazing studio atmosphere). 

 What are your plans after graduation?

After graduation, I’ll be continuing with a design internship and teaching windsurfing whilst I convert my van to travel in over winter!

Find out more: www.maxmalemakes.com

Follow Max on Instagram @max.male.makes

Find out more about Product Design BSc(Hons) at Brighton

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Architect model of a building

Graduates 2023: Nasko Kondakov, Architecture BA(Hons)

In a world where sustainability and environmentalism are taking centre stage, Architecture at Brighton equipped me with the skills necessary to have a head start in the revamping industry.

Please tell us a bit about your work and your influences

I was born in Burgas, Bulgaria, about a decade into the transitional democracy that followed the communist regime. I grew up surrounded by the remnants of the socialist days, but also engulfed by various architectural attempts at modernisation and Westernisation. It was fascinating to witness the world around me changing, and looking back at it now, it helps me identify the origin of the issues that followed. Fixing that had always been a driving force of my architectural pursuits.

Yet my early influences were not ones who had done so in their own countries or focus fields. I was looking at the glamour of starchitects like Zaha Hadid, Bjarke Ingels, Frank Gehry, enamoured by their mastery of the craft and the recognition their projects amassed. It was a reputation I not only sought for myself, but also for my country. Later I learned more about De Stijl, the Bauhaus movement, Frank Lloyd Wright, Eero Saarinen, and so many others, who have helped guide me on my journey so far!

Final year work

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Graduates 2023: Ella Forbes, Interior Architecture BA(Hons)

I’ve always been very interested in designing homes, and knew for a while that I wanted to be creating spaces for people in which they can feel happy/comfortable in. 

Please tell us a bit about your work and your influences

These images are from two different projects which I completed in my final year. One of them was based in Lewes, we had to design a temporary structure, which had to relate to the history of Lewes. I chose to design ‘a Wool house’ as wool was Lewes’ main source of income during The Middle Ages, and it was also transported down the River Ouse to other places. The other project was called ‘Film and Architecture’ which we had to design a house based off characters in a film. I picked the Marriage Story which is a film about a couple going through a divorce and the struggles they face. 

Continue reading “Graduates 2023: Ella Forbes, Interior Architecture BA(Hons)” →

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Set of four drawings of inside spaces

Graduates 2023: Khadiga El Shakhs, Interior Architecture BA(Hons)

I have been given the freedom to use my voice and create a healthy inclusive working environment for me and my peers, which has made my journey as an international student so much easier.

Please tell us a bit about your work and your influences

The main influences behind my work stem from my side passion for the field of fashion, textiles and styling. All of my projects attempt to merge influences from both fields of design. I started exploring different ways in which I can incorporate fashion into architecture through material experimentation specifically using textiles. For example, I started making models out of fabrics and learning how to sew in order to put stuff together. This allowed me to apply a technique that would usually be used in fashion, to architecture. A common area that I found between both practices was sustainability, hence through my projects I was able to learn about sustainable materials and precedent studies in fashion and in architecture. This led me to write my dissertation titled: “the interconnection between fashion and architecture”. 

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Architectural drawing

Graduates 2023: Hannah Lammiman, Architecture BA(Hons)

As soon as we got to experience the studio culture, everyone kept motivating each other to create a positive environment to work in. 

Please tell us a bit about your work and your influences 

Growing up in Vienna, Austria, I always admired the architecture that I was surrounded by. Otto Wagner and Adolf Loos were two of the main architects that I looked up to and researched as they had many influences on Viennese architecture. They also influenced the way I then started designing. Coming to England has led me to admire architects such as Flores I Prats, particularly the way they draw and the attention to detail they apply to their drawings.

After having started a housing project in my final year, Sophie Delhay has always been an architect that I would go back to as she focuses on social housing, exploring living and human relationships. I thoroughly enjoyed diving into residential architecture for my final design as it deals with architectural and urban design problems involving issues of both collectivity and individuality. The main focus was on the relationship between the inside and outside exploring the sequence of arrival and departure. 

Architectural drawing
Architectural drawing of an inside space
Architectural drawing
Architectural drawing of an inside space
Architectural drawing
Continue reading “Graduates 2023: Hannah Lammiman, Architecture BA(Hons)” →

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Architecture drawing of buildings

Graduates 2023: Savannah Rai: Architecture BA(Hons)

The design studio projects allow us to gain hands on experiences through the use of real sites which we design our projects in to.

Please tell us a bit about your work and your influences 

In architecture, I am constantly surrounded by precedents which have influenced my work. During my second year I was introduced to radical architecture which took place during the 1960s. These concepts use the idea of building above existing cityscapes to cope with issues such as overpopulation and global warming. This has taught me to push the limits of my designs to create spaces which can be enjoyed by society whilst also respond to modern day issues. 

Architectural drawing of courtyard
Architectural drawing floorplan of buildings
Drawing of rooms in a building
Image of buildings for architectural project
Imaging of spaces of the upper level of a building
Architectural drawing floor plan
Continue reading “Graduates 2023: Savannah Rai: Architecture BA(Hons)” →

Laura RubyLeave a comment
Photo of Andrea Dhelpra, smiling standing by the river in London

Computing project exhibition 2023: Andrea Dhelpra, Computer Science BSc(Hons)

The highlight for me was the opportunity to apply everything I learned in my final project. This project was personally meaningful to me, and I enjoyed the process of putting my knowledge and skills into practice.

Tell us a bit about your project

I became interested in the blockchain field in 2020 during my second year of studies. I was getting really excited about the things that are possible thanks to this technology, so I started my side project with some friends and decided that it would be a great idea to commercialise a cryptocurrency trading bot. This suited very well with my final project, so I decided to use the support given from the university to start building a prototype.

My supervisor helped me understand how I could make the bot stand out from the competition and how it could be further improved. This was very helpful guidance from an experienced point of view. In addition to that, the research materials and resources available at the university, such as textbooks and access to online papers, helped me perform an extensive literature review that allowed me to become more informed about what I was building.

Continue reading “Computing project exhibition 2023: Andrea Dhelpra, Computer Science BSc(Hons)” →

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