Georgia Green, Student. Alumni of Graveney School, The Bartlett School of Architecture BSc, UCL. Currently studying at MA Architecture at the RCA.

What inspired you to want a life in Architecture and the creative industries?
Visual and material cultures have always interested me from a young age, ever since I was hooked on watching films. I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of time in art galleries when I was young. Every weekend I would go for a walk with my mum and my brother around London, visit a free gallery, and stay for the whole, playing and enjoying the open atmosphere of the Tate Modern, the Turbine Hall and the variety of green spaces in London.

Who inspired you in finding your path to Architecture and the creative industries?
I was inspired by my parents, as my mother is an art teacher, and my dad was a graphic designer. Throughout my education I have had great teachers, who have been amazingly passionate, enthusiastic and just a little eccentric – an ideal mix! My friends who have been really open minded and supportive have been so amazing at encouraging my journey and really spurring me on whenever there is a difficult period.

My route into architecture has been fairly simple. I applied through UCAS to UCL in my final year of secondary school, and was given the opportunity to study there. I then graduated and moved to Manchester to work at Levitt Bernstein Architects, for my Part I Year Out. Then I returned to London and was fortunate to get an internship at AHMM. Finally, after two years away from university, I returned, and am now studying at the RCA. Architecture can be challenging, but surround yourself with great people and undergoing the challenge will be a much more enjoyable process.

How you unlock obstacles and overcome bias in your work?Getting over hurdles, when you are stuck, is difficult. I have made the most progress when I began to understand the idea of ‘designing through drawing’ or ‘designing through making’. This means you can investigate your topic through experiments, tests, prototype or propositions, as you should encourage yourself to talk only about the ideas you have presented on the tutorial table. This allows you to have a focused discussion and get to the key ideas of your project! Just dive into the task you have set yourself. Play around with the material and don’t worry about degree of resolution or ‘polish’ of the output, especially if it is just a test. Never Panic.

I have also found that through wide ranging research, taking in information from all different kinds of sources is a way to have a really well rounded understanding of the topic you are looking to address in your design work. Ask yourself questions such as: ‘What was the original brief of the project asking me to do?’ ‘How am I communicating the topic of my project?’ ‘Is this method of communication clear enough for my intended audience?’

Secondly, look to yourself – how can you get the most enjoyment out of the task? Finding a way to do what you love, as a way to maneuver past the difficult point in the project, is also a great way to overcome bias in your work. Take confidence in the fact that the way you see the world is unique, and that this unique perspective is worthy of being shared.

Lastly, be humble when reflecting and stepping away from your work. In this way you can get a different perspective on the obstacle. And of course, I am always comforted by the fact I know that I can ask for help from trusted tutors and peers who have my best interests at heart.

What improvements do you feel are required to promote effective change in the academic and working environment?
Universities and workplaces need to enable and help create a healthy, balanced working environment. This means understanding that socialising, exercising, eating, and the other pleasures of life need to be accounted for. Architecture is a subject ‘of the world’. How can architects understand the nuances and forces at play in society, which could contribute to the design strategy of a building, if we don’t get out and live!

An enjoyable building to be in, probably is designed through the architectural designer’s sense of playfulness and their own personal interpretations of enjoyment. Consequently, it is useful, as an up and coming architect / designer, to cultivate these sensibilities.