Students from RMIT’s Master of Interior Design, collaborated with global design practice, GHDWoodhead in a design studio to gain invaluable, practical experience to explore the theme, Future of Learning.
Students from RMIT’s Master of Interior Design, collaborated with global design practice, GHDWoodhead in a design studio to gain invaluable, practical experience to explore the theme, Future of Learning.
Students from RMIT’s Master of Interior Design, collaborated with global design practice, GHDWoodhead in a design studio to gain invaluable, practical experience to explore the theme, Future of Learning.
Students were asked to consider pedagogy, placemaking, people movement and mixed reality technology when exploring what a future learning experience might be like in a hybrid physical and digital senior high school environment.
Jessica Ma and Guanfeng Huang were two students who participated in the studio last year, working closely with industry partner, GHDWoodhead, to deliver a creative response to the brief.
"Receiving the initial brief from GHDWoodhead was great, it really started to challenge my thinking in different ways", says Huang.
“Beginning to understand the concept of student-centred learning, or self-autonomous learning, opposed to just considering the space in which learning is undertaken, in this case the secondary school, helped me to form a different point of view, and aided me in responding to the brief from a strategic perspective” he said.
Receiving the initial brief from GHDWoodhead was great, it really started to challenge my thinking in different ways
Jessica said the opportunity to receive and review a brief from a real industry client was a valuable learning experience.
“What I learnt from the briefing process was more so about the philosophy of reviewing a brief. Once I realised that the brief was about the application of knowledge, rather than the actual building space, I was able to articulate my response and thinking to address the problem,” Jessica said.
“By challenging the conventional hierarchy within learning environments, we were able to explore the intent of future learning, by first addressing this relationship we were able to unpack learning in relation to contemporary challenges, for example COVID,” she said.
Jessica and Guanfeng’s own experience in the classroom over the years was great insight for their studio work and gave them the opportunity to explore rationale from both sides of the learning relationship.
“I found this studio extremely interesting because as a learner, I was able to empathise with the difficulties of learning during secondary school and apply these experiences to my methodology when conceptualising my designs,” says Huang.
By challenging the conventional hierarchy within learning environments, we were able to explore the intent of future learning
Throughout the studio, GHDWoodhead engaged regularly with students to provide mentorship and guidance as they developed responses to the studio brief.
“The collaboration between GHDWoodhead, our RMIT teachers and the students in our studio provided such a great opportunity to engage with people in the industry, share ideas and increase our awareness of industry issues,” said Huang.
Roger Kemp, Associate Dean, Interior Design said the partnership with GHDWoodhead has provided the teaching staff and students with an active engagement with the critical considerations at play within a live educational project. GHDWoodhead’s design of the Wurun Senior High School Campus in Fitzroy North, Melbourne was a significant precedent to inform the outcomes of the student projects. Through this partnership, ideas including adaptable learning, placemaking, campus movement, and digital technologies were thoroughly investigated and embedded in the final projects. The diversity and depth of expertise within GHDWoodhead have enabled our students to experience firsthand the scale of collaboration and multi-disciplinary engagement required for these complex design projects.
Studio Leader: Dr Anthony Fryatt
Studio Assistant: Lingas Tran
Students interviewed: Jiaqi Ma (Jessica), Guangfeng Huang,
Student Project: Jiaqi Ma (Jessica), Guangfeng Huang, Liam Marsh
RMIT students studying the Master of Interior Design have collaborated with global design practice, GHDWoodhead in a studio to gain invaluable, practical experience and to explore the theme, Future of Learning.
Acknowledgement of Country
RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.
Acknowledgement of Country
RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.