Exhibition ’99 showcases student design talent

A futuristic hotel for transients, building simulation technology and a walk-through catalogue of interior design projects are highlights of Exhibition ’99, a showcase of student work at Victoria University’s School of Architecture and Design.

The walk-through catalogue of the work of the University’s 18 design graduates is a focal point of the exhibition. Design student Karn Henning Hansen says the tunnel-like catalogue is both an introduction to the students’ work and a collaborative exercise in interior architecture itself.

The walk-through catalogue leads on to individual students’ displays, including Karn’s own project, a contemporary reworking of Victoria University’s Easterfield building. “I see the building as a ‘tidal zone’ where the community and the University overlap,” she says.

Another highlight of the exhibition is architecture student Paul Eaton’s scale model of a futuristic Cuba St hotel for transients (complete with model Chevrolet). Paul, who is one of four Victoria University finalists in the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) Student Awards, says architecture is a stimulating area of study that combines the practical and the creative. “You become a writer and a maker,” he said. “As an educational experience, architecture offers tremendous diversity – you study everything from mathematics to structural analysis and life-drawing.”

This diversity can also be seen in the work of Building Science graduate Russell Maunder, whose science-based work explores the potential of computer applications to simulate real-life conditions in existing buildings. “Computer technology can be used to simulate lighting, thermal, acoustic and structural features of a building,” says Russell. “In the future, simulation technology will offer the building industry quick and cost-efficient methods of testing their work.”

The Design 99 exhibition, at the Vivian St campus, features work by students from Victoria and Massey Universities. It is open to the public between 13-21 November from 10am-4pm weekends and 9am-7pm weekdays. Admission is free.

ENDS

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