Olivia Florio

Bachelor of Design (Architecture)

My name is Olivia Florio and I am currently in my third year of Bachelor of Design (Architecture) at Swinburne University of Technology. Hoping to continue my studies in Masters of Architecture and even specializing in Sustainability Design in the future.

When choosing a future carrier I always gravitated towards architecture and design courses. I initially chose this path because it’s allows for a lot of creative freedom and the idea of being able to conceptually visualize a design and then going through a creative and particular process to see a physical outcome in real life. As my time at university has progressed I’ve also become really invested and interested in how building can affect the way we live and influence our behaviours. Especially the idea and career paths of sustainable architecture has really became a passion and future aspiration for me.

Whilst studying architecture at Swinburne I have gained experience in computer programs such as the Adobe Suite mainly InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. As well as AutoCAD, Revit and Rhino with the extensions of Grasshopper and Enscape. Throughout this semester I hope to utilize my skills and learn and develop new skills in all of these programs.

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Acknowledgement of Country

The School of Design and Architecture respectfully acknowledges the Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners and knowledge-keepers of the lands, waters and sky that surround us, where we work, learn, create, communicate and make place. We recognise that sovereignty has never been ceded and this always was and will always be Wurundjeri Country. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who continue to make a better world through design.

We extend our acknowledgement to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, students, alumni, real-life clients, and knowledge keepers, who have contributed to our own education diversity and growth. We will continue to ensure that staff and students respectfully honour ancestral connection to Country and Place in everything that they do.

We are dedicated to the notion of design to make a better world and we acknowledge that making tools, shaping place, sharing stories, making meaning, wayfinding and collaborating have long been and continue to be both central and integral to First Peoples' cultures. We recognize that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ cultural contributions have continued relevance to design practice and commit to: reconciling ancestries of design and contemporary practice as well as pursuing culturally and professionally appropriate ways to engage with a diverse population of colleagues, industries and clients. In a time of treaty-making and voice we understand that there are overlaps between caring for Country and the sustainable production of goods, services, experiences, products and buildings.

Guided by the principles of respect, reconciliation, and reciprocity we undertake to indigenising and decolonising design practice by dismantling colonial structures and challenging biases that have marginalised Indigenous voices and design.

As students of SoDA you will be given opportunities to both engage with and educate yourself in Indigenous creative practices and cultural protocols through a lens of inclusivity, diversity, respect, mutual understanding, inter-cultural dialogue in all aspects of design practice. Indigenous people have been telling stories, making tools, and connecting to Country through visual media, placemaking and place marking for more than 60,000 years and these practices are part of an ongoing, evolving and live tradition.