Jayden Von

Master of Architecture & Urban Design

I am a 5th year architecture student currently studying a Masters of Architecture at Swinburne University of Technology. I was born in Melbourne, Australia, where i completed my high school studies in 2017. Although during my childhood years i was raised in Bairnsdale, Australia.

Architecture for me is very powerful as it can be interpreted in many forms and systems. In design their are endless possibilities that can influence ones behavior in a certain space and how they decide to interact with the building or environment, creating unique experiences for users that influences ones behaviour and how they feel or move throughout the space. Being a designer myself, i believe it is important to have a purpose or reasoning behind a design so the functionality can be maximised to its full potential, rather then purely designing for the sake of the appearance or aesthetics. The importance of the design can be adapted from multiple issues or events that surround our society alike social, political, cultural or environmental means.

Throughout my studies in university, i was involved in many architectural collaborative learning experiences that presented me with many opportunities to work on physical and digital platforms to generate successful projects that have allowed me to grow and improve my skills in architecture. I believe the design process is fundamental in producing quality work and is essential in challenging how we think of ideas that can be further pushed into better enhancing human experiences to improve the quality of life.

Untitled

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.