Lauren Douglas

Interior Architecture

Lauren is a passionate designer who believes in transforming interiors into functional, aesthetically pleasing environments. Lauren has been a student at Swinburne University for four years, holds an Advanced Diploma in Interior Design, and has just completed her Bachelor of Interior Architecture. Lauren’s aesthetic blends minimalism, earthiness and a profound appreciation for natural textures and materials. Her passion lies in the seamless integration of biophilia and the beauty of nature into every aspect of her design.

Solace: Reception Lobby

Solace aimed to break the stigma around mental health centres that present as intimidating or stressful, especially to young individuals. The design promotes a sense of healing with separate areas for therapy and relaxation and designs a comfortable and calming atmosphere.

Solace: Yoga & Meditation Studio

The Yoga Studio is a sacred space where the art of yoga and meditation enhances individuals' mental health and well-being. I have created an environment that emphasizes mindfulness and blends nature with architecture to promote emotional healing.

Capstone: Balcony Garden

The first floor has accommodation rooms where individuals can stay short or long-term during their visit. A private balcony has been designed at the rear of each room where residents can spend time in their zen garden.

Job Warehouse: Retail Store

The brief was to utilise Melbourne’s empty Job Warehouse building and design the ground floor space into a thriving atmosphere, bringing the building back to life. The proposed building hosts a retail clothing store, restaurant/cafe and other services. The clothing store was designed with an eclectic style. Peach-coloured rendered walls are a central feature throughout the space, giving the store a sense of comfort and warmth.

In The Palms

In The Palms is a shared housing project designed for university students of Swinburne. Each house includes three bedrooms, a shared kitchen, two bathrooms, a living area, study nooks and a rooftop terrace. The modular house structure has been designed with a minimal/coastal style to achieve a relaxed getaway from the university.

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.