Iokia Bongers

Interior Architecture

Hi, I’m Iokia, and I’m graduating with a degree in Interior Architecture from Swinburne University of Technology.

Over the past four years, I’ve developed a strong foundation in design principles and honed my skills in creating innovative and functional spaces. My journey at Swinburne has allowed me to explore a wide range of design methodologies, pushing the boundaries of creativity while refining my personal style.

I am passionate about crafting environments that seamlessly blend my aesthetic and functionality. My work is deeply inspired by my love for all things design and creativity and is my outlet in many ways.

Beyond my academic pursuits, I have experience as a videographer, photographer and communication designer, which has strengthened my eye for composition, detail, and visual communication. I’m excited to bring my diverse skills and creative energy into the design industry as I take the next step in my career.

Untitled Collective

This project, Untitled Collective, is a creative co-working space with a focus on nurturing collaboration and encouraging creativity.

This project is located in Collingwood, Victoria and is a design response to issues identified in the creative and freelance community.
Some of these issues included the cost of having a space and equipment, the lack of opportunity to collaborate and a difficult work life balance.

This space responds to these issues through providing a space which utilises techniques to encourage design creativity and increase the chance of collaboration and interaction. It also gives cheaper and easier access to equipment and spaces for young creatives.

The space includes collaborative workspaces, gardens, studio spaces and private work pods. This project is a showcase of the design style I have developed over the past 4 years of study.

Museum of the Handmade

Museum of the Handmade
The museum of the handmade was an enjoyable project which focused on using ceramics to create an effective facade as well as making the building stand alone and sustainable.

The first step of the project was to experiment with clay where I developed a system of tiles and steel framing which allowed for adjustment based on the time of the year in order to make it more effective in shading the interior of the building.

1A Bedford Road

The 1A Bedford Road youth centre project had a heavy focus on CPTED techniques due to the building being accessed until late as well as the area and the general demographic.

This project is located near multiple schools, Ringwood and Ringwood East Stations, as well as Eastland Shopping Centre meaning that it is a perfect location for youth to come and hang out, study and partake in any activities or programs that may be held in the flexible space.

The focus on CPTED fascinated me and since this project, has been a non negotiable in my projects.

Light and Shadow Pavilion

This project was one of my first at Swinburne.
This was a great introduction to the way light and shadow can work to evoke emotion and feelings and how humans interact with different spaces.
The theory from this project has helped with creating narratives in my projects that would follow this in that I have been able to use light and shadow in ways that move users of the spaces I have designed in various ways.

The hand drawing aspect of this project also helped in building up my skill in drawing and shading which would also come in handy in future sketches and hand rendering.

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.