Chloe O'Hara

My name is Chloe O’Hara, and I am a final-year architecture student.

Architecture was a course I accidentally fell into. During my first year,I had no idea what I was doing, didn’t fully understand what the course involved, I wasn’t too sure if I should continue.

As I progressed through the course I slowly began to recognise the creative aspects that drive decisions through the design phase and began to realise my potential in this course and possibly the future. Over time I began to understand architecture isn’t just the design of buildings but a way that shapes experiences and has the power to influence people's lives. Because of this I now try to focus on creating thoughtful and community driven spaces.

A key part of my design focus includes clear and effective visual communications. Through my time at Swinburne, I have become proficient in Adobe photoshop which you will see I use for rendering, material studies and presentation drawings. The use of Photoshop allows me to express my vision for my design and control the environment I create in an artistic yet professional manner without being limited by rendering programs. Alongside this, I am confident in using modelling tools such as Revit, Rhino, and rendering programs such as Enscape and D5 to support both the technical and conceptual stages of my projects.

During my last year at Swinburne, I pushed myself further than I thought was possible, recognising my strengths and dedication to a project when the time calls. Late nights at Uni surrounded by my study group or even just alone, I found a way to enjoy my work and push through the exhaustion, something I never thought I could do when I started.

As I near graduation, I’m so proud of how far I’ve come and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

ARC30002 | Architectural Design Studio 5

Hero shot of my 'Forest Museum'. Made in Photoshop.

ARC30002 | Architectural Design Studio 5 | Renders

Renders of my 'Forest Museum' in Studio 5. Modelled in Rhino, Rendered in D5, added context through photoshop and enhanced by AI.

ARC30001 | Architectural Design Studio 5 | Sectional Perspective

Sectional Perspective made through Revit and Photoshop.

ARC30001 | Architectural Design Studio 4 | Apartment Plans and Axometric Views

Apartment plans using Revit and Photoshop

ARC20002 | Architectural Design Studio 3 | Renders, Plan and Section

Photoshop material render using Photoshop to explore materiality and mood.

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.