Belpanhapick Sok

“It all started with a drawing. A drawing that my uncle had been working on for days, perfecting its angle, its shades, and its line weights until he was satisfied with it before putting the pen down. As a child, I enjoyed watching him spend hours crafting and bringing his vision to reality, how he would cut little pieces of wood and other materials to put them together to create conceptual models that look similar to my favorite doll house. And little did I know, his actions inspired me to be just like him when I grew up.

I have decided to explore my design pathway as an interior architecture student to further pursue my passion and explore the depth of my creativity. I have learned the importance of creating a space that personally belongs to you and how you can co-exist harmoniously with nature. I am passionate about creating welcoming, functional, and thoughtfully crafted spaces in which every detail matters for shaping an environment’s impact. My journey as a student has encouraged me to continually seek growth, learn about sustainable practices, and infuse innovation with creativity while staying truthful to my design values.

I am looking forward to stepping into the next chapter of this journey, taking on new challenges, learning new skills, and involving myself with collaborative, like-minded people. I aim to contribute to projects that blend design with purpose, adding value to communities and shaping a more sustainable future.”

The W.E.L.L workspace

The purpose of this workplace design is to create a small-scale fashion studio accommodating 8–10 employees, featuring both a functional workspace and a showroom for client engagement and investment opportunities. Inspired by the site’s spatial character and vibrant urban context, the concept envisions a boutique design company that thrives within a creative neighborhood, fostering connections with a community that values originality and craftsmanship. The design integrates the WELL Building Standard, prioritizing air, light, comfort, and material quality to enhance employee health, productivity, and well-being. This human-centered and sustainable approach not only improves workplace performance but also reflects the company’s ethos of innovation and care.

Student housing

The student housing is conceived to foster both academic success and personal development, providing a supportive environment that prioritizes well-being. The design incorporates flexible spaces for study, social interaction, and relaxation, including a modern dining kitchen and two distinct living areas—one overlooking a private courtyard and another serving as a formal upstairs lounge. By emphasizing privacy, independence, and sustainability, the housing transcends mere accommodation, cultivating community, essential life skills, and a sense of belonging for students.

Corroboree Centre

The Corroboree Design Centre is dedicated to celebrating and promoting Indigenous Australian culture, art, and craftsmanship. It functions as a hub for cultural exchange, where traditional knowledge meets contemporary design, enabling Indigenous artists to share their heritage, develop skills, and engage in economic and collaborative opportunities. By showcasing both traditional and contemporary art while educating visitors, the center fosters appreciation and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Through the integration of art, education, and community engagement, the Corroboree Design Centre preserves and honors Indigenous cultural heritage while making it accessible to a wider audience.

Auraville: Housing typology

Auraville features five housing types designed for residents aged 25 to 50, accommodating diverse lifestyles: from singles and couples to families with one or two children, as well as accessible housing. Each type is thoughtfully planned to support flexibility and growth, providing adaptable spaces that evolve with the needs of a growing family.

Auraville: The neighbourhood library

The neighbourhood libray is one of the three essential community centre for Auraville. The design is inspired by the wave patterns of the Maribyrnong River, translating its fluid motion into a series of curved spatial forms. This geometry defines distinct zones for social interaction, focused study, silence, and reflection, while maintaining a cohesive spatial flow. Each area is thoughtfully arranged to integrate nature and creativity, fostering an atmosphere of calm and inspiration. Positioned beside the diverted river, the library strengthens its connection to the landscape, offering a refined architectural response that enhances both functionality and visual engagement with the water.

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.