Le Bao Ngoc Pham

I have always been a curious observer — constantly questioning the world around me. Since I was a child, I’ve been fascinated by how spaces can influence the way people live, think, and connect. I’ve always loved creating — not only in an aesthetic sense but also in a logical, purposeful way that makes life flow more naturally. I believe that people shape the spaces they live in, just as much as spaces shape the people who inhabit them.

My journey in design has been enriched by experiences beyond the studio: working in cafés, where I discovered the subtle rhythm of human interaction; joining exhibitions that challenged and refined my creativity; and coaching, which taught me empathy, communication, and the beauty of human growth. These moments helped me understand that good design begins with understanding people.

I care deeply about sustainability, human interaction, and community-focused design. My vision is to create spaces that stand the test of time — spaces that nurture connection, inspire change, and leave a lasting impact on society. Through thoughtful design, I hope to contribute to a world where design not only improve life but leave a legacy for generations to come.

Museum of the Handmade

This museum explores solar-efficient façade design, integrating natural ventilation and shading to enhance comfort and sustainability. The façade features D-shaped brick modules stacked in rhythmic layers, forming a sculptural outer wall that celebrates craftsmanship while protecting the interior from heat and glare.

Museum of the Handmade

The museum’s generous volume—expanded walls and a lofty ceiling—invites visitors into a calm, open space where handcrafted sculptures can be experienced with clarity, presence, and awe.

CAPSTONE | Reading space

Overlooking Footscray High School, this space invites students and educators to enjoy its open, light-filled environment. It encourages reading, reflection, and collaboration. The design balances comfort and quiet with a welcoming public atmosphere, creating a place for perfect concentration.

CAPSTONE | Indoor stairwell area

The full-height curtain wall floods the stairwell with natural light, while the open central void creates visual connection across levels and a sense of grandeur. A subtle red handrail adds a playful touch, bringing warmth and vibrancy to the vertical circulation space.

Fiber program office building

With its fluid circulation and high-ceilinged floors, the Fibre Program Building feels expansive and seamlessly connected to the surrounding landscape and sky. The flowing walkways and sculptural staircases give the building a futuristic character, enhancing both movement and spatial experience for office users.

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.