Thomas Woods

Bachelor of Design (Architecture)

The Bachelor of Design (Architecture) at Swinburne has been the next step in my creative journey.

With 13 years experience in carpentry and building, and 4 generations of family history in the industry I have developed a passion for design and a keen attention to detail. Hands on skills honed by bespoke residential and small commercial building has set me up well with an understanding of how buildings go together. Experience with furniture design, restoration and creation, as well as custom kitchen knife-making has built a base of skill over the years and shines through when model making or prototyping for various design projects.

My hands on background, and day to day experience with on the fly problem solving has prepared me well for the rewarding challenge that is an architecture degree.

I have enjoyed developing new digital and architectural visualisation skills alongside exploring the rich history and cultural diversity of the architectural world.

Key interests that I have discovered throughout my time at Swinburne include the ability to tailor a project to particular users as well as unique sites. Environmental analysis and consideration for the natural world around us are becoming some of my key drivers in design.

Please enjoy a selection of my works to date, up to the completion of my 2nd year.

Dragon's Nest Group Project - Design Studio 3

Arch Pond - Active Environmental Component - Construction 3: Sustainability

Cape Schanck House - Precedent Study - Construction 3: Sustainability

Environmental Simulation - Construction 3: Sustainability

Arboreal Arches Group Project - Design Studio 2

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.