Long Kim Van

I am an Interior Architecture student in the 2020 - 2023 school year, a time of difficulties and challenges but not lacking in happiness. During the course at Swinburne University, from a person with a lack of experience in everything, until now, I feel how much I have grown. I have new friends, learning more about myself, finding what I love, learning independent skills and understanding your desired mindset. Of course, it is indispensable for the skills I received from the course: communication skills, design thinking, Concept projects and more. There was a time I stumbled, but then it helped me a bit by giving me experience to deal with a bigger problem. As a person of interior architecture, I wish to contribute my efforts and thinking to the race to build a better, sustainable and developed society and community over time with my designs. Swinburne and my lifetime with it nearly ended, and I had enough basic skills during that period. However, I will continue learning more knowledge and new things to hone my design thinking, skills and solutions for my journey.

The moment of waiting a train

One of the initial design ideas for a Keilor Plains Station. It was an exciting time when tried to make an old boring place into an enjoyable space. I put a lot of effort into having a cafeteria, market, greeny balcony, and more stuff things so that the passengers won't feel unsafe and sleepy when waiting for a train.

Front view of the Villages

First time learned how to deal with the site condition and got new skills in set-up documentation, construction and more. There was a lot of pressure but also happy at the same time.

Interior view of a Printing shop

Trying some new techniques effect for my sectional perspective printing shop. Learning about why we should care about the well-being condition and how to make it become our own thinking behaviour whenever designing something.

The RE-tires museum for Yarra River.

The best time period of my study journey where I put as much of my creative thinking into combining the clay material with recycled things. I learned how we solve a problem with the weather conditions in a proactive way.

Great garden view for a breaktime

The only project with a teammate in my study time. I learned how to communicate when working in a team, how the weather affected the site and how we worked together to figure out the solution way.

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.