Beatrice Wu talks design philosophy, goals she had in first year & how her graduation project will provide something new and exciting to the civic environment of Sydney.

Describe your proposal in 3 key words:
Past, present, future.

What is your design philosophy?
I believe a good design comes from constant change, and the process is the key. Looking back at my past projects, I found that all the finalised designs are very different from the initial conceptual sketches I had on my drawing book. Though this gave me extra workloads to fit within the time limit, I have found that it has helped me to improve with my design.

What were some goals that you had in first year and how have you gone in achieving them?
I can still recall what my tutor said to me during my very first project while I was struggling with how to fit a person into a 200mm wide seating space covered with rough copper: ‘Design something comfortable.’ I have followed this motto ever since then. At every stage of my design process, I constantly imagine myself being within the space I create – taking a walk down the corridor I designed, feeling the material I choose for the wall, trying to envision if they are comfortable to me. This is what has driven me to improve with my designs throughout these years.

How will your grad proposal provide something exciting and new to the civic environment of Sydney?
Rather than just creating something entirely new, I believe my proposal White Bay Cultural Centre (WBCC) is to recreate the past, to preserve the present, and to celebrate the future. The WBCC does not only satisfy the local users, but also establishes an international connection and creates strong cultural and historical values towards the site. An indigenous art gallery and a museum, a performance theatre and a digital library relatively represent the concept of past, present and future. And with these cultural facilities, the WBCC will act as a gathering place for both the local users and tourists to share and exchange knowledge and to gain an understanding of the city.

If you want to check out more of Beatrice's work please head to: https://imprint.be.unsw.edu.au/projects/beatrice-wu