Ewa Lenart - Career Appraisal

Ewa Zuzanna Lenart

University of Cambridge Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Practice in Architecture ARB / RIBA Part III 2018-19 1819PPRA01

career appraisal

Author: Ewa Lenart Office Mentor: Michelle Ludik, Associate at Purcell PSA: Gordon Abbott Submitted: 2nd September 2019 Word Count: 3,228

Ewa Lenart lenarteee@gmail.com www.ewalenart.com All rights in this work are reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means (including without limitation by photocopying or placing on a website) without the prior permission in writing of the author except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

EWA LENART

CONTENTS

5

CV

7

Introduction

8-9

Vienna: Angewandte

10-11

Ghana: Design Build Studio

12-13

Los Angeles: Sci-Arc

14-15

Working as Part I

16-17

First Post Part II working experience

18-19

Moving to London: David Adjaye Associates

20-21

London: Purcell

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Part 3 & Future Goals

3

4

EWA LENART

CV

EDUCATION University of Cambridge

2018-2019 Architecture Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Practice (RIBA Part III) Current-ongoing

University of Applied Arts Vienna die angewandte

2010-2016 Diploma programme in architecture (Mag. Arch.)

Design studios: Wolf d.Prix, Greg Lynn, Hani Rashid Thesis Supervisor: Hani Rashid Graduation with Distinction [1,1]

Southern California Institute of Architecture Los Angeles [SCI-Arc] 2014 Exchange

FULL TIME PROFESSIONAL WORK PART II EXPERIENCE:

Purcell Architects London, UK 1.5 years - Current-ongoing Camden Town Hall - Stage 3 Trent Park master-plan -Stages 2-6

Adjaye Associates

London, UK 1 year IFC World Bank HQ Dakar, Senegal -Stage 4 National Holocaust Memorial London - Stage 2 National Ghana Cathedral - Stage 1,2

the next ENTERprise-architects

Vienna, AT 1 year Wien Museum: Exhibition design/ Project leader - all stages Places for People / Austrian Pavillion for architectural biennale in Venice 2016 ; work on several competition entries

PART I EXPERIENCE:

Adjaye Associates

Accra, GH summer 2014 Rwanda Cancer Treatment Center - Stage 2

Liquifer Systems Group Vienna,

AT summer 2013 SHEE Project ; self-deployable Habitat for Extreme Environments design stages

Irene Ott-Reinisch Architecture

Vienna, AT summer 2012 Work on multiple competition entries , mix-use projects design stages

Delugan Meissl Associated Architects

Vienna summer 2011 Work os multiple competition entries , mix-use projects design stages

selected exhibitions, publications, awards Tische Stipendium Award 2017 Personal Award, Vienna issued by Austrian Ministry of Education and Culture to promote young austrian architects Architektur Aktuell Austria 7-8/2016 - Timber Structures; Haduwa Stage Ghana The Plan Magazine Italy 091 [06-2016] Haduwa Stage Ghana Helmut Richter Preis 2015 Haduwa Stage, Ghana Award for Innovation (kritische Neuordnung) issued by: Austrian Chamber of Architects in cooperation with Vienna Technical University The Essence 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 KĂźnstlerhaus Wien and MAK Museum angewandte Kunst Wien Angewandte shows, presenting individual work Think Global, Build Social!

A ZW The Architekturzentrum Wien, Vienna group show, Haduwa Stage Ghana Staging Apam Galerie Goettlicher Krems an der Donau , AT show of Haduwa Stage Ghana, presenting individual work Staging - Nubuke Foundation Accra Ghana show of Haduwa Stage Ghana, presenting individual work

SPECIAL PROJECT

applied foreign affairs Haduwa Stage Ghana Design-build studio as a part of reasearch lab University of Applied Arts Vienna. Design and realisation of 28-M span bamboo roof structure, in a team of 7 people, work on all phases.

Preliminary design, Design development drawings, Building permit drawings, Executive design, Detailed drawings, Technical Supervision, Artistic Supervision, General Planner Management, Local Construction Supervision

SKILLS software

Fluent: Autocad, Adobe Suite, Rhinoceros (+5 years) Good knowledge: Revit +good knowledge of fabrication and planning physical models, +good knowledge of sofwares; Maya, After Effects, Grasshopper languages: English, German, Polish

HOBBY:

Yoga, Skiing, Book Club, Film Club

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EWA LENART

INTRODUCTION

PART I WORKING EXPERIENCE

DDMA

Poland 1991

Vienna

IOA

LQS

AA

PART II WORKING EXPERIENCE

tnE

I 2016 Part 2 Exams Accra

Los Angeles

IX 2010

AA

London

PUR

IX 2019 Part 3 Exams

IV 2017

Curiosity is the lust of mind – Thomas Hobbes

A fter graduating high school in 2010, from a small town in Northern Poland, I moved to Vienna to undertake architectural studies at the University of Applied Arts Vienna (Die Angewandte) in the masterclass of Wolf d.Prix of Coop Himmelblau. During seven years of studying and working in Austria, I spent a semester abroad in Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles (Sci-Arc) as well as visiting Ghana several times, conducting design and built research studio as part of my academic programme. In 2017 I received the Tische Scholarship granted by the Austrian Ministry of Education and Culture to promote young Austrian architects. This programme has enabled me to move to London and continue working for Sir David Adjaye, for whom I interned during my Part I experience in the Ghana office. Spending the past two and half years in the extremely vibrant yet historically layered city of London has made me appreciate the UKs unique, dynamic and innovative building industry, especially in context of retrieving heritage assets within built environment. My almost five years of working experience to date made me realize the importance of deepening my legal, management and technical knowledge and I am confident that Part 3 course embodies them all.

From a young age, I have been fascinated and intrigued by the way people occupy, transform and shape surrounding spaces; from everyday interiors to urban arrangements. Having followed that interest and my passion for logic in tbe form of mathematics and physics, it was clear to me I wanted to follow the path of becoming an architect. My upbringing allowed me to travel and visit many places which made me question and realize the cultural and economic impacts on the surrounding built environment. I have always found architecture an interdisciplinary platform to express economic, political and social concerns in a visual medium.

IOA - Institute of Architecture, University of Applied Artc Vienna DDMA - Delugan Meissl Associated Architects LQS - Liquifier System Group A A- Adjaye Associates tnE - the next enterprise PUR- Purcell

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@ewa.lenart Angewandte thesis project

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EWA LENART

VIENNA DIE ANGEWANDTE

Angewandte First District of Vienna campus: outside/inside

I found the choice of architectural school to be quite challenging. During my secondary education, I was hugely preoccupied by mathematics and drawing classes. I found it intriguing how architectural education varies, from being able to study it at a technical university to an art school. Architectural discourse is broad as it draws on elements of engineering, art and the understanding of current technologies, trends and social issues. Most of the universities in Poland consider architecture to be a technical education route, therefore part of Polytechnic education (Institute of Technology).

I found this approach quite limiting, as I deeply believe the discourse that it is broader than its technical application and it is deeply interdisciplinary.

During my research, I came across the University of Applied Arts Vienna (IoA), which is a renowned design university, having extraordinary alumni, including the late Zaha Hadid, Karl Lagerfeld or Gustav Klimt. Education there is based on the idea of masterclass, where a professor chooses a group of around 30-40 people across all years and leads them throughout their design education.

From the first year on, the education introduces vertical design studios, based on the infamous Architectural Association’s Aarons Boyarsky unit system. The goal of the IoA is to put the future architect in a position to define architecture as a three-dimensional expression of culture. To achieve this, the three design studios of Kazuyo Sejima (formerly late Zaha Hadid), Greg Lynn and Hani Rashid (formerly Wolf d.Prix) closely work together with specialists in the departments of technology, theory and editing within the institute, as well as with specialists from reputable external organizations. This potential for interaction is realized in closely networked teams that are kept comparatively small to facilitate the transfer of knowledge. The latest technologies are tested in theory and practice. The continuous necessity of re-defining architecture both in theoretical and practical terms is the main focus of teaching. I joined the Institute in 2010. At this time the programme was a five year Diploma degree (Mag.Arch). Currently only a three year master degree is available (M.Arch).

In January 2016 I graduated with a distinction for my thesis project Tectonic Creolisation, investigating a post-colonial African metropolis condition and proposing an institutional building in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, which integrates civic life with highly political organisation.

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@AFA.lab Staging Apam - project photos

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EWA LENART

GHANA DESIGN BUILD STUDIO

selected publications

During my Diploma Mag.Arch programme I was actively involved in an ‘applied foreign affairs’ lab which is a research / design & build studio investigating spatial, infrastructural, environmental and cultural phenomena in rural and urban Sub-Saharan Africa. A series of lectures, talks and workshops introduce students to the spatial diversity and cultural vibrancy of the contemporary African condition. Each lab centres on a distinct question and clear mission, culminating in a field trip through which rural growth patterns, urban prototypes, imaginary art spaces, and relational physical interventions are produced. The outcome of each lab is presented in different formats and contexts, both on the African continent and in Europe. During my two year involvement in the lab, I visited Ghana several times on a research basis and later for design and built workshops, where the pavilion was realized. This experience taught me both on personal and professional level.

The pavilion was designed by a group of seven students. We were involved in the projects from the initial research stages, through financial funding and then technical and construction drafting stages. In Ghana I learnt an amazing sense of individual action, a very sophisticated layering and flexibility in everyday problem-solving; variations of formal and informal, how elements coexist and feed each other while developing an urban tissue that works so differently from those of Western patterns, which we tend to idealize and refer to. Being part of the lab introduced me to an extremely rich, creative environment and the new design wave emerging on the African continent.

I was fascinated and inspired by the way of living, thinking, and creating that I experienced there, and it gave me an amazing chance to further develop my interests in Africa. The D&B studio allowed me to stay further in Ghana and continue working on local projects for British architect Sir David Adjaye. Subsequently, I focused my thesis dissertation on African metropolis.

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@ewa.lenart indidivual SCI-Arc works samples

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EWA LENART

LOS ANGELES SCI ARC

SCI-Arc Arts District LA campus: outside/inside

A fter my fourth year of the Diploma programme, I obtained a scholarship, which allowed me to spend a semester abroad at the Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles. This was a fantastic experience, both on an academic and cultural level. Angewandte offers various exchange programmes and has a good relationship with several mindlike universities worldwide (including AA and the Bartlett in the UK). I had a particularly strong desire to experience studying at Sci-Arc as I find its interdisciplinary approach and school set up to be very avant-garde. Sci-Arc was founded in the 70s by group of young and innovative tutors, who wanted to approach the subject from a more experimental perspective than traditional schools offered. Originally called the New School, SCI-Arc was based on the concept of a “college without walls� and it remains one of the few independent architecture schools in the world. Instead of academic hierarchies, the school favoured a horizontal relationship between professors and students, who took responsibility for their own course of study.

During my time there I obtained strong design skills and was able to gain different perspectives on architectural discourse. Theory courses at the institutions were very strong and well narrated.

The institution by nature is similar to Angewandte, however I found several differences in the curriculum and faculty approach. At my mother university, we consecutively spent a few design semesters in one masterclass, therefore with one same tutor. All the tutorials and supporting subjects (technical, theory) had to be incorporated within a main design project. This reminded me a lot of the architectural competition dynamic I have experienced during my work experience.

On the contrary, at Sci-Arc you are expected to change design tutor every semester. There is no main design studio, instead you are in parallel developing circa 3-5 smaller projects with different professors. This enables you to be able to multi-task and be flexible.

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(From above) • David Adjaye: Alara Concept Store Lagos, Nigeria • Delugan Meissl: Eye Film Museum, Amsterdam • Liquifier System Group: Self Deployable Habitat for exteme environment (prototypes for NASA)

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EWA LENART

WORKING AS PART I

During my five and half years of diploma studies I worked in various design practises during my summer breaks. In contrary to the British two pier system, in Austria it is not required to obtain a year of practical experience prior to returning for your MA degree. I personally find it crucial to have practical training. We have been strongly encouraged from our first semester on, that practical experience is as valuable as theoretical. One of the most important qualities of the faculty body at the Angewandte is that the university promotes hand-on approach. Most of the assistants and professors run their studios, therefore I found it straightforward to engage in several internships and collaborations. I completed three 3-month full time internships in architectural firm: Viennese Delugan Meissl Associates Architects, Liquifer System Group and British company Adjaye Associates in Ghana. Moreover, I worked for several design studios, where I had a chance to work more collaboratively on smaller scale projects, ranging from furniture design to model building.

After my first year of studies, I interned full time at Delugan Meissl Associated Architects (DMAA).

It was my first ever office experience and to this date I consider it very valuable, both in terms of acquired technical skills and on a personal level.

DMAA is one of the leading Austrian design studios, mostly known for their Porsche Museum in Stuttgart and Eye Film Museum in Amsterdam. Their work ranges from iconic cultural institutions worldwide to product design and exhibition curation. Back in 2011, we were team of around 25 people. The office was run by four partners and each of them was responsible for their area of expertise: concept design, technical implementation, internal project management, PR and external relations. It was really interesting to me to observe the office management system. Two founding partners were responsible for concept and PR; technical and project management partners joined when the practice started to gain international exposure. I see it as a strategic move to choose people with personal dispositions as well as experience who could further contribute to the company growth. During my time there, I was mainly involved in series of large scale competitions. Over one summer I worked on five proposals, three of which were 1st prize winning entries. At that time, this felt extremely fast paced and challenging, but on reflection, I think it was fantastic first work experience for a nineteen year old.

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(From above) • Vienna from Above • Erste Bank Foundation • Places for People, Biennale di Venezia 2016

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EWA LENART

FIRST POST PART II WORKING EXPERIENCE

Vienna’s job market is nothing in scale and variety compared to London’s. Therefore, the amount of attractive jobs are limited. Working for small to medium practices felt like a natural choice, given there is only a handful of large offices in Vienna, all of which focused on work with commercial developers rather than high-end design output.

Upon my graduation in January 2016, I was approached by former co-worker of mine to join him at the next enterprise Architects (tnE), which is a well established and reputable firm in Vienna. The position was working on the 15th Venice Biennale Architettura for Austrian pavilion. This project had been developed in collaboration with DMAA. This clearly illustrates how small the industry is and why it is important to never burn any bridges behind you.

This proved to be a fantastic opportunity and I started right away. I had always planned to move to London after my graduation, however, I was conscious of the great opportunity to work on the national pavilion. After the Biennale, I had been very quickly given a lot of responsibilities within the office. It felt truly rewarding knowing that my hard work and commitment had been acknowledged. In due course, I was given responsibility to run the ‘Vienna from above’ exhibition (PEDR Sheet 01-03). TnE is known for their work in cultural sector and involvement in academia.

Therefore, the studio does not only undertake purely ‘architectural’ jobs, but often engages in projects such as exhibition design. I found this work to be very enriching. The dynamic differed to concept competition entries, yet gave me an immediate insight on how to execute a project. I was myself responsible for the whole process, from the initial brief meetings and design proposal to the construction of the interior fit out of 500sqm. Whilst working at tnE, I did not realise how much ownership over design I had. In both practises, DMAA and tnE, I was given enormous design freedom as well as being credited in all the supporting accreditation. I learnt later this is very uncommon in most London offices as opposed to small studio dynamics. tnE had been formed by eight employees and every person had ownership, and therefore responsibilities, assigned to the project. Taking annual leave in such a small environment is more of a strategic decision and needs to be discussed with the entire team. This dynamic can work to your advantage when negotiating a pay rise. I joined on very low pay, as I was newly graduated. I tried to negotiate my initial pay, however, at this point the job was very desirable to me and I was replaceable from the employer’s standpoint. After several months of involvement, proving my ability to run projects independently, I was in stronger negotiating position. I was able to use this leverage as performance is still required, as at this point my absence would cause delays and possible financial loss. As I have learned in my UK experience, this is very rare in London, as the competition is very high and there is general presumption that most employees are replaceable.

After a year of being involved in several fascinating projects, I received the Tische Scholarship, which allowed me to move to London. At that time, the plan was to stay a year only.

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@adjaye.associates projects I have been working on •National Ghana Cathedral •Holocaust Memorial London •Photos taken in London studio

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EWA LENART

MOVING TO LONDON: DAVID ADJAYE ASSOCIATES

A longside my diploma education and extensive stays in Ghana, in 2014 I interned full time in AAs Accra’s office. The office focused on African work and I worked on a cancer hospital in Rwanda and the World Bank headquarters in Senegal (IFC). By the time I moved to London in the spring of 2017, Accra’s office closed due to economic factors, hence all the African work was relocated to London. Joining AAs felt like the most natural move to me, as I was already familiar with both the projects and office structure. AA is one of the leading design practices, established in 2010 by Sir David Adjaye OBE and has received ever-increasing worldwide attention. Projects range in scale from private houses, exhibitions, and temporary pavilions to major arts centres, civic buildings, and master plans. David Adjaye himself was born in 1966 in Tanzania to Ghanaian parents but has been educated in the UK. He is fascinated by the contemporary African cultural scene and engages himself not only in strictly architectural work but also in writing, exhibition design and art collaborations.

Working on the National Holocaust Memorial was definitely my personal highlight as I worked the longest and most intensively on it. It was a very special experience to work on the newly proposed museum in the middle of the city of London. During this period, I got the chance to work on a few other exciting projects as well, including the Art Centre in Australia as well as the National Cathedral of Ghana. I was very fortunate to be placed in the design team, where I could develop a personal relationship with David himself.

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T R E N T PA R K ENFIELD

N

A S TAT E M E N T O F G R A N D E U R

A statement of grandeur nestled in the heart THE FORMER MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY CAMPUS TRENT PARK

of the Trent Country Park and surrounded by

THE CITY

wildlife, ponds, lakes and ancient woodland,

@purcell DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT projects I have been working on (from above) •Trent Park master-plan •Camden Town Hall the vision of Trent Park is a natural and majestic place to call home.

OA K WO O D

6

7

Computer generated image of Trent Park, indicative only

Our vision for Trent Park is a strong, integrated community where people know one another and welcome the public to enjoy the safe and beautiful setting, where every detail is designed to the highest quality. Residents and visitors will stay and contribute to the rich history and share the tranquil open spaces.

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EWA LENART

LONDON PURCELL

I

have always believed being a qualified architect an integral part of becoming fully aware

professional in the industry. I intended to engage in Part 3 course directly after master’s graduation.

Having had a strong desire to work for design focused practices, I found it quite tough to gain both design, planning experience and technical on-site exposure. Nowadays, there seems to be strong tendency towards specialisation within the industry. According to RIBA, 30% of the UK’s firms focus on frontend design and 10% on delivery. Many design practices strategically engage predominantly in pre-mobilisation phases, as financial rewards can be extracted without the extensive liabilities involved within construction process. Working for Adjaye Associates in London made it challenging to engage with Part 3 course, both timewise and content wise. As I have quickly learned, Part 3 is a practical programme and in order to extract knowledge from it, one must invest time in extensive contract study, including fee calculations, and gain general exposure to the office structure and dynamics. Purcell proved to be an excellent place for this endeavour.

The practice has long track-record of projects in the UK as well as having a high percentage of qualified professionals. Over the last eighteen months I have received professional and financial support from both my team members and the wider company set-up.

Having worked for several design-focused practices, I could not help but compare working cultures within the companies. Offices which mostly engage in international competitions tend to have very passion driven approach, when one is expected to show availability at all times. However, there seems to be a strong trend on the market for companies to demonstrate better work-life balance, involving time-in-lieu schemes, mentoring and sponsorship programmes. Purcell is definitely one of them - the firm offers above average holiday allowance and a time-in-lieu scheme.

I have made interesting observations on efficiency and productiveness. In my previous experiences, hours were countless and the offer of free meals and rides home encouraged young employees to heavily work over hours, resulting in ineffective working patterns. Leaders should investigate more how to stimulate the best results from people and extract their greatest productivity.

‘The more you give away, the more you get back’ – I do work by that rule, nevertheless one must be conscious that our careers should be planned with a view to the future. We should respect our bodies and minds, hence efficient working is crucial.

Unfortunately burn outs and mental health issues, prove there still need to be a change within the industry.

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EWA LENART

PART 3 & FUTURE GOALS

Part 3 course has proven to be an extremely exciting opportunity to test and adapt my architectural thinking to a new context. I have grasped very complex but fascinating architectural platform in the UK and I am very keen on learning more about practical side of the profession.

This I treat as crucial step in order to be fully part of the architectural profession. Having been fortunate to experience working in the UK, I am fully confident in engaging actively in London’s building industry. My willingness to learn more about local dynamics and the practical side of the architectural profession, in order to effectively use my previously acquired design skills in a professional context. I believe meeting new people in the profession - professionals, tutors and students - is an essential part of my professional development. Having qualified as an architect I am excited to take on more responsibility and ultimately become a project architect, continuing working on cultural, heritage projects and regeneration schemes in the UK. I also aspire to engage more in academia and gradually to be able to take on more independent projects, hoping to actively contribute to the discourse.

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