alicja nowicz interior architect VSI-ASAI
cv name
Alicja Nowicz
date and place of birth
26 April 1988, Gdynia, Poland
address
Bern, Wylerstrasse 109
mobile phone
0774448504
alicja.nowicz.brandt@
nationality
Polish
education 2010- 2011
Interior Architecture BA Course, SUPSI, Lugano, Switzerland
09.2009- 01.2010
Erasmus Exchange, SUPSI, University of Applied Science of Southern Switzerland, Lugano
2008- 2009
First Year Interior Design BA Hons Course, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh, Scotland
2007- 2008
Foundation Year, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh, Scotland
2001- 2007
Secondary School of Fine Arts (Visual Advertising specialization), Gdynia, Poland
outstanding achivements November 2011
Publication of the thesis project in ARCHI magazine
September 2011
First Price for the best thesis awarded by VSI-ASAI, membership in the association
February 2011
First Price in an International Interior Design Contest- GIDE, Magdeburg, Germany
April 2007
an A* grade for the Highschool Diploma Project, book Illustrations
workoshops, work experience
software Rhino
V-ray Key-Shot
Sketch-up Archicad Adobe Photoshop Indesign Corel Draw MS Office
February 2011
Interior Design workshop, Magdeburg, Germany; Set-up design workshop, Lugano
June 2010
Visualisations for a competition project for Ira Piattini Architects, 2nd price, Lugano
June 2009
Set-up designer in a film Talking Piranias, Edinburgh, Scotland
2007-2008
Subway, sandwich designer Tesco, cookie maker, check-out
driving licence
category B
languages
Polish English italian
mother tongue very good written and spoken 2007 IELTS C1 good written and spoken
academic work 2007-2011
01 8-9
Edinburgh College of Art: Foundation year Painting
10-11 Sculpture
02
Edinburgh College of Art: First Year Interior Design
12-13 Being there, not being there, redesign of the space 14-15 Tablot Rice Gallery, Installation 16-17 Talbot Rice Gallery, redesign of the space
03 Supsi: Second year Interior Architecture 18-19 Urban Interior, redesigning an urban squere 20-21 Designing gazebo, detail design 22-23 Lighting design
04 Supsi: Third year Interior Architecture 24-27 Urban Identity, Rainforcing district’s identitty 28-29 Exhibition design 30-33 Thesis Project 34-35 3D visualisations
01
painting
painting During the foundation year at the Edinburgh College of Art I undertook numerous projects investigating such themes as the city and its architecture. Working with different tutors in various workshops (amongst which construction, painting, printmaking) helped me to learn new art techniques and to develop an explorative and experimantal approach. During the painting classes I mainly focused on observational painting of spaces, their volumes and the atmospheres.
01
sculpture
sculpture Out of all fine art courses I especialy enjoyed doing sculpture. I made a series of conceptural plaster and wood sculptures in which I tried to explore the subject of the city and space. Since I was a newcomer to Edinburgh I was especially sensitive to all its particularities. I deeply admired its historic architecture, but was equally disappointed by the twentieth century buildings which did not correspond to the context and seemed to be generic copies. I created three, almost identical volumes representing cities of a strong historic and architectural identity: Prague, Edinburgh and Gdańsk, asking myself what it would be like if only the 20-tieth century architecture remained.
02
redesign
being there/not being there With this project I had to survey and make an atmospheric model of an existing room. The next step was to develop a proposal for the space within one day. My main focus was the window openings and the light entering through them. I proposed to install coloured screens in front of them which would diffuse and filter the natural light. At night lighting inserted around the windows would not only light up the interior but also turn the room into an illuminated sculpture making it noticable from the outside. I decided to convert the floor into a uniform sitting surface giving the room sculptural quality.
plan
02
installation
light Installation The task was to translate the previous architectural move into an installation . The given space was a round room with a big sky-light. I decided to make use of the strong natural light arriving from the top and the particular shape of the room. My proposal was to split it in two and thus create two completely contrasting spaces. My intention was to have a relatively dark bottom space with a perforated low ceiling (through which one could enter the top level) and a very generous and bright space above.
section
axonometric projection
02
room redesign
multifunctional room I had to develop an already given design scheme and to make it more apealing to the client. The requirement was to turn a small room in an art gallery into a multifunctional space. It would be used for such activities as art workshops for children and a space where visitors could find information about the exhibitions. The original proposal only envisioned cladding of the room with wood. The changes I brought were among others an interesting lighting scheme and creation of a whole lenght wall-cupboard. The cupbord was designed to contain all tools necessery for running workshops, including a washbasin. Once opened, the elegant room would turn into a joyful space thanks to the colorful interior of the storage.
03
urban interior
urban patch-work With this project the task was to bring order and hierarchy into a square. Over time, the asphalt surface of the squere required some repairs turning the once homogenous surface into an accidental patchwork of different shades and shapes. This inspired me to bring the theme of a patchwork into my design. The coloured patches would mark various zones of the square, different hues and saturation would give them hierarchy. At the same time the zones would be united in an overriding colour scheme. The paving would be made of coloured concrete slabs. In some places the slabs would be replaced with trees that provide shading or with concrete blocks serving as benches.
03
seconddesign detail year: detail design
03
lighting project
04
urban identity
activated confines The concept behind my project was to reinforce the presence of the public spaces in the disctrict of Molino Nuovo and to bring life to it. I have decided to design small structures placed in proximity of the confines of the site I worked on, which could be used as workshops, bars etc. These structures are inspired by rustic, improvised “architecture”, such as little sheds, pergolas, greenhouses etc, that can be found in the district. This architecture makes part of the rural history of the place. My design incorporates particular qualities of those “improvisted” structures such as translucency, small dimensions and an impression of temporality.
rendered elevations
1st floor
groundfloor
interior of the structure
04
plan
urban identity
rendered elevations
exhibition design
sitivo 2: elemento espo scala 1:10 re rio te veduta an
elemento e.1: re scala 1:10 veduta anterio
ex
45,00 es sitivo1: po
elemento 10 pianta scala 1:
sitivo 2: elemento espo 10 1: a al sc ta pian
e scala 1:5
sitivo 1: sezion
elemento espo
04
e scala 1:5
sitivo 1: sezion
elemento espo
co
xhibition design
The project was made in collaboration with the Culture Museum of Lugano. The task was to design an exhibition of religious objects of an Indonesian etnic group. My idea was to explain the meaning and the use of objects in an indirect way using little description.
tivo 3:
si elemento espo ala 1:5 The concept was to create a journey re sc rio te an ta du ve through various enviromens engaging visitors’ emotions and suggesting the meaning of the objects.
ontructed detail: photo viewer
sitivo 4: elemento espo 1:20 a al sezione: sc sitivo 3: elemento espo 1:2 a al detaglio: sc
sitivo 3: elemento espo 1:5 a al sc e: on sezi
3.lightbo
disposition of the objects minazione
sistema di illu
inati:
gno retroillum
2.panneli di le
osto nel sofitto
/ binario nasc
rsa incasso/ retto a scompa
1.fa
section
prove della luce
04
thesis project
o
open space The task was to convert a former watch factory into accomodation for young people interested in communal living. I decided to create habitable units of minimal dimensions, for one or two students each, which appear like little houses inside the builing. Between them piazza- and streetlike spaces are formed favouring a communal living. This solution avoides having anonymous corridors and lifeless spaces. My project brakes with the rigidity of the existing structure and at the same time maintains a sensation of the former open space. I achieved it by inserting volumes of irregular forms which cut through the facades and floor of the builing and create an interesting and dinamic interior spaciality.
short section
longitudinal section
1st floor
ground floor
04
thesis project
ro
ooms’ detailing To emphasise the difference between the existing structure and my intervention I decided to clearly distinguish between their materials. My intention was to create an impression that the existing spaces were kept almost in their original state whilst the new volumes appear as something added later, of a new identity. The old stucture is kept simple with greyish rasin flooring and white walls favouring views on the surrounding landscape. Whereas the rooms are made of wood to give an additional feeling of temporality and cosiness.
04
computer renderings
3d visualisations During my studies I have gained a good knowledge of rendering engines such as v-rey or key-shot. Although I personally prefer models and hand drawings I believe that it is also possible to create poetic images with the computer. In my renderings I like using simple, staight angles which allow for a good overview of the space and which do not distort it.