EXPRESSION AND CREATIVITY ARCHITECT
DESIGNING FOR A BETTER FUTURE
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MYINT SAN AUNG grew up in Thailand as a Myanmar refugee and from a young age had a strong desire to be creative. In April, the 23-year-old graduated with a Master of Architecture (Professional) from Unitec’s School of Architecture after arriving in New Zealand in 2011 as a refugee. “I recall drawing the bamboo huts I grew up witnessing in the camp and constructing a little replica of them out of bamboo and leaves beneath my refugee house,” says San.
“Since the first day I arrived, the architecture department has been really helpful. “I’ve met incredibly talented teachers and been taught a lot of things, and it’s given me a lot of possibilities.
writer PETER WHITE
San has won some highly regarded awards, including the 2020 Studio 2 Architects Award for top student in the technology strand and Year 5 winner at the 2021 Te Kāhui Whaihanga NZIA Resene Student Design Awards.
I WOULD LIKE TO WORK ON MORE HUMANITARIAN PROJECTS AND ADDRESS ISSUES THAT MANY OF US ARE DEALING WITH IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVEs, SUCH AS THE HOUSING CRISIS, REFUGE CRISIS, CLIMATE CATASTROPHE AND SO ON.
“But I didn’t know what architecture was until I moved to New Zealand. “My Ōtāhuhu Intermediate School art teacher noticed one of my drawings of a structure and told me I should pursue it. Then I began investigating and finding architecture and I fell in love with it right away.” San completed his Bachelor of Architectural Studies in 2019 and has thoroughly enjoyed his time studying at Unitec.
MYINT SAN AUNG
“Not only did we learn in lecture classes, but we were also given the opportunities to work with leading New Zealand architecture companies such as Jasmax during our studies, giving us a true taste of work-life and what to anticipate in the architecture industry. “We were taught what the business is looking for, but we were also encouraged to think for ourselves and let our imaginations run wild with our ideas.”
“As a student, my primary responsibility was to create conceptual designs, which included architectural visualisation, site visits, model building and the drafting of technical drawings.”
San would love to have his own practice. His long-term goal is to work internationally, with offices in New Zealand and overseas. “I would like to work on more humanitarian projects and address issues that many of us are now dealing with in our everyday lives, such as the housing crisis, refugee crisis, climate catastrophe and so on.” San took Art Painting, Design and Visual Communication, English, Physics and Calculus in
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