Foreword by Dr Kate Hislop

With universities across the world, we made it through 2020 having spent all of first semester working, studying, teaching and learning in full online mode. The experience of that semester was captured in our first digital exhibition catalogue published earlier this year and available on the School website. Our second semester was, for some students and staff, a continuation of the online experience. But for many, the second half of the year in the School of Design saw a significant return to on-campus, face-to-face teaching, learning and interaction. But it was with a difference. The COVID-safe restrictions remained, so we operated with limited venue occupancy and constant observation of physical distancing. In many classes and meetings we functioned by necessity in dual or hybrid format, meaning that our gatherings combined physical and virtual attendance. This was an equally challenging mode and I dare say that by the end of the semester all – students and staff alike – were more than ready for a break.

Lest we forget the remarkable experiences and learnings of 2020, this second digital catalogue records the work produced by a few of our students through second semester, across all of our course offerings. I know I can speak on behalf of all staff when I say how proud we were of the way that students committed themselves, and it is clear from the sampling of work in this catalogue that much excellent, intelligent, inspiring work was produced. It is important to note, too, that the challenges of the year were not easy to navigate and there were students who were unable to continue their studies. We hope that they will find it possible to return in 2021.

The School of Design community has shown great capacity to reflect on the opportunities and limitations arising through the pandemic experience that continues to grip the world, alongside other momentous environmental, social and political events. I believe that this is an important and exciting time to be a student looking ahead to a career in the areas of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, architectural conservation, or BIM; or in the fields of art history or fine arts. The importance of close looking, creative making, visual literacy, environmental responsiveness, sustainable awareness, critical practice and strategic thinking should become increasingly prominent as skill sets and attitudes informing the way we shape, interact with, interpret and preserve our environments, our stories and our communities. I’m pleased to think that graduates from our courses will be at the vanguard of the post-2020 process of recalibrating our lives in a variety of ways.

Congratulations to all students whose work was featured in the end of year exhibition, and our best wishes to those who have completed their studies and are moving on to new ventures. Special thanks to Andy Quilty, Lara Pinho and Samantha Dye for compiling this catalogue, an important marker of the unforgettable year. Finally, thanks to the academic, professional, sessional and adjunct staff in the School of Design and all of our collaborators near and far whose efforts in educating, inspiring, mentoring and supporting students were so much appreciated. Dr Kate Hislop, Dean/Head of School, UWA School of Design