Evana Chan
This week, we are chatting with Evana Chan from the University of Auckland!
Evana’s work takes inspiration from the power of architecture and it’s influence to impact social behaviours and habits. Read on to find out more!
Kia ora, Evana! Tell me, how would you describe your design process?
My design process usually consists of two parallel streams of thoughts. Critiquing architectural and sociological theories is a crucial step in finding my manifesto. Alongside the critique, I experiment a ton with adhoc models that play with materiality. A project feels most satisfying when I’ve tied all loose ends to a clear and rich manifesto. Being driven by these three things is usually how I know that I’ve done my project justice.
What part of architecture are you most interested in?
I was drawn to the education and practice of architecture because of their power to influence societal behaviours across all scales. It can be as simple as detailing end-of-trip facilities to lower operational carbon footprint, or as visionary as increasing community engagement through redesigning infrastructural schemes!
I know that architecture has the power to improve quality of life and promote a constructively critical culture – this is why I chose to be a part of it.
What would be your favourite project so far? What stood out to you?
My favourite project so far is the D5 paper that I am currently taking with Farzaneh Haghighi. It has pushed me to think speculatively whilst cooperating with the current bounds of reality – in terms of politics, infrastructure, and social engagement. The paper focuses on spatial justice and design after capitalism.
I’m particularly focused on the crisis of imagination brought on by profit-driven designs and social rules. The combination of research, writing, and model making has informed me of provocative alternatives to our current norms, further rounding out my critique on architecture x financialisaton x socialisation!
What advice would you give to future students?
Sacrificing physical/mental health for good grades is not worth it! My friends and I have chatted about how architecture school often slips into a chase for validation. I have found that it is exactly this desperation that leads to burnout, and prevents us from achieving genuinely good work.
When the drive to study/design/analyse comprehensively comes from your own thirst for challenges, the process becomes much smoother and easier to nail. In essence, taking a break to refresh your mind is always more valuable than you realise.
Wise words, indeed. Thanks for that, Evana! Ka kite!
