Alice O’Brien Gortner
University of Auckland
Burrito enthusiast Alice is next up from UoA in the SUYT series. She describes her thesis experience so far, and what keeps her motivated to drive in from Kumeu each morning… Learn more next.
Student Architecture Network New Zealand: In 20 words, what is your thesis about?
Alice O’Brien Gortner: It seems to change every week. This week, my thesis is about finding an architecture that can fuse the body, the environment, and nature together as a mediator.
SANNZ: Who is your supervisor and why did you choose to work with her?
AG: Lynda Simmons. She’s so intuitive, she knows things about people that they won’t even know about themselves. She’s great at recognising the way you think, and the way you work and brings out the best in your ideas to carry things forward. I have had her for crits and I could the sense that she understood what I was trying to portray, and she helped me notice what I needed to keep reaching for. She’s lovely, she’s amazing.
SANNZ: When you first started thinking about your thesis, did you think it would take the direction it has?
AG: No, I thought it needed to be strictly more architectural. I’ve been reading about mythology, exploring media, and creating metaphors about a bird’s nest — and that’s ultimately going to become my architecture. It’s really exciting, you have the freedom to go into something you’re really passionate about.
At the end of last year Sarah [Treadwell] spoke to us about thesis. She said to find the similarities between our last few projects and to analyse the underlying components, and your way of working. I recognised I had a fascination with plants and nature, and how they can manipulate people. I had designed art sanctuaries and distilleries that came from plants, and so those little things carried me forward.
SANNZ: Do you work while studying/how many hours? How do you find the balance?
AG: I am working 5-10 hours a week as a teaching assistant for the 4th year architecture students. Being able to walk down the hallway is great, it means once I leave the building I am on my time. It’s almost a break from thesis, and it’s interesting seeing what students outside of thesis are doing; it’s exciting and fun.
SANNZ: What music or artist has helped you get through architecture school?
AG: Seems to change… if I’m determined, I need a strong beat, so this week it’s Dawn Golden. Otherwise cruisey, happy music or jazz. If I’m stressed something soft like piano, or Matt Corby — he helps a lot actually.
SANNZ: Where are you from? What’s your opinion of the architecture or built environment there?
AG: I was born in Seattle and I lived there till I was 10, though I didn’t pay attention to the architecture then. Here I live on a farm, so that perhaps where the strong link to nature comes from. I love it there, I’m surrounded by greenery and golden light. I love the fog on the morning drive, I can see the Sky Tower as a tiny pin prick, and you can see a layer of fog with layers of hills. I think my home on the farm has fostered my ideas about dissolving the boundaries between architecture, body, and nature.
SANNZ: What keeps you occupied outside of study? I know you’re an incredible photographer.
AG: With Masters I haven’t found the time to do as much photography as I would like too, but I try to find ways to incorporate photographs into how I present my work. I like to craft things. I have made everything in my bedroom, my bed frame, my desk, drawers. I like constructing the space around me to reflect who I am, I am very tactile so I enjoy making or finding those things.
SANNZ: What is your go to meal in studio?
AG: We have all the ingredients for burritos, we have a pantry and a mini fridge full of wraps, beans, salsa… I could eat burritos for every meal meal for the rest of my life, or any Mexican food. Burritos are all I need.
