Varun Saxena
University of Auckland
This week SANNZ talks to Varun Saxena about his unique approach to finding value within practice and telling the story of craft, specifically through the creation of a wine tasting experience on Waiheke Island intended to bridge the gap between the maker and the consumer.
SANNZ: In short, what is your thesis about?
VS: My thesis is about how can we find value in the things that we practice and how can we get better at telling the story of our craft. That’s the overarching question, the project vehicle through which I am testing these ideas is through the design of a wine tasting experience on Waiheke Island. It’s a series of wine tasting spaces which bridge the gap between the winemaker and the wine consumer and gives them an experience which engages with the terroir of the site and the practice of winemaking.
SANNZ: What inspired you to choose this topic?
VS: I am quite interested in how a craftsman can engage directly to the people who respond to their craft. How can that interaction be made better so that the person that is receiving the craft can truly understand the work that has gone into it? I am interested in bridging the gap between the consumer and the maker.
SANNZ: Tell me about your supervisor and why you chose to work with them?
VS: My supervisor is Mike Davis. I picked him because I spoke to his previous students and they had nothing but good words for him, and speaking to people who have had him as a tutor previously said he provides real direct advice, which is something I need. But after having him I realised he doesn’t tell you what to do, but makes you confident in your ability more than anything.
SANNZ: How has the Iberia trip, and the Alpine tour affected your work?
VS: Being exposed to different building typologies and methodologies which we aren’t used to here. It was all similar but different. Spain was all about history, and the Alpine tour was more contemporary and featured tucked away places. It’s influenced my work in the way that I am now more open to change, and that there is so much possibility out there and it’s ok to change your ideas and the way you think.
SANNZ: Throughout your time at the architecture school did you always think your thesis was going to have this topic? Have you touched on these topics and techniques in previous Design papers?
VS: I had no idea what my thesis was going to be about, I think I just began one day. I really wanted to go on the Alpine trip and thought there would be a lot of wineries as there was in the Iberia trip, and it’s such a rich typology filled with so much possibility and not really tied down to anything in particular. I had no idea that it would evolve to this whole thing about practice and value. I really got to explore my own practice, specifically drawing, which is the way I work and I didn’t realise it would become such a key point for my thesis. It was only when I reflected on my previous work and really looked at how I started each design paper. Drawing became a real key thing. It was like ‘how can I explore my own craft through my thesis?’
Image of overlaying technique
Bank of concept sketches, exploring tectonic forms, spatial compositions, and terrain
Site visit studies, investigating how wine tasting experiences vary across Waiheke.
Overlaying conceptual diagrams on site plan of Goldie Estate on Waiheke, Through exploration of the craft of drawing, the outcome of the practice became a representation of organizational diagrams overlaid with experiential drawings.
Conceptual planning, further exploring craft of drawing, using layering of tracing paper and varying line-weights and media, ink pen and pencil
SANNZ: When tackling a design, what is your approach?
VS: Hand drawing, specifically. What I sketch is plan-based drawings. Mapping out ideas, concepts, and relationships. They are quite abstract but they do inform a tectonic structure in the quality of the drawings. Thickness, lightness in the drawings, and fluidity in the lines dictate circulation through spaces the composition between drawn elements would inform where each programme would sit on the site. When I translate it into architecture I’ve found that there’s a shift in media. I would transfer onto Rhino, and rationalise my drawings into an architectural form. However, in the representation of the architecture through conventional drawings, I try to retain the quality of my hand drawings, mostly in my sections and plans in the final images.
SANNZ: Do you work whilst studying? How do you balance work and study?
VS: Balance is key to a successful thesis I feel, but I do find it a struggle to find time for everything. I previously worked in retail during my BAS and I started to seriously look for architecture work in third year because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to pursue a the Master’s degree or not. I started working at a small residential practice over the summer, as well as working for a medium sized commercial firm, so two different scales of architectural practices, and they both told me to get my Master’s degree, so as not to be in the position where you realise ‘I actually want to be an architect’ but I can’t because I don’t have my Master’s. After working in the medium sized firm for two years I could see my future in terms of what I could be doing when I graduate, but at that point I actually started to get more interested in project management and design management because I felt like that was truly where my skillset and passion lies. I’m a really holistic person and that reflects in my drawing practice as well. It was a big self-revelation moment. I figured out how I work best and wanted to find a job that addresses my skills and thinking abilities, so I emailed one of the biggest project management firms in NZ (RCP), told them my situation and they said sweet, come on board. And it was pretty good timing because they’re currently managing some quite big projects within Auckland CBD such as Commercial Bay in Britomart, AT CityRail etc. I’m really glad to be in a place whose vision is about creating value beyond expectations and that lines up pretty well with my thesis.
SANNZ: Are you going to be working there full time next year?
VS:Yeah, I hope so. Working part time you don’t really get the full scope of the project and although I work every day, it’s only 3 hours a day, so it’s not one of those places you can go into for one day a week because things change really quickly which is quite different to my experience working in an architecture firm. But they’re pretty understanding with my thesis work load at the moment. They’re a good mix of architects as well as engineers, they’ve all been through it, they understand the situation so they’re pretty flexible.
Extraction of architecture in 3D using Rhino. The shift in the media allowed me as the craftsman to evolve my drawing practice as well the design of the architecture. Representational section showing hand drawn qualities in digital render, bringing in materiality and light conditions
SANNZ: Listen to whilst doing work?
VS: I’ve got a pretty broad range but I’m a bit of a hip-hop head so lots of hip hop and trap, recently like lo-fi instrumentals on Youtube which keeps you going. But then to mix it up I enjoy listening to Arabic instrumentals or Spanish guitar. I’m trying to get into podcasts but I feel like music is my default go-to.
SANNZ: What are you going to miss the most about the Architecture school when you leave?
VS: Getting to see everyone very day, but it’s been different because people haven’t shown up this year. Shout out to the Bay of Baes! People you work around are the ones you form the strongest friendships with, but our year is so open, you can walk from end to end [of studio] and have a yarn with anyone, that’s probably the best thing.
SANNZ: Words of wisdom for those yet to undertake their thesis?
VS: I guess to look at what you’ve done previously, and when you’re starting just to take a moment of pause, don’t get too caught up about thinking about something to do for the rest of the year because 90% of the time it’s going to change. See where you’re at and what you’ve done so far and let that guide you to where you want to be going.
