Final year Interior Architecture student Katie Hill has spent three months in the Geyer Singapore studio, as part of the New Colombo Plan from Curtin University. In partnership with Geyer and Curtin University, the three month international internship saw Katie relocate from Perth to Singapore for an incredible opportunity to further her skills and experience the best in strategy led interiors across Asia Pacific.
Are you a student at Curtin?
Yes, I have studied at Curtin University for the past 4 years completing my Honours degree in Interior Architecture.
Describe working at Geyer
Working at Geyer offers something different every day. Observing, listening, questioning, and doing (creating) became a part of my daily ritual! Each day I was able to work alongside a team of determined and like-minded designers, each bringing their own strengths and experiences to the table. It’s inspiring and exciting to see how many opportunities there are to learn and grow within Geyer.
What are your design interests?
I find exploring the way people think really interesting - how these thought patterns affect the way we perceive and interact with space. My design interests always seem to come back to concept development. I enjoy looking at design and the interior through different lenses and utilising that as a framework on which to build and generate ideas.
What is your main learning from Geyer/working in a new culture?
Communication - although Singapore is an English speaking country, there are still so many differences in the way we communicate. For one i‘ve never witnessed such long and in-depth conversations about food before haha! I think my biggest learning was in appreciating these different ways of communicating - how different approaches can lead or hinder the process of designing. Working and living in a new culture has afforded me a unique outsider perspective, I have been able to observe the differences and compare and contrast with my own background. Being exposed to new perspectives and ideas has been invaluable to evolving my own communication skills as well as expanding my design thinking.
What are your plans post internship?
I hope to share my experiences of Singapore with my friends, and reflect on what I have discovered and learned. It will be interesting to see how my perspective may have changed when I return to Perth. The opportunity for a cross-cultural experience as well as being able to work in a design firm that has afforded me every possible experience in the business has been such a great way to finish my degree at Curtin. But I also want to keep learning, I know there’s still so much for me to refine and explore further...I’m still figuring out the best way to do this!
Australia
Hong Kong SAR
Indonesia
Malaysia
New Zealand
Philippines
Singapore
