Trishna Newson

Trishna is a Bachelor of Architectural Studies graduate. She is currently enrolled as a Master of Architecture student.

Trishna Newson

I like that the School of Architecture and Planning is interested in Māori and Pacific architecture as well as Asian and the rest of the non-Western world.

On the road to a PhD
“My degree will prepare me for a PhD, it will help me get the jobs I want, whether in academia or an industry of embodied-energy efficient architecture.”
“Since completing my Bachelor of Architecture at the University in 2000, I have been travelling, working and raising kids. I worked in Christchurch, building passive solar houses and overseas in Bali and the US.
“I returned to New Zealand just in time for Covid-19 Alert Level 4 to begin. I knew I had to work in a New Zealand architectural practice for six months before I could re-register. I found it challenging to land a job, so it was a good opportunity to do my masters and familiarise myself with the latest building challenges in New Zealand.
A global outlook for architecture
“I like that the School of Architecture and Planning is interested in Māori and Pacific architecture as well as Asian and the rest of the non-Western world.
“My father is Indonesian from Bali, and I grew up there. I would like to see how Balinese architecture can inform architectural practice in New Zealand. I think we should always question our profession and where we are heading with it, so this was my chance to open my mind and help shape the future I want to see. While architectural practice and building are a part of my life, I feel academia also has its pull. I am using this time to figure out whether I might enjoy doing a PhD, and life at the University has certainly been kind.”
Academic support
“My lecturers and supervisors have been great. They can see where I need help and what my strengths are, and offer me tools and techniques in writing my thesis, drawing my ideas out while also introducing me to related endeavours. I have had struggles, but I have found myself enjoying the freedom to follow my interests, the support and critiques, the comparisons to similar projects, as well as being shown ways to share my research. I am researching how architects can make spaces adaptable to the human senses and how this can encourage mutual maintenance and temperance of our society’s addiction to fossil fuels.”