DesignInc Positive Legacy of Design Award 2023

News / Awards 22 June 2023 Share

Saran Kim has been awarded The University of Melbourne’s DesignInc Positive Legacy of Design Award for 2023.

Presented on 1 June 2023, Saran was awarded for the best design from any discipline that shows potential for ecological and social benefit. Saran shares her thanks with the University:

‘Thank you so much for your generosity towards supporting works with the potential to have positive social and ecological outcomes. I am privileged to receive this award and have my project recognised on such a special occasion.

I’d like to elaborate on how my thesis project was shaped through continuous engagement with the Indigenous stakeholders and mentors who provided me with their insights into understanding the landscape and the Country. The palimpsest of ecological, historical, cultural and social context on the site and beyond, both visible and invisible, informed the design response, and the process of unveiling them through research, observation and documentation became as significant as the final design outcome.

Receiving this award reinforces the idea that embracing relationships with stakeholders and the Country is crucial for holistic design resolution in projects developed with Indigenous people.

My experience through my Master of Architecture at the University of Melbourne has been full of new and deepened relationships with numerous mentors, academics, friends, tutors and younger students. Building connections within the university community and beyond has shaped my perspective on what architecture means and what I aim to achieve in my future career.

Furthermore, receiving your award proves the significance of opportunities academics provide students in terms of academic engagement with research and great causes beyond university.

Thank you again for the award.’