Angel Chen

Interior Architect, AECOM, Shanghai, China
Bachelor of Design in Spatial Design with a minor in Creative Entrepreneurship

She enjoys solving problems and exploring new design solutions, says Angel Chen who studied a Bachelor of Design in Spatial Design, with a minor in Creative Entrepreneurship.

“After my AUT graduation, I worked for two years as a kitchen and joinery designer, and then joined Wingate Architects as a graduate interior designer. My job involved visualisations through 3D modelling, spatial planning, creating material boards and design detailing. I was fortunate enough to take part in a number of projects with a focus on sustainability, and it was gratifying knowing the work I create is contributing to design for positive change.

“This year, I moved to Shanghai to work at AECOM in the interior design department as an interior architect. That has been very challenging and exciting, and I've learnt and grown a lot in a short amount of time.”

Finding her path
Angel says she always had a natural love for art and design when she was growing up.

“I was curious about everything, and in Year 12, I grew very eager to kickstart uni and enter the design industry. I took many art-related subjects at the time, and I went to AUT LIVE and the studio open days. AUT came across as a university that celebrated diversity and led innovation, so I knew it would point me in a good direction in the future. I was interested in multiple design sectors, but I chose spatial design in the end because of the different pathways it offered.”

She still has fond memories of her time at university.

“Looking back, I remember all the late nights my classmates and I stayed at uni to create and learn together. Uni had its challenges, but it felt like a second home.

“One of the highlights for me was a final-year course in collaboration with other design majors where we got to propose new solutions for the North Shore Hospital. We did many site visits before designing to experience a patient’s journey and learned a lot about healthcare design. It was inspiring to see how something like lighting and materiality can instantly impact someone’s life in a positive way. This made me deeply interested in human-centered design and environmental design.”

Giving back
For Angel, being able to share her skills by volunteering was another highlight of her university journey.

“Sunday Blessings, the Auckland City Mission, UN Youth and the AUT student ambassador team are some of the organisations I was involved with. These experiences helped me really connect with the vulnerable communities, develop leadership and employability skills, and meet some great, like-minded people along the way.”

She has some great advice for other students.

“My advice to future AUT students is to keep being curious, never stop learning, give back to the community and enjoy every second of uni life.”

_{*The Bachelor of Design is now known as Bachelor of Design Te Tohu Paetahi mō te Hoahoa.}