Reese Casas
3rd-year student, Bachelor of Design Te Tohu Paetahi mō te Hoahoa in Spatial and Interior Design with minors in Digital Fabrication & Temporary Practices / Temporary Publics
She has always loved drawing and being creative, says Reese Casas who came to AUT to study spatial and interior design.
“I’ve been drawing from a very young age, and during my senior years of high school I took art and design classes. But out of all my art-related classes, Design and Visual Communication was my favourite one, I found myself gravitating towards interior design when choosing what to study at university. For me it’s interesting that there are many paths you can take as a spatial designer, and to be an interior designer is what I see for myself in the future. I enjoy designing a whole building but also the minute details like lighting fixtures or even door handles.
“I particularly like the hands-on experience you get while studying art and design at AUT. When I was younger, I was always the kid that draws all over their homework, so now getting to draw as my homework inspires me to get my ideas down. I’ve also loved creating prototypes and physical artefacts in the labs as part of my studies. I’ve experimented with many materials and processes like 3D glass casting, metal sand casting, ceramics and glazing, using the CNC machine, 3D printing, laser machine cutting and engraving.”
There are a few achievements she is particularly proud of in her studies so far.
“Being a peer mentor for other spatial and interior design students is rewarding, and I enjoy helping and encouraging other students with their projects. Another proud achievement is being a Designers Institute of New Zealand student council member for spatial design at AUT. I enjoy setting up events for other students to encourage them on their design journey and getting to meet cool designers through this experience who have been through the journey that I’m on right now. Seeing where they are in their careers inspires me.”
Making connections
For Reese, creating connections with staff and other students is one of the highlights of her studies.
“Despite how stressful being a student can be, I’ll look back on my university experience with fond memories. Grabbing lunch with my spatial design friends from our favourite café every week and eventually creating a tradition of having dinner together after all the hard work we put into our presentations are among these memories.”
University has also motivated her to come out of her shell, she says.
“When I was in high school, I was very quiet and didn’t participate much in class and any extracurriculars, but being a student in AUT has encouraged me to be both academically and socially active. Having an uplifting studio environment has pushed my creativity further, as students we always give each other feedback and encouragement in our weekly presentations, and the guidance and knowledge I got from my lecturers and lab technicians has helped me accomplish my projects.”
Advice for other students
Expecting to complete her studies later this year, Reese has some great advice for other students
who are only at the start of their own university journey.
“Push yourself to get out of your shell and comfort zone, you can start with a small gesture like talking to the person sitting next to you. Grab every opportunity presented to you to develop yourself and your knowledge.”
Use all the opportunities to practise your skills, she adds.
“Create a lot of things, make use of your access to the facilities and materials in the labs. All the fun physical experiments and artefacts you get to do as an AUT art and design student help you get away from just staring at a computer screen.”
