First Class Honours for Helena Gatland!

WWA is very pleased to share the success of our Part 1 Architectural Assistant Helena Gatland, who has completed her degree in architecture at Oxford Brookes University with First Class Honours. The images in the article are from Helena’s final design project, which involved turning an old power station into a co-housing scheme in central Oxford.

We asked Helena a few questions so that our colleagues and clients could get to know a bit about our latest team member:

What are you most excited about in your Part 1 placement?

I am looking forward to using the knowledge I have gained over the past three years at Oxford Brookes University in practice and learning about the different stages of building projects.

What was your undergraduate design project all about?

In my final year university project, I worked with an existing building in Oxford City Centre, turning an old power station into a co-housing scheme. The pandemic has led to isolation becoming a more visible issue and I wanted to address this by focusing on how city living can become communal and affordable.

What research interests do you have (dissertation subject)?

In my dissertation, I examined conventional public bathrooms, how they meet the needs of transgender individuals, and suggested ways to rethink their design. In the process, I looked closely into UK building regulations and legislation, as well as concepts and theories.

What interested you about working at WWA?

Something I find very interesting is the relationship between architecture and society—how design responds to different people and how architecture can have a positive impact on society. What interested me about working at WWA was their values and ethics, the focus on the end user, and the broad variety of projects they take on. Since starting in May, I have worked on a wide variety of residential schemes, and I believe WWA will provide me with a strong understanding of architectural practice.

Do you have any other hobbies or interests?

I started playing ice hockey at 6 years old; I played in the Women’s Elite division in Norway for 6 years until 2018, when I started playing for Oxford University.

For more information about Oxford Brookes University, click this link: School of Architecture.