Esekia Faiga

An interest in communicating ideas through images and visualisation led Esekia to study Architecture and then work in the field.

Coming out of high school I was very interested in graphics and illustration, steering myself towards a career in animation. However, it was my early curiosity in Architecture that led to me enrolling in architectural design and, after discovering that my interests and passions could align with my courses, I never looked back. I was successful in getting through to the second year of the degree and went on to complete my Bachelor of Architectural Studies followed by a Master’s degree.

From first year right through to final year, my courses allowed me to explore various techniques to communicate ideas through imagery. I relished the challenge of producing visuals that would reveal a narrative or concept behind my project without the need for words. While the degree aims to develop essential knowledge in building systems and construction, at the same time creativity and imagination are never constricted and always encouraged to flourish within any project. For my final-year Master’s project, I developed a series of visionary hand sketches that investigated how architecture could respond to global disaster in the future, more specifically an ice age.

I was fortunate enough to have had opportunities that enhanced my studies through Te Rōpū Āwhina, an amazing on-campus whānau support group. One such opportunity was the chance to meet with practising architects in Wellington to bounce ideas and gain valuable feedback. This opportunity to break the arduous transition from tertiary studies to the workplace early on would eventually lead to my employment with CCM Architects, where I have been working on many projects, from hospitals to community centres.

My studies have enabled me to communicate architecture through the language of imagery and visualisation—languages that are an integral part of our everyday lives yet can be so easily misunderstood. From 3D renders to quick table-napkin hand sketches, the degree helps to develop key skills for getting ideas across quickly and simply, as well as providing opportunities to extend networks to the professional world outside of the university.