Dezeen School Shows: a climate crisis centre inspired by the urgency of a doomsday clock is among the architecture projects from students at the Birmingham School of Architecture and Design.
Also featured is a musical centre celebrating Chinese instruments and an interior designed to respond to visitors’ cognitive needs.
Birmingham School of Architecture and Design
Institution: Birmingham City University
School: Birmingham School of Architecture and Design
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Tutors: Kathryn Jones, Tony Salmon, Andy Hilton and Victoria Paterson Burke
School statement:
“These student projects speak volumes, not just about design, but about a generation. They reveal a cohort of emerging designers who are not interested in luxury hotels or exclusive apartments. They are not driven by fleeting trends or social media validation. Instead, they care deeply and urgently.
“Their work confronts some of the most pressing challenges of our time: the climate crisis, mental health, the housing emergency, ageing populations, the future of work, lost crafts and trades, neurodivergent experiences and emerging forms of community.
“They explore how we socialise, how we heal, how we play and how we create. They interrogate systems of care, access to art and sport and even how spiritual or digital rituals manifest spatially.
“‘These are not just student projects. They are provocations. They show us what matters to this generation and offer a glimpse into the values of the ethical, socially engaged designers of the future. It is both moving and exhilarating to witness,’ said Andy Hilton, course director of BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design.”
Ruan by Mei Cham
“This project draws inspiration from the traditional Chinese instrument, the Ruan, creating an immersive space that feels like being inside the instrument’s body. It invites visitors to become an integral part of the music, blending human presence with sound.
“Influenced by Birmingham’s rich diversity and immigrant history, the space encourages exploration of cultural identity through musical experience. It becomes a meeting point where music and people complete one another, reflecting harmony and mutual influence.
“Through this interactive environment, individuals are prompted to reflect on their roots, identity and the shared human connection found in sound and cultural expression.”
Student: Mei Cham
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Grad House by Lok Man Pang
“Grad House is a new model for graduate living, transforming Derwent House in Birmingham’s jewellery quarter into a space that bridges the gap between education and employment.
“Designed for recent graduates, the project offers one year of temporary studio accommodation alongside career support through a partnership with a job agency.
“The west wing includes 22 self-contained studios and shared sports facilities, creating a supportive, communal environment. The east wing houses the job agency, with a reception, staff offices and a workshop space for job consultations and skills training.
“Grad House responds to the housing and employment pressures faced by young professionals, using architecture as social infrastructure.
“It’s not just a place to live – but a place to grow, connect and confidently begin the next chapter of life in the city.”
Student: Lok Man Pang
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Synaptic Sanctuary by Abigail Cooper
“This project aims to envision a ‘fourth place’ – a conceptual and physical escape located in the heart of Birmingham’s jewellery quarter.
“Distinct from the traditional realms of home (first), work (second) and social spaces (third), this fourth place invites users into a transitional environment that bridges public and private spaces.
“Rooted in neuroarchitectural principles, the space is designed to intuitively respond to the emotional and cognitive needs of its users. The interior space is inspired by synaptic connections and neural oscillations, to become an experience that adapts to its users.
“Whether it is seeking a regenerative wellness space to an innovative maker-space, the architecture guides individuals to what they need most in that moment.
“This is not just a place, it is an experience. A spatial journey designed to embrace change, cultivate balance and inspire forward movement. A sanctuary in the city, where design becomes a catalyst for inner alignment and creative flow while also combating social isolation.”
Student: Abigail Cooper
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
The Memory Arc by Jasmine Chung
“Memory Arc reimagines palliative care by blending essential medical support with the warmth and emotional familiarity of home. Designed specifically for cancer patients facing long-term stays, the space introduces a hybrid residential model that places dignity, autonomy and personal choice at its core.
“Departing from traditional, clinical environments, Memory Arc empowers residents to feel safe, seen and in control of their surroundings.
“Every design decision, down to the smallest architectural gesture, serves as an act of care, creating an atmosphere where reflection, identity and comfort coexist.
“By challenging the rigid divide between healthcare and home, the project proposes a more compassionate and human-centred approach to end-of-life care.
“It invites a future where design not only accommodates medical need but also supports emotional well-being, offering a space where individuals can live meaningfully in their final chapter.
“Memory Arc is more than a building – it is a philosophy of care made tangible.”
Student: Jasmine Chung
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Thread of Legacy by Neive Kerby
“Thread of Legacy is a community-focused project that reimagines Derwent House in the Birmingham’s jewellery quarter as an intergenerational hub celebrating the area’s rich heritage in jewellery making.
“Designed with tailored apartments for former jewellery workers living with dementia, the space supports residents through thoughtful circulation, social areas for memory retention, and private spaces that nurture existing skills. Located in a familiar industrial-style building, the project strengthens community bonds while honouring local history.
“Drawing inspiration from the arts and crafts movement, natural materials like wood, hemp, ceramics and copper are integrated into the design, along with engraved vocabulary and signage that echo traditional techniques.
“These elements create a sensory environment that connects past and present. Through materiality and form, the space reflects the aging process and the realities of cognitive decline, aiming to preserve personal legacies while nurturing new connections between generations in the heart of the jewellery quarter.”
Student: Neive Kerby
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Forged in Birmingham by Aimee Thomas
“This immersive exhibition invites visitors to rediscover the industries, crafts and skills that once defined Birmingham as a global powerhouse of manufacturing and innovation.
“As time has passed, much of this rich history has faded from public consciousness. By bringing these stories back into the spotlight, the project aims to reignite civic pride and reposition Birmingham as a city rooted in creativity, craftsmanship and resilience.
“The exhibition is designed as a narrative journey, guiding visitors through a curated sequence of exhibits inspired by the materials, tools and tales of Birmingham’s lost trades.
“Though the path is clearly structured, the experience remains personal – visitors choose where to pause, what to engage with and which memories stay with them.
“This fusion of structure and autonomy transforms the exhibition into more than a history lesson – it becomes a personal dialogue between the city’s past and the visitors’ present, placing Birmingham’s legacy back on the map.”
Student: Aimee Thomas
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Work, In Progress by Molliemae Grant-West
“Work, In Progress proposes radical changes to transform a system that has failed the people it was meant to support.
“It confronts real, pressing socio-economic issues tied to the alarmingly high unemployment rates in the UK. But let’s pause for a moment and ask: why are unemployment rates so high? What is currently being done to address this? What systems are in place and why are they no longer serving a society in need?
“This is where Work, In Progress steps in. It’s a vision ignited by the need for change, a platform designed to empower the working public.
“Whether you’re looking to shift your career path but don’t know where to start, a graduate facing the daunting climb into employment, or simply someone eager to up skill for a promotion, Work, In Progress is here to support the past, present and future of employment.
“Driven by the modernist movement, the project draws inspiration from some of the most influential De Stijl design principles, such as primary colours, geometric form, balance and simplicity, creating an autonomous response to the building’s original brutalist features.
“It tears down the bureaucratic barriers and cuts through the red tape. It’s about accessibility, adaptability and action – putting people before processes and futures before forms.”
Student: Molliemae Grant-West
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Connect All in One by Joel Ong
“Connect All in One addresses the need for adaptable, accessible living in today’s urban environments. As remote work and home-based lifestyles grow, the project envisions a space where essentials are close at hand, minimising the need to go outside.
“Rising urban populations and short-term stays for work or study drive demand for compact, efficient housing.
“Vertical living offers a smart, space-saving solution for temporary residents. This project explores how interior design can meet the challenges of urban density and changing occupant habits through innovation and functionality.
“Grounded in local research and user needs, it aims to create a practical, comfortable and future-focused living space. Visual modelling and detailed planning help bring these ideas to life for modern city living.”
Student: Joel Ong
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Phoenix Project by Jasmine Alexis
“89 seconds: crisis demands collaboration. The Phoenix Project transforms Birmingham’s Derwent House into a climate crisis command centre. Inspired by the urgency of a doomsday clock, it proposes a network of adaptive ‘war rooms’ where professionals collaborate on real-time environmental strategies.
“Through experimental materials, symbolic spatial decay and public engagement zones, the project reimagines interior architecture as project a tool for collective action and future resilience.
“This project is inspired by the theory that civilisation rises and falls in cycles. Discoveries beneath the Pyramids of Giza suggest a lost advanced civilisation once existed, challenging what we know about evolution and history.
“There have been civilisations like ours before and there will be ones after. This building is not just a message of this cycle but a vault of knowledge to help the next civilisation advance; like Egyptian drawings, its remnants will tell our story.”
Student: Jasmine Alexis
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Junctions of Becoming by Monika Szostek
“Junctions of Becoming is a project that explores how interiors can empower change, not through perfection, but through possibility.
“It is a poetic spatial journey of growth, choice and becoming. In a city shaped by movement and memory, this project unfolds like a whispered story: a space where time pauses and the invisible becomes felt.
“Inspired by the butterfly effect and the intricate knots of Birmingham’s spaghetti junction, it traces the quiet beauty of transformation, from the stillness of the egg to the bold emergence of flight.
“This is a sanctuary for becoming – for the young and the curious, the uncertain and the inspired. Each level, turn and texture echoes the inner journey we take when we are allowed to explore without fear, without hurry.
“Rooted in history, reaching for possibility, it is a space of exposure and connection – where learning is layered into architecture, and architecture listens back. Here, design becomes a medium for care, a map for growth, a city not of buildings, but of people in bloom.”
Student: Monika Szostek
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Partnership content
This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and Birmingham School of Architecture and Design. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
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