Dezeen School Shows: a floating education hub where visitors can learn about biomaterials is among the architecture and design projects from students at Glasgow School of Art.
Also featured is installation of moving objects to represent the pace of climate change and a digital detox centre built in a disused railway tunnel.
Glasgow School of Art
Institution: Glasgow School of Art
Courses: MSA Stage 5, MSA Stage 4, Interior Design, Immersive Systems Design, MDes Communication Design, Textile Design and Product Design Engineering
Tutors: Charlie Sutherland, Thomas Woodcock, Rory Corr, Peter Locke, Brian Cairns, Susan Telford and Nick Bell
School statement:
“The Glasgow School of Art’s specialist School of Design, as the largest of the four specialist academic schools within the GSA, has a tremendous volume of work on show as part of the GSA’s Degree Show 2025.
“Within this year’s digital showcase, you can discover the dynamic and inquisitive work of our graduating students from across our departments. The work reflects a shared passion for designing and making work in 2D and 3D, both physically and digitally.
“It is work that comes from deep specialist training that can question, challenge and often improve the lives of those it touches.
“From product design and textiles design to architecture and interior design, the diverse range of work on display demonstrates students’ ability to tackle intricate challenges and push boundaries across disciplines.
“GSA’s graduates showcase the innovative use of digital technology alongside analogue, craft and hybrid techniques.
“Students across all disciplines address societal, personal and community issues, actively demonstrating the value of creative education and the importance of creative people in setting the pace, asking challenging questions and offering positive solutions.”
Beyond The Moongate by Joseph Michael Collins Crawley
“This project explores the segregation in Beijing’s urban fabric, particularly within the historic Hutong neighbourhoods.
“Rooted in the Yuan Dynasty, these areas feature the Siheyuan housing typology, characterised by inward-facing courtyards prioritising private aesthetics over public facades.
“The Siheyuan has adapted over time, yet overcrowding and temporary structures have led to decline.
“The destruction of Hutongs, exacerbated by the CCP’s policies and developments like the Olympic Games, threatens their existence.
“This thesis re-imagines the Siheyuan to revitalise the Hutongs, aiming to create a vibrant cultural hub with improved sanitary facilities for the community.”
Student: Joseph Michael Collins Crawley
Course: MSA Stage 5, Mackintosh School of Architecture
Tutor: Charlie Sutherland
Email: j.crawley1[at]student.gsa.ac.uk
O Parque Dos Mortos – An Architecture of Changing Perceptions by Emelie Fraser
“This thesis critiques Porto, Portugal’s architectural approach to death, noting a shift in societal attitudes, with over 57 per cent of urban residents opting for cremation and euthanasia legalised.
“Despite these changes, death architecture remains largely segregated. The thesis advocates for an integrated architectural response to mortality, questioning how design can support dying and reflect evolving perspectives on death.
“It proposes a spine wall to guide visitors and three-walled gardens for mourning and dignified death, promoting decay as a living process while embracing Porto’s wet climate for natural reclamation.”
Student: Emelie Fraser
Course: MSA Stage 5, Mackintosh School of Architecture
Tutor: Thomas Woodcock
Email: emeliefraser[at]btinternet.com
Film City Central by Sandy Greig
“The project for Film City, an independent production house in Govan, aims to enhance film engagement in Glasgow as the city grows into a global filmmaking hub.
“Film City Central offers a centralised location featuring flexible spaces for exhibition and production, with an emphasis on live audience productions.
“Key facilities include a virtual production screen, live screening area, and a set build space, facilitating diverse productions.
“Additionally, the adaptable design encourages vernacular set building and the transformation of underutilised urban spaces into film sets and screening venues, revitalising the city’s cinematic culture reminiscent of its Golden Age.”
Student: Sandy Greig
Course: MSA Stage 4, Mackintosh School of Architecture
Tutor: Rory Corr
Email: sandyg267[at]btinternet.com
Shades by Jessie Orville
“This project aims to redefine the beauty retail experience for mixed-heritage individuals, using inclusivity as its foundation to create a space for confidence, culture and connection.
“Shades creates a transformative environment where identity is celebrated rather than overlooked, shifting from a product-centric approach to a person-centred journey.
“The design features personalised technology, on-site services with beauty advisors of shared heritage and a tactile swatch system, fostering community and education.
“This innovative space aims to empower customers by promoting confidence and identity discovery, while providing a prototype for a more inclusive beauty industry that embraces cultural storytelling and diversity.”
Student: Jessie Orville
Course: Interior Design
Email: jessie.orville[at]gmail.com
Monument by Piet Lages
“Monument is an explorable first-person horror environment focused on creating mood and atmosphere through striking visual language.
“The experience is designed to recreate the feeling of exploring an art installation if its construction and design were corrupted by obsession and no longer constrained by the limitations of reality.
“The game was created to push environmental design skills while also exploring ideas of obsession and the fear of being forgotten.
“The project was created in the Unity game engine, with almost all assets created in 3D software such as Blender and Substance Painter.”
Student: Piet Lages
Course: Immersive Systems Design – 3D Modelling
Email: lagesnpiet[at]gmail.com
Entangled by Upasana Chadha
“This project sheds light on the environmental crisis of ghost nets from industrial fishing, which kill 300,000 marine mammals annually.
“Chadha’s 100-page publication uses a mono-printed fruit net texture to symbolise the issue – an everyday object reimagined as the ghost nets that haunt the oceans – promoting empathy for whales and reflecting on how we might live in harmony with the oceans that sustain us.”
Student: Upasana Chadha
Course: MDes Communication Design, School of Design
Tutors: Peter Locke and Brian Cairns
Email: upasana.c27[at]gmail.com
Journey of the Senses by Zhuoer Zhong
“This project reimagines the river Clyde moored Renfrew Ferry venue as a high-tech, floating biomaterials education centre.
“The centre offers immersive, multi-sensory exhibitions that engage the senses of touch, sight, sound, smell and taste.
“Visitors can explore and co-create through hands-on workshops, such as crafting mushroom brick panels and enjoy performances in an underground exhibition space.
“Aimed at fostering ecological awareness and inspiring sustainable thinking, the centre encourages community empowerment through sensory learning.
“Every six months, the ferry travels between Glasgow and nearby cities to share knowledge and gather insights, returning with new materials and ideas.”
Student: Zhuoer Zhong
Course: Interior Design
Email: zhong1473549316[at]163.com
Wild Adornment – Textile Tales of the Animal Kingdom by Hannah Teale
“The project reimagines animals through a playful lens, celebrating the connection between decorative design and nature.
“Inspired by the colours, patterns and textures of interiors at Holmwood House and The Jackfield Tile Museum, Hannah has created a visual archive of motifs from Natural History exhibits at The National Museum of Scotland and Kelvingrove Art Gallery.
“These influences are expressed through characterful drawings translated into embroidered textiles using various techniques and processes.
“Each piece boasts bold patterns and curated colours, perfect for maximalist interiors and commercial spaces where design makes a statement, whilst prioritising slow design and responsible materials for longevity.”
Student: Hannah Teale
Course: Textile Design
Tutor: Susan Telford
Email: tealehannah[at]gmail.com
Connecting to the Climate Crisis by Jem Mitchell
“This project aims to create a mechanical installation that personalises the post-industrial impacts that have significantly altered global temperatures, exacerbating the climate crisis despite overwhelming evidence.
“The project focuses on a key statistical metric: 1.15 metres a day. This figure represents the average rate of climate change, indicating that residents of the northern hemisphere must move northwards daily to experience the same temperature.
“The installation consists of household objects uniquely designed to move at this pace, symbolising the relentless, disruptive nature of climate change within domestic settings, while allowing for a facade of normalcy.”
Student: Jem Mitchell
Course: Product Design Engineering
Tutor: Nick Bell
Email: jemjmitchell[at]gmail.com
The Search Engine by Sophia Cavalluzzi
“This interior design project introduces a unique digital detox facility aimed at addressing digital dependency, housed within a section of a disused railway tunnel.
“Unlike typical retreats, this public space offers accessible, structured experiences for users seeking various detox levels.
“The full detox involves a one-kilometre guided journey for deep soul searching, while the everyday detox fosters a relaxed escape in a shared environment.
“The profound detox culminates in a transformative exploration of the site’s final tunnel and outdoor amenities.
“Organised into four anatomical sections: the heart, the pulmonary artery, the lungs and the trachea, the facility is designed to evolve with technological and societal changes, fostering meaningful user experiences.”
Student: Sophia Cavalluzzi
Course: Interior Design
Email: sonosophiastudio[at]yahoo.com
Partnership content
This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and Glasgow School of Art. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
The post Floating biomaterials centre among projects from Glasgow School of Art students appeared first on Dezeen.
