Since completing the Bachelor of Design (Architecture) in 2021, Paris Perry has been awarded the College Medal, received the Highest Achieving Bachelor of Design (Architecture) Female Prize, and will be taking part in the MADE by Opera House scholarship in 2023.

Explaining her interest in architecture, Paris believes it has a bigger role than just housing people.

“This role is spatial, this role is social, this role is political, this role is environmental. I believe equitable and sustainable cities and spaces are the future,” she said.

Paris feels the friendships created and the spaces available to students were some of the highlights of her program. Giving students the opportunity to study, collaborate and learn new skills helped build confidence and knowledge.

“With the use of the university’s facilities like the Architecture Design Studio we were able to connect and help each other through the degree.

“Having this 24-hour space allowed for great collaboration and fostering of friendships, I don’t think it would have been the same without this space,” Paris said.

Taking part in Dead Centre, a travel elective during her studies, Paris travelled on a 4,000km pilgrimage across 10 days to Western NSW to engage with the true outback.

“It forced us to take in our surroundings more purposefully and see things with different lenses,” she said.

After completing her degree, Paris applied for the MADE by the Opera House scholarship. This scholarship is offered to five NSW University students to promote international and multidisciplinary interaction between students.

Creating her online application and portfolio, Paris was offered an interview at the Opera House to give a short presentation on her work.

“I was extremely excited to find out I had been selected as one of five design and engineering students for the MADE 2023 program!” she said.

Travelling overseas early January 2023, Paris will spend six weeks across Spain and Denmark where she will work alongside the other students offered scholarship.

“I am extremely excited to work with the four other students and learn what they have to offer in a multidisciplinary setting. I am also looking forward to exploring Copenhagen for the first time and getting to know the local community, culture and architecture,” Paris said.

Paris is looking forward to the change in perception towards architecture this experience will provide her and the positive impact to career.

“I look forward to adopting and practicing Jørn Utzon’s design principles and viewing the world, and architecture, in a more thoughtful and inquisitive way.

“Working within a multidisciplinary team with other architecture, engineering and design students, I’ll be able to learn from different disciplines and try to understand how they view the world around us,” she said.

Remembering her experience with the University of Newcastle, Paris sees this as positively impacting her career and pushing her to achieve more than she thought she could.

“Without the support I received from the School of Architecture and Built Environment staff I don’t think I would have been able to accomplish half of what I did and have so far,” Paris said.

Paris encourages other students thinking about studying to do so and ask questions to get the most out of their experience.

"I believe I got the most out of my degree by asking the academics within my degree lots of questions and listening to the advice they had to offer.”

Find out more about the Bachelor of Design (Architecture)

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Paris Perry

Travelling overseas early January 2023, Paris will spend six weeks across Spain and Denmark as part of the MADE by the Opera House scholarship.

This role is spatial, this role is social, this role is political, this role is environmental. I believe equitable and sustainable cities and spaces are the future.