Jersey Poon wasn’t certain she’d ultimately pursue a career in architecture when she first enrolled in her degree at Bath. However, her experiences studying at the University – including her time in the studio, placements, group work and more – all contributed in their own way to her falling in love with the discipline.
Read on to hear more about her experience studying architecture at Bath, and the career journey she has gone on since graduating.
Why did you choose to study at Bath?
What attracted me to Bath was primarily the degree itself. I didn’t really know what architecture entailed, so the programme, ranking and testimonials played a big role in my decision.
I was particularly drawn to the fact that it was a sandwich degree, which meant I’d have work placements in both my second and third year. This gave me the opportunity to get a real sense of what practicing as an architect might mean. It also meant that I could move directly onto a master's programme without the required ‘year out’ work experience if I wanted to.
Of course, the beauty of the city and milder climate, compared to universities further up north, also swayed my decision a little bit.
Did you have a particular career in mind when you chose your course?
I chose to study architecture without being certain that I wanted to become an architect. It was the one subject that I was both interested in and required a bachelor’s degree if I wanted to do a master’s at a later stage.
I had no idea what to expect when choosing my course. I barely knew if I wanted to continue the career path by my final year because, if I’m perfectly honest, the work placement threw me off a little as I found there was a discrepancy between the excitement and studio culture of doing project in school, versus the practicing world.
However, the final year of studying really turned things around for me. The structure of the course and dynamic of my classmates brought everything together and has set me up for what I’m now able to do.
Can you tell us about your experience of studying here?
As an architecture student, a lot of my time was spent in studio. Luckily everyone was always supportive and up for a chat despite being busy. It made the atmosphere very enjoyable and there was a sense that we were a community.
I particularly enjoyed the final year studios at the top of the building with large rooflights which brought the sun in during the winter. We would also get some ducks visiting our window! One of my favourite places to go from campus was across the road to the farm.
What’s quite amazing about studying and living at Bath is that everyone comes to visit – it’s a place where people come to enjoy themselves so the vibrancy of the city centre never failed to brighten up your day. I remember watching a juggling act beside the abbey with my gelato when an elderly couple joined me on my bench. The most beautiful thing they said was how they look forward to graduation season in the summer the most because it was the most exciting and happy time for the city. As we had our ceremonies in the abbey, they would sit on the same bench watching all the graduates and their families, feeling a part of the celebration.
Describe your career journey since graduating.
Since graduating, I returned to Hong Kong to complete my master's degree. I then started working for my thesis advisor on research and design projects in rural China and Mongolia, which was very different from my experiences in commercial practice and I found incredibly enjoyable and rewarding.
A few years later, I became a teaching assistant which has led me down an unexpected career path, beyond just working on architectural projects. Now, during the academic year, I teach at Master of Architecture Design studios and have a small group of thesis students that I advise at the University of Hong Kong. The studios look into future development in Hong Kong and identify gaps in proposals so architects can intervene, as well as post-earthquake reconstruction for infill housing in Kathmandu.
I try to bring some of the aspects from my Bath degree that I found particularly valuable into my teaching. Day to day, when not meeting students to discuss their projects, I’m the Sustainability Lead and Project Architect at an Impact Enterprise, where we design and develop architectural projects in emerging economics. My work ranges from doing research, to designing and developing drawings, to holding meetings with partner institutions, NGOs, financial institutions and the local government, to working with consultants and contractors, and conducting site visits to our project locations. We also occasionally run design and build projects where I work with students on certain aspects of our projects, such as the timber frame structure of a community centre in Mongolia for our partner NGO.
How did your studies help you to develop, professionally and/or personally?
Unlike many other architectural degrees, ours was very practical. It was also quite unique in how our first courses were joint with the civil engineering students which gave a very holistic grounding in the design and construction of buildings. These skills became very useful when I went onto my second degree as well as into practice. Not all architectural programmes give you enough training to develop quite an instinctual understanding of sustainability, structure and material tectonics. I found this particularly useful when working in a small team as someone who has specific expertise to contribute to the work that we do.
During our studies, we also had multiple group projects that pushed me to figure out my role in a team dynamic – mimicking what is required professionally. This didn’t always go smoothly! I remember a couple of disagreements with a groupmate, both in studio but also in cafes across town, that resulted in shouting, tears and someone storming out. Luckily, we both knew that we just wanted to make the project better, so years later, we’re still great friends!
I would like to believe that I developed more resilience during my studies. I learnt that the criticism and questions encountered should not be treated as an opinion on me personally but the project itself. It’s sometimes very hard to separate the two, and I don’t always succeed.
Both these aspects contribute to how I teach today – in how I look at a project from different perspectives with a student, to the way that I discuss their work with them and conduct reviews to others.
What advice would you give to prospective students thinking about studying your course at Bath?
Although all architects tell anyone considering this field ‘do not do it!’, I think we all say it jokingly. It is a love-hate relationship in which you will undoubtedly be confronted with difficult problems, sleepless nights – whether you’re working, or just lying awake at night thinking about your project like I often did – as well as frequent uncertainty. But the satisfaction and sense of achievement after every studio project, or a completed building when in practice, is unparalleled. So, my advice is to do it!
The freedom of the design studio in Bath is also something I remember fondly. You have the luxury of focusing on your own project and exploring it at your own pace, and in your own way, without having to worry about assignments for other courses. Without sounding too cheesy, it is an opportunity for self-discovery, and of who you are as a designer, so take it!
The staff are also amazing. I remember our Head of Year, Martin Gledhill's, constant presence and support – conducting the morning and evening rounds to make sure that we were all doing ok. In our final semester, he had a ‘swear jar’ for some of his catch phrases. Each time we catch him out, five pounds go towards our end of year show.
Even if you’re not sure if architecture is for you, the course will give you many transferrable skills – design, project management, public speaking, problem solving…to name a few.
My last bit of advice for anyone going into the BSc Architecture at Bath is to not spend all your time in studio. The city and the surrounding area are beautiful all year round, and Bath has great train and bus networks. Exploring is part of the experience.
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