Melania Tugulea is a BA (Hons) Interior Architecture student, about to go into her third year. During the summer of 2024, she did a placement with an architecture practice in Mallorca. In this blog, she talks through that experience as well as what she enjoys about her course.

Course:  BA (Hons) Interior Architecture

Tell us a bit about yourself, why you chose to study your course and what interests you the most about the subject area?

Hi everyone, my name is Melania, and I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Interior Architecture at Leeds Beckett University. Originally I am from Moldova, but I lived for a long time in Spain before moving to the UK. I am someone who loves nature and enjoys travelling a lot, this being how I found my passion for different cultures and styles. This inspired me to research more into adaptive reuse of existing structures and design new spaces for people to spend quality time in.

What have been your highlights of the course so far?

Studying Interior Architecture at Leeds Beckett University has been a great experience so far. One of my highlights of the course is being able to connect with experts in all backgrounds of architecture through the open lectures that Leeds School of Architecture organises. I am also able to connect with students with similar interests, including from Landscape Architecture, Architectural Design and of course my classmates with whom we engage in brainstorm sessions, exchange ideas and grow together by learning from each other. 

Another highlight is being taught and guided by professors with a strong background in top architecture and the design industry. All of them are wonderful and inspirational people and are always willing to help me on my journey. The university also provides a varied range of technological facilities that are crucial in the life of a design student.

Can you tell us about any opportunities you’ve had as part of the course?

In second year, we were encouraged and taught how to get work experience in the architecture and design industry over the summer. We also have the opportunity to gain more work experience in year three, as part of the course. After carefully tailoring my portfolio with my professor’s help, I was able to secure a placement at an award-winning architecture and design practice in Mallorca for almost three months during the summer holiday. 

As I am about to start my third year, I can say that this experience was eye-opening in many areas and helped me realise my next step. As part of my role as an architect intern, I had the opportunity to be involved in the remodelling of a project located in the historic city of Palma. One of my most fulfilling tasks was working on detailed CAD plans, furniture distribution, zoning diagrams and spatial sequences where I helped ensure that the space was functional and aesthetically pleasing. 

I also had the opportunity to collaborate in brainstorming and design sessions with the team that honed my design skills and also deepened my understanding of the different stages of design. Working closely with senior architects, I learned a great deal about design strategies and decision-making processes. 

What are your plans for when you complete the course?

I am still unsure about my plans for the future because of the endless possibilities, but I do know that I want to broaden my knowledge and acquire more experience in the architecture and design industry and also travel more to discover new and intriguing real-world situations that need architectural responses. 

After gaining a bit more experience and making contacts with the real architecture world I would really like to do a master’s degree and maybe become a certified architect. 

What would you say to someone who is thinking about studying the course?

I believe that Interior Architecture stands out as one of the most fascinating courses to study. It is a discipline that touches a lot of subjects, and it will always keep you academically and creatively challenged. If I can give you a piece of advice, it would be to enjoy and trust the process if this is what you really want, and those days when you feel stuck just liberate your mind from all expectations and you will notice how great ideas start to form.