For the final assignment of the semester, students were asked to design a ‘sacred space’. Instead of catering to a specific to a religion, it should be a space for everyone, which encourages a sense of reflection and wonder. During the design process, students were asked to focus particularly on the sensual quality of the space: how does it relate to the body? How does the atmosphere affect your senses – for example through light, sound, smell? How does it feel to transition from the everyday world outside, to the sacred world within?

Students could choose themseles whether the site for their project would be out in the landscape, or in the city. A place for quiet reflection on the landscape and the forces of nature; or a more busy area, where it will offer a sense of pause from the business of the city. Many chose sites based on a childhood memory, which gave a personal quality to their projects.

The assignment ran over two weeks, giving students time and space to implement the knowledge and skills they had learnt through the semester. They used many different media, such as text, site analysis, drawing and model-making to develop thoughtful and sensitive projects, which were exhibited in Foue Boxes Gallery.