Supporting architecture student work-placements is important to us at gcp. Martha Eustace has been with us since April, supporting on project work as well as creating some fantastic graphics for marketing purposes.
Before she leaves, we wanted to ask her a few questions about her time with gcp. She has been an enthusiastic and incredibly talented addition to our team and will be missed when she heads back to Bath University to continue her studies.
What inspired you to study architecture?
From an early age I was always fascinated by old buildings, and the story behind them, like who built them and who first lived in them. I think that it was this curiosity that led me to question how I could learn to create such captivating spaces myself.
Have you enjoyed your placement with gcp?
My placement at gcp has been a great introduction to working in a practice, particularly because I have been able to work on projects in so many different sectors. My involvement in wider aspects of the business, such as branding and media, have enabled me to understand the scope of what is required to run a successful architecture firm.
How was it different to your expectations of being in a working studio?
What struck me initially was how different working in practice is to the university studio. I enjoyed the collaborative nature of practice work and I really appreciate all the help I was given by others in the office, particularly when I was learning to use Revit!
What’s your favourite thing that you’ve worked on during your time here?
I think my favourite project that I have worked on was the conversion of a Grade II listed aircraft hangar in the Cotswolds. The sheer amount of space available provided quite an interesting (and uncommon) design challenge!
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love to draw and to travel and take a sketchbook with me everywhere as a way to document the places I have been. Over the last year I have also learnt to climb, and in February this year I went to Sardinia to do my first bit of outdoor climbing.
Tell us a bit about your cycling holiday?
In August my family and I cycled from Santander in Northern Spain to Cahors in South-West France, carrying all our belongings on our bikes! I had never been to the northern coast of Spain before, so travelling along this beautiful, green coastline was an amazing experience. Two years ago, we cycled around the Baltic, and travelled through Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Poland.
What does the future hold for you? What’s next for Martha?
The immediate future is back to university until January, then I have the opportunity to do my second placement, which I am going to try to do in Berlin, as it is one of the favourite cities I have been to and I find the culture and history fascinating.
We wish Martha the best of luck in her future studies and for what sounds like an exciting opportunity to undertake a placement in a Berlin-based practice.