Focus on creative-thinking leads to career in Architecture

Hours spent in the art room at the Christchurch Rudolf Steiner School have paid off for Jae Warrander, now completing his Masters of Architecture (Prof) at Victoria University.

“I had really supportive art teachers at CRSS who encouraged me to think creatively and to never look at the world through a single lens.  I found that an education at Steiner instils a constant quest for knowledge wherever your focus may lie. For me that meant spending a lot of time in the art room developing my skills.”

For Jae, one of the biggest strengths of the education he received at Steiner came from being part of a supportive community.

“I really enjoyed being part of the large family network that is CRSS as it encouraged lifelong connections.  Eight years on from graduation and I’m still really close to my best friends from school.  I think the environment at Steiner helped you to become more socially-aware as there was a real value placed on personal connections and developing life skills.  For me, this type of education has allowed me to fit more easily into the world of architecture which is not only about being creative but also requires pragmatism, critical-thinking and strong social skills.”

Awarded a Scholarship for Exchange, Jae spent six months in Munich, Germany before being invited to compete in an architectural competition in Washington D.C.

“I was part of a group of students from Victoria University taking part in the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon in 2011.  We were the first group from the Southern Hemisphere ever invited to enter the competition and ended up coming third out of the twenty groups competing.”

Jae is now employed as a tutor teaching First Year Architecture while he writes his thesis.  Once his Master’s degree is complete, he aims to travel and practice architecture in different parts of the world.