Hazem Halasa at the St Catherine’s College Architecture Boardroom Lunch

Boardroom Lunches at St Catherine’s College are back! Our latest social distancing event offers our residents networking opportunities in their relevant field of study. Boardroom lunches are a casual way to network without leaving the College that offers the chance to meet our alumni, industry leaders and potential future employers.

One of our guests included alumnus Hazem Halasa, who is an architect at Cox Architecture. We got the opportunity to ask him for his advice on College, studying and careers.

How did you find your time at St Catherine’s College?

St Cat’s was an invaluable experience for someone like me; I came to Australia not knowing anyone, and St Cat’s became my home away from home. Five years later, it feels like a safe and comfortable space that has become an anchor to me.

Now that you have been working at UWA, do you have a different perspective on studying and getting your degree than you did as a student?

Absolutely. My capacity working at UWA is being part of the sessional staff; meaning I get to work with lecturers to run tutorial classes under a unit (depending on the semester). The behind the scenes of teaching is a different machine than being a student, and you get to appreciate how valuable an education is. Pairing that with a full-time career as an architect, you realize that you are constantly learning and feeding the “teaching” aspect into the actual day-to-day work. The students teach me as much as I teach them, and I think if students know that, they’d be more invested and open with their tutors and lecturers.

As someone who has connections to places in different parts of Australia and the world, how do you think architecture builds off the sense of place here in Perth?

I think Perth is continuously growing and adapting to find its architectural language and a sense of place. What you have in Australia and Perth by extension is two distinct histories; that of the Indigenous people that are the traditional custodians of the land, and that of the “discovery” of Australia by various colonisers and settlers. The latter manifests itself in the built environment more dominantly in Perth, whilst the former is only beginning to be referenced and incorporated. I think it's essential that we have these conversations about what we, as a collective in Perth, think a sense of place should be, and ensure that Indigenous Australians and their heritage is part of that place moving forward.

From your perspective, what do you think of the facilities at St Catherine’s?

I can say I was very excited to see the new extensions and renovations come to fruition. I love the new Dandjoo Darbalung spaces, and I think St Cat’s has a home feeling and a diverse campus that is very welcoming.

After the boardroom lunch and speaking to our residents, what advice were you able to give, or think may be useful to our residents?

Cherish the time and the friendships you make at college. Take advantage of the amazing opportunities to meet new people through the programs that St Cat’s sets up (faculty nights and the like); these are so rare and valuable.

How has your job changed as a result of the current pandemic?

It’s forced us to collaborate and communicate in a much more structured and organised way; this has been a blessing. It’s also illustrated that we can have flexibility in how we do our work, and where we work. There are many predictions and forecasts into what the world is going to look like after the pandemic has subsided; but the truth is, no one knows what that’s going to look like – all I know is that it's given us valuable insight into how adaptable and resilient humans can be, it’s also showcased strong leadership and the need for brave and trustworthy leaders.

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