story: legacy piece
Learning Goes Both Ways
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Each year, we welcome students into the studio, believing the exchange goes both ways — they learn from us, and we learn from them.
This year, we welcome Sophie Couldrick, a third-year student of architecture, and a footballer with the West Canberra Wanderers Women’s football program, a program supported by adhami pender architecture. Sophie brings curiosity, energy, and a fresh perspective on design and architecture.
Before joining, Sophie imagined architecture as largely interior-focused — about choosing objects and placing them in a room. Two months into her work experience, Sophie is hands-on, working with our team on a small residential project with a ‘real’ brief, site constraints, over-regulated planning regime, and a budget.
It was a leap into the “messier, more meaningful” reality of practice, where designs change in an instant and the smallest detail can influence the outcome.
She describes the studio as warm, welcoming, and collaborative working environment and noted that the combination of personal support and professional guidance has helped her step outside her comfort zone.
Sophie has shared insights from her own education — from new software workflows to her favourite architects and artists — reminding us that fresh eyes can bring new tools and ideas into our practice.
It’s a reminder that learning is reciprocal, and that nurturing the next generation is part of how we strengthen the architectural profession.