Krista Zvirgzda

My approach to teaching is to share my knowledge with students in a structured way and to give tools for students to become self-sufficient learners. In this approach, I am borrowing from Constructivist theory, which posits that students will learn at their own paces and that teachers cannot expect identical outcomes from each. This individualised approach means that I am an advocate for finding a balance of tutor support and student independence. I consider an individual basis to determine which student will require more assistance and which student will be able to explore more advanced knowledge independently. It also means that when writing a brief, I consider what will be achievable for all skill levels of students with possibilities for more capable students to add extra, while less capable students would still be able to achieve their best without overloading themselves.

Qualifications

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Courses taught

• Interior Design BA (Hons)

Research project 'Teaching Making'? at University of Westminster investigated the impact of digital fabrication and other technological and cultural changes on the way we use and teach making in architecture and architectural education.

I have also participated in conferences organised by the Association of Architectural Educators (AAE) and AHRA as both, a listener and presenter. As a further exploration into the subject, two more conference papers were presented in the 4th international peer-reviewed conference of the Association of Architectural Educators "Learning Through Practice". The paper "Learning through Making: A New Approach and Arena for Teaching Emerging Technologies and Media in Architecture" directly talks about the experience and importance of creating more than just a workshop space within an architectural education setting.

I have also engaged in research in small-scale, digitally designed building systems that culminated in my MSc dissertation "Where does the WikiHouse building system sit within the context of sustainable building approaches, and is WikiHouse a durable way forward in temperate maritime climate?" as well as an ongoing interest in urban animals and how they are perceived in the cities on which I presented a paper "Animals in the City: Sometimes a Pigeon is not a Pigeon" at the AHRA 2023 Conference.

I currently work as operations manager at the Natural Building Systems – a modular, digitally-fabricated, natural material based building system.