When someone thinks of architecture, the first thing that comes to mind may be the large Gothic cathedrals originating from France or the Art Deco style of many famous buildings scattering New York City. However, the interior of a building is equally important and impressive.
Interior design is all about planning and creating a space that feels comfortable and complements its purpose. It’s also known as interior architecture in other areas of the world, and there are many competitive university programs across Canada.
CA alum Ashling Carnegie (’22) can’t help but analyze the spaces she enters as an interior design student at Vancouver Island University (VIU). In her third year of post-secondary studies, she’s looking forward to working on commercial and residential projects in the future.
Building Foundational Skills for University
Ashling attended Calgary Academy from Grades 4–12, graduating in 2022. Experiencing learning challenges at her previous school, the extra support offered at CA benefited her studies.
Throughout her nine years at the school, Ashling made many memories. She fondly remembers her trip to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands with the International Travel Studies (ITS) program, which offers students the chance to explore new cultures and enhance their altruism, and participating in the annual Dig Pink volleyball tournament, which supports breast cancer research.
In all her time at Calgary Academy, Ashling appreciates the skills she built the most. Time management and advocating for her learning needs have been paramount in her challenging degree.
“The skills we get taught at Calgary Academy in terms of being proactive with your homework, how to study, and advocating for support have helped me. I would say advocating for myself has carried and transferred into doing well in university.” – Ashling
Designing Her Future on Vancouver Island
Ashling currently calls Vancouver Island home, where she attends VIU. Coming from a family of engineers, she never expected to study interior design when she was younger. However, sees the early signs of her future passion when reminiscing about her childhood.
She remembers a trip to Europe when she was around seven years old—she became obsessed with the different styles of architecture surrounding her. She loved watching the contractors working around her home when her parents completed a renovation, and she watched tons of HGTV shows growing up (the Property Brothers were a particular favourite).
Ashling recalls first exploring interior design in Grade 10 when she worked with the school’s career counsellor on her post-Calgary Academy plans.
“In Grade 10, they had us doing these compatibility tests… I discovered interior design and started researching it. That’s when I became super, super passionate about it.”
Several years into her degree, Ashling has settled into VIU, made plenty of connections, and loves being on campus—which sits on a steep hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. She tries to experience its beauty whenever possible, like walking through the Japanese gardens or watching the cherry blossoms and magnolia trees bloom in spring.
The interior design program is challenging, but Ashling is fulfilled by the project-based learning. Her courses keep her schedule full, but finishing an assignment brings relief and a feeling of pride.
“My projects are massive. I think I’ve spent more than 100 hours on just one of them. It always feels great when you finish one—there’s just a wave of relief.” – Ashling
While Ashling has a few more semesters ahead of her, she’ll enter the work world soon for internships during her summers. After graduation, she hopes to help design residential as well as commercial buildings (anything not considered a home).
“Ideally, I want to get into my industry working before I graduate. I would love to get into an architecture or interior design firm… I want to experience working on both commercial and residential projects.”
An ambitious person, Ashling is excited about her future. She’s keeping her career options open but hopes to one day help design someone’s home from the ground up. She encourages everyone to follow their passion, whatever it may be.
When you’re passionate about your future, you can tackle the challenges involved, no matter their size.