The first Otago students to graduate with a master’s of architecture degree (from left) Hunter Dale, Nicolas Sharp, Mila Makasini and Georgia Pope, gather with some of the models they built as part of their studies. PHOTOS: PETER MCINTOSH : Four with designs on bright futures

Hunter Dale, his designs follow. : Four with designs on bright futures

Housing shortages and urban sprawl are pressing issues that were addressed in Hunter Dale’s research project, Filling in the Gaps. Mr Dale looked at how adaptive reuse and site-specific densification could transform under-utilised central city sites... : Four with designs on bright futures

Four with designs on bright futures : Four with designs on bright futures

Georgia Pope, her designs follow. : Four with designs on bright futures

Until being drained by European settlers, the Sinclair Wetlands (Te Nohoaka o Tukiauau) southwest of Dunedin were a vital source of food and plant materials for Māori and were deeply tied to Kāi Tahu identity. Georgia Pope’s master’s thesis, Te Nohoaka... : Four with designs on bright futures

Four with designs on bright futures : Four with designs on bright futures

Mila Makasini, his designs follow. : Four with designs on bright futures

Architecture can help people connect with their culture, particularly those who no longer live in their homeland, according to Desmond Emila Makasini Marculy Ola (Mila Makasini). His project, Lalava’i Fonua, translates from Tongan to English as... : Four with designs on bright futures

Four with designs on bright futures : Four with designs on bright futures

Nicolas Sharp, his designs follow. : Four with designs on bright futures

In his thesis, Blurring Boundaries, Nicolas Sharp reimagined the relationship between people and place as a symbiotic one, using architecture as a mediator. A passion for education and the outdoors helped shape his design project, a youth educational... : Four with designs on bright futures

Four with designs on bright futures : Four with designs on bright futures