Gwyneth Chan

Gwyneth is a Part 2 Architectural Assistant who recently completed her Master’s in Architecture at the University of Manchester. With a strong interest in materiality and experiential architecture, she takes a human-centred and placemaking approach to design, creating spaces that encourage social interaction and respond thoughtfully to their users. She is particularly interested in how spatial qualities shaped through light, acoustics, and materiality influence the way people experience architecture.

During her academic studies, Gwyneth explored the potential of architecture to support cultural identity and community development. Her final thesis investigated how arts and heritage can act as catalysts for town regeneration, combining regional masterplanning with immersive exhibition design to strengthen community ties and attract tourism. She also developed retrofit proposals, including the adaptive reuse of a historic factory in Manchester into a community fashion and textile centre, where lighting, spatial sequencing, and material expression were used to celebrate the process of making and creative production.

Prior to completing her Part 2, Gwyneth gained professional experience working on masterplanning, residential, education, and healthcare projects. She also participated in hands-on school construction projects, reinforcing her belief in environmentally responsible and socially impactful design. At ECD, she is keen to further develop her technical skills, deepen her understanding of Passivhaus and sustainable architecture, and gain experience in retrofit and low-carbon design approaches.