Shehzad Jeevaji graduated from QACI in 2013 after achieving his IB Diploma and developing a signature creative identity in Design and Visual Arts.
Following a lifelong passion for creating Shehzad shares his story as an emergent architect eager to travel the world to learn more about cultures and their built environments.
When I moved to Australia from the Middle East, my parents bought me Lego sets for getting top grades in school. My interest in architecture grew out from collecting Lego sets and then attempting to re-build some of the groovy structures I’d seen in my travels as well as in design magazines. This interest transformed into a dream with such a strong passion that the decisions I made in regards to education since primary school were directly related to how it would affect my future of becoming an architect.
I transferred to Queensland Academies Creative Industries (QACI) because the subjects I chose, Visual Arts and Design Technology, are directly related to the architecture stream. Learning the basics of design and the creative arts in my high school years further fuelled my interest and helped me understand the core concepts. This moved my artistic inclination towards the architecture field.
After high school, in 2013, I enrolled in Architecture at University of Queensland. In the past three years of my degree – the close friendships, the experiences (full nights in the studio, onsite visits and live projects) and the practical knowledge gained have further galvanised my passion for this industry.
I’ve always been interested to learn and try out new things, so during my last year of university I went to work for Shane Thompson Architects, and after a few months later I joined Ellivo Architects, as well as taking on the responsibility of being the SONA (Student Organized Network for Architecture) representative of 2016. Having graduated in Dec 2016, I am now working as a junior architect. I am excited for the opportunities that will arise at Ellivo Architects and the chances of travelling overseas.
Previously I have lived and travelled through the Middle East. The architecture there is extremely innovative and the experiences were straight off my bucket list – from riding in the dunes on camels and in jeeps, going on the fastest roller coaster rides to standing on top of Burj Al Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. I have also travelled extensively around my hometown in India including the countryside and have absorbed the different styles of architecture – both historic and modern. In future, I am planning to travel across the countries in Europe – and visit famous cities like Venice, London and Paris, to study and admire the unique styles of architecture and urban planning.