Influenced by a diverse range of architects, Andrew Heumann cites his grandparents' Eichler A-frame house in California as one of his initial architectural inspirations. His graduation project is on a subject he is passionate about, the parametric reinterpretation of a housing development in Hollywood based on the 1940 to 1960s American Case Study houses, and won him an AIA Henry Adams Certificate of Merit.
Would most like to work with: 'Snøhetta - it excels at producing challenging, innovative spaces.'
Shanghai-based Chen Zhuowei completed his first degree at the China Academy of Art's School of Architecture before enrolling in a Masters course at the University of Hong Kong, a qualification he is currently working towards. His graduation design thesis explored the idea of vertical living. By breaking the monolithic nature of the standard highrise, Chen proposed a high standard of public-space design in a high-density urban context. 'Wang Shu's great consideration of vernacular culture, Rem Koolhaas's 'The Generic City', Álvaro Siza's design methodology… all their work has influenced me,' he says.
Would most like to work with: 'It would be a great honour to work in Siza's studio.'
Slotting in work stints with the likes of MVRDV in Rotterdam and Mole Architects in Cambridge in-between his studies, Chris Green combines theoretical and practical skills, and claims 'an unhealthy love of concrete and a penchant for drawing'. Data Forest, his graduation project (pictured), examines a future where an office tower on London's Silicon Roundabout becomes the site of an urban harvesting experiment spanning food and data.
Would most like to work with: 'Heatherwick, Rem Koolhaas and BERG if they started an office.'
The 'architecture' of nature (the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon National Park); traditional Japanese architecture; Alvar Aalto; Zaha Hadid; books by Rem Koolhaas; texts by Louis Kahn; 'Biophilia' by Edward O Wilson; 'The Death and Life of Great American Cities' by Jane Jacobs… they all inspired Russian Daliya Safiullina to architecture. Her first-class graduation thesis at the acclaimed Strelka Institute investigates reusing, recycling and upcycling elements of Soviet Panel houses and campaigns for waste prevention in Russia, issues she is hoping to develop alongside a career in architecture.
Would most like to work with: 'Kazuyo Sejima, Steven Holl, Atelier Bow-Wow, Wolf D Prix, BIG, Morphosis.'
Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's 'Fallingwater', Danny Wills sought out an architecture degree at Kent State University and followed with a full-tuition scholarship degree at New York's Cooper Union, where his final-year project explored four proposals for the future use of the Great Plains. Having bagged the Henry Adams AIA Medal and Certificate of Merit as well as the Toni and David Yarnell Prize in Architecture, Wills is now teaching at the Cooper Union. He also works with cultural consultants Museoplan on Hangzhou's Museum of Urbanism, designed by Herzog & de Meuron.
Would most like to work with: 'Smout Allen, Peter Zumthor, Herzog & de Meuron and Anders Abraham.'
David Späh comes from a family of architects and is 'fascinated by vernacular architecture, which often conveys immense personality without holding the label of a particular architect's name.' His thesis, bottom, speculates on how the city of Regensdorf can achieve densification and urban coherence while maintaining functionality and authenticity.
Would most like to work with: 'Álvaro Siza Vieira.'
Emma Emerson followed her BA Hons in architecture from the University of Brighton with an award-winning MA in architecture, in 2012. Her thesis looks into boundaries in architecture and the idea of a Fence City. Having combined her studies with practical experience at offices such as Clive Sall Architecture and Walter Menteth, Emerson admits her main influences 'fall outside what the British establishment strictly deems "architecture". I'm fascinated by the space between the formal and informal city.' Emerson assisted in the co-ordination of RIBA's talks programme and the London Festival of Architecture in 2010.
Would most like to work with: 'Many different practices, big and small, here and abroad.'
Jacobsen was drawn to architecture by her father's pencil drawings and 'a desire to create beautiful things'. Her final year project (pictured), looks at the transformation of a disused lighthouse in Bornholm and its surroundings. 'I am inspired by architects that achieve a robustness and simplicity while maintaining a connection to the surrounding.'
Would most like to work with: 'An architect who works between art and architecture.'
His thesis 'National Purist Routes', completed with fellow student Gislunn Halfdanardottir, studied the concept of national tourist routes and Iceland's energy issues and helped win Mathias Kempton the acclaimed Statsbygg Student Award for Outstanding Architecture. Kempton now works for Lateral Office in Toronto and is considering applying for a post-professional degree in the US. 'My initial drive towards architecture was based on my realisation that it combined simply "making stuff" with extending beyond myself as an individual. Architecture not only reflects cultural and social matters, it changes them by its very existence.'
Would most like to work with: 'I'm already working with Lateral Office, one of the few practices I really wanted to work for when graduating.'
His background in construction and bricklaying introduced Morten Westrup Pedersen to the world of building design. A degree at the Royal Danish Academy's architecture school - where Westrup Pedersen found inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright, Jørn Utzon and Louis Kahn - swiftly followed. His graduate project 'A Public Bath in Granada' follows his design of a public bath, including showers, Turkish hammam, laundry and kitchen, next to the old rammed-earth wall of the Spanish city. It's designed seamlessly in the same materials as its surroundings, and open to all.
Would most like to work with: 'Chris Thurlbourne, because he focuses on construction detailing.'
It was reading Bernard Rudofsky's Architecture Without Architects at the formative age of 16 that inspired Ned Scott to become an architect. His thesis study focuses on the War Rooms at St James's Park in a hypothetical, futuristic scenario circa 2050 where the UK turns into a closed-loop agrarian economy. Scott's influences are varied, from John Hedjuk's Victims, to the etchings of Brodsky and Utkin.
Would most like to work with: 'Diller and Scofidio.'
'My main interest is in graphic development - deriving complex spatial relations out of simple diagrams,' says Philipp Mecke, whose thesis involved designing a unique modular assembly method that would adapt to exterior and interior use. He cites Japanese architect Junya Ishigami as an inspiration: 'His work illustrates the emergence of complex structures via simple diagrams and the replication of these elements.' With a recommendation from Ben van Berkel of UNStudio, Mecke is heading off to work for the Performative Building Group at Bollinger + Grohmann, known for complex geometry and engineering solutions.
Would most like to work with 'I'd like to test my own ideas and connect with people who are open to test new things.'
Graduating from the Washington University in St Louis with a Master of Architecture and the Alpha Ro Chi Medal for student accomplishment, Samantha Stein also adds teaching assistant experience to her CV. Her family's engineering and graphic-design background helped Stein choose her profession, yet architecture is not her design stimulation; Richard Serra is one of her greatest sources of inspiration. 'His sculptures influenced how I think about weight, materiality and tectonics,' says Stein. For her graduate thesis on 'water as a spectacle', she designed an aquarium for the city of St Louis.
Would most like to work with: 'Snøhetta, where I'm now a full-time junior designer.'
After receiving his Part I from the Bartlett School of Architecture, Simon Moxey concentrated on developing the family business, Forum Homes, and becoming a partner at Moxey Associates in 2005. His recent masters from the RCA led to his Part II qualification, thanks to a thesis that imagines the city of Slough as Britain's next financial hub. Combining research skills with a practice-based approach has won Moxey several awards, including the RCA/New London Architecture Student Prize. As for his immediate future, it involves competitions and new commissions, 'Two residential projects on England's South Coast and a design-build project involving a house in London.'
Would most like to work with 'Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of Saana.'
Sina Momtaz completed his first degree at the College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, before following up with a Masters from the prestigious École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. 'When I was a boy I was really interested in archaeology and learning about civilizations. I think old ruins inspired me to become an architect,' explains Momtaz, who admires the work of Aldo Rossi, Jean-Jacques Lequeu and Peter Zumthor. His graduation thesis on applying traditional consideration to rain, wind, shade and vegetation in contemporary architecture won him best in class. After internships at Dominique Perrault Architecture and François Roche, he plans to develop his practical skills by joining a woodworking studio.
Would most like to work with: 'Valerio Olgiati'
Completing her Part I at the Architectural Association in 2012, Vidhya Pushpanathan was awarded top honours and Bronze at the RIBA President's Medal, the annual prize for student and graduate work. Her graduation project, 'The Depository of Forgotten Monuments', looks at Moscow's ability to maintain local identity while accepting global influences. Pushpanathan places a 3D grid over the city to help create relationships between buildings, monitoring deconstruction and reconstruction.
Would most like to work with: 'The list is endless! I'm keen on firms where there's an opportunity to learn how the industry works and how a practice is run.'
Yukiko Kusumoto's design thesis proposed an urban environment made out of interweaving bridges. She decided to lift a neighbourhood's streets from ground level and introduce bridges to connect the various different buildings. 'I was always interested in house plans,' admits Kusumoto. She also admires the work of Japanese architect Yoshiji Takehara. 'His architecture just fits with the city, but still has a lot of originality.'
Would most like to work with: 'My tutor, Mr Masashi Sogabe.'
Ahmet Uslu's camera prototype adresses the problem of reconciling good looks and ergonomics with changing technology. 'Is it possible to design a camera considering all the other systems around it?' he asks. 'Digital evolution has changed the rules of product design. Products have become a part of a complex system, with smartphones, wireless connections and the sharing platforms all having a big impact on cameras and photography.
Bertille Laguet and Mathieu Rohrer work together as the duo Bertille & Mathieu. Their 'VentrU' cast-iron radiator has an interior space so that it can accommodate blankets, gloves and other accessories you may wish to warm or dry. 'Its generous volume and curves define its warm and comfy allure. It's an invitation to touch and to feel the sweet sensation of warmth.'
Bonaventure Touton grew up in France, but found tutor and cabinetmaker Dominic Ash through the English side of his family. 'Contemporary retro design is my current passion. I love its visual simplicity. Using it in combination with colours that convey warmth and happiness, I seek to create a finished result that lifts the spirit.'
The 'Dim(Some)' chandelier features two dimmer switches, one to turn more bulbs on or off and the other to adjust their brightness. 'I've been lucky enough to discover Arduino, the open-source electronics platform, which allows me to create work with endless possibilities in the area of lighting and electronics,' he says. 'Hacking known interactions with objects - something as simple as how a lamp can turn on or off - really fascinates me.'