Dezeen School Shows: a learning and enterprise platform for migrants and refugees located in a former bank is among the projects from Birmingham City University.
Also featured is a cafe, brewery and juice bar that runs on collected rainwater and a support centre for women affected by domestic violence.
Birmingham City University
Institution: Birmingham City University
School: Department of Architecture and Built Environment
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Tutors: Kathryn Jones, Andy Hilton, Tony Salmon, Victoria Paterson Burke, Hamza Wahid and Ella Merritt
School statement:
"Our Interior Architecture and Design degree is, first and foremost, about people. It is about developing environments in which people can grow, adapt and thrive.
"These student projects make that position unmistakably clear. They don’t prioritise surface, spectacle, or the language of exclusivity. Instead, they engage directly with lived experience and the conditions that shape everyday life.
"Their work confronts some of the most pressing challenges of our time: the climate crisis and environmental responsibility, mental health and emotional wellbeing, displacement and migration, housing insecurity, inequality, cultural identity and the shifting nature of community and care.
"What is striking is the consistency of intent. These projects do not treat people as an afterthought. They begin with people. They ask how environments can actively support recovery, connection, dignity and agency, rather than simply accommodate function.
"In doing so, this cohort demonstrates a clear ethical position. Their work is critical, socially engaged and unapologetically focused on what matters now.
"It offers a sharp reminder that interior architecture is not a styling exercise, but a discipline concerned with how people live and how they might live better."
Re:source Hub by Rosha Dabbagh
"Re:source Hub is a regenerative civic space focused on sustainability, awareness and circular living.
"Combining a café, brewery, juice bar and open rainwater-harvesting skyscraper, the project makes environmental systems visible and interactive.
"Rainwater is collected through an exposed canopy and travels through the building into a basement filtration system, where it is cleaned and reused throughout the space.
"Because the café, brewery and juice bar depend heavily on water, harvested rainwater becomes part of the building’s operation.
"By revealing hidden processes, the interior architecture creates moments of reflection, encouraging visitors to consider climate change, consumption and environmental responsibility through sensory experiences."
Student: Rosha Dabbagh
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Culture Exchange by Vlada Lozan
"Culture Exchange is a cultural centre in Birmingham city centre designed to encourage connection through art, craft and shared experience.
"Reflecting the city's diverse communities and younger population, the project explores how cultural identities interact, overlap and evolve over time.
"Inspired by traditional patterns and motifs from different cultures, the design applies principles of field theory to create spaces where influences merge and new expressions emerge.
"Through workshops, exhibitions and collaborative making, the centre promotes participation rather than observation alone.
"It becomes a space for dialogue, creativity and exchange, strengthening understanding and connection through everyday cultural interaction and shared artistic practice."
Student: Asrar Amadi
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Gallery of Exile by Erfan Gamini
"This project is an exploration of authentic Persian culture, shaped by its enduring beauty and the experience of exile felt by many in the diaspora.
"It creates a space where Iranians can reconnect with their heritage, share personal stories and preserve one of the world's oldest cultures.
"By amplifying voices often overlooked or silenced, the project becomes a place of belonging, cultural resilience and reflection.
"The design proposes a fluid, adaptable environment that shifts between gallery and social hub, using materiality and light to evoke nostalgia and safety. It welcomes diaspora Iranians as well as visitors seeking to learn about Persian culture."
Student: Erfan Gamini
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
The Hearth Within by Jesslyn Goh
"Home is not merely defined by four walls, but by familiarity, connection and daily rituals. Moving to a foreign country often disrupts these emotional anchors, leaving people disconnected from their sense of belonging.
"When everyday routines and relationships are interrupted, feelings of comfort and identity can become fragile.
"The Hearth Within transforms domestic rituals into immersive spatial experiences that recreate the feeling of home. Rather than functioning as a productive environment, the space encourages slowing down, reflection and human connection.
"Free from the pressures of work and technology, it becomes a place centred on relaxation, comfort and shared interaction, encouraging belonging through atmosphere, memory and everyday experience."
Student: Jesslyn Goh
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Second Nature by Katy Hall
"Second Nature Studio explores dance as a lifelong practice that supports adult mental and emotional wellbeing.
"While many people engage with dance in childhood, participation often declines in adulthood due to work, financial pressures and social expectations, leading to stress and disconnection from the body.
"Designed as a contemporary dance studio centred on wellbeing rather than performance, the project provides an inclusive and low-pressure environment for people of all ages, bodies and abilities.
"Free from judgement and competition, the space encourages movement as a form of release, grounding and self-care, helping adults reconnect with themselves in response to the pressures of everyday life."
Student: Katy Hall
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
The Haven Club by Poppy Hooper
"The Haven Club is a support space for women and children affected by domestic violence or sexual assault, combining elements of a hotel and community sanctuary.
"Rather than operating as a traditional shelter, the project creates a secure and comfortable environment that offers privacy, safety and access to specialist support services.
"Responding to the shortage of safe spaces for survivors, the design adapts an existing building through a theory-led approach that incorporates acoustic and spatial strategies to promote calm and emotional well-being.
"The project aims to provide a nurturing setting where residents can feel protected, regain stability and begin rebuilding their lives at their own pace."
Student: Poppy Hooper
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
The X-Change by Ashgan Salim
"This project explores how interior architecture can support people facing housing instability, unemployment, financial pressure and social isolation by combining essential services in one accessible space.
"The proposal creates a welcoming support centre with public workshops, counselling and spaces for skill development in cooking, textiles and pottery.
"Influenced by the Monopoly board, the design represents movement through systems that can often feel repetitive and difficult to escape. A public market allows users to sell handmade products, encouraging confidence, independence and social connection.
"Using a structured grid layout and mobile portal, the project creates clarity, guidance and a dignified civic environment that supports rebuilding stability and independence."
Student: Ashgan Salim
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
The Artisans Mug by Bethany Williams
"The Artisans Mug is a secret crafting community space for young female adults located in The Exchange, Centenary Square, Birmingham.
"Security and safety for women out in the evenings is a growing concern, especially with the rowdy clubs and bars in the area.
"This hidden gem breaks those norms and is a safe haven to build new friendships, new hobbies and memorable experiences.
"But it may not appear what it looks like at first; a speakeasy café disguises this hidden world of heritage crafts as a shield from the nightlife."
Student: Bethany Williams
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Garden Within by Jennifer Asker
"This project explores how the surrounding landscape of Birmingham Botanical Gardens can influence and shape interior space.
"Inspired by Therapeutic Landscape Theory, it reimagines the existing Curators Lodge as a restorative sanctuary for student and practising nurses.
"Responding to the increasing need for wellbeing and connection to nature, the design develops a 'garden within a garden', where botanical systems and natural processes extend into the interior.
"The space becomes a calm, enclosed retreat that supports reflection, recovery, and everyday use. By integrating landscape and interior, the project highlights how nature-led design can improve both physical and mental well-being in contemporary environments."
Student: Jennifer Asker
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Skills Without Borders by Asrar Amadi
"Skills Without Borders addresses the barriers migrants and refugees face when rebuilding professional identities in the UK.
"Located within The Exchange, the project reimagines a former institution of financial authority as a civic platform for recognition, learning and enterprise.
"Inspired by Birmingham's fragmented urban borders, broken forms are abstracted and reassembled into spatial interventions that support skills development, mentorship, production and economic opportunity.
"Through public interaction and community engagement, the design challenges exclusionary narratives and promotes visibility, inclusion and empowerment.
"The project combines adaptive reuse with socially driven interior architecture to create spaces that encourage collaboration, participation and long-term social integration within the city."
Student: Asrar Amadi
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Partnership content
This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and Birmingham City University. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.