hi! i'm sahiba, and I love creating

with space, words, LIGHT, voice, paint, TIMBER and so much more

__

sahibajot kaur

u.syd., 2015

Born in Punjab and raised on unceded Dharug land in Sydney, Australia, Sahibajot Kaur (she/her) is an architect writer, and visual + spoken creative. Inspired by her ancestors and rich heritage, she explores themes of home, identity, roots and social justice through her work.

Constantly questioning what it means to live, and the way humans inhabit the earth, Sahibajot believes in the importance of using Architecture and art as vehicles to honour place and land in creating conscious and inclusive spaces for people.

Sahibajot has worked across several Architecture and design practices across Sydney and Vancouver, on a range of projects and typologies, from housing and mixed-use to education and urban planning.

Upon completion of her Master of Architecture degree under the mentorship of seminal Professors of Practice, Richard Leplastrier and Peter Stutchbury at the University of Newcastle in 2018, Sahibajot was named Graduate of the Year and nominated for the NSW ARB Architects Medallion for her research+design thesis project.

This project proposed diverse work-live environments in the heart of the city, and received the Commissioner K.G. Hoffman Prize in Urban Design and Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) NSW Architectural Communications Award.

Sahibajot began experimenting with spoken-word poetry in 2018, when she facilitated the Australian tour of poets, Jasmin Kaur and Damneet Kaur. Later that year, Sahibajot was a NSW Finalist of the Australian Poetry Slam.

In 2019, Sahibajot was appointed as an Associate Contributor to the AIA NSW Chapter Architecture Bulletin, a role that allowed her to do what she loves: engage with industry discourse through the written word, while advocating for diverse ideas and voices.

In the same year, Sahibajot also began her education in Gurbani sangeet (the Sikh music tradition) under Bhai Manbir Singh at Gurbani Sangeet Vidyala -- a deeply creative and spiritual practice that gives her invaluable insight into, and connection to, the musical and poetic mastery of her heritage.

get in touch ↓

Awards and honours

2019

Graduate of the Year, Master of Architecture, University of Newcastle, Australia

AIA NSW Architectural Communications Award, Australian Institute of Architects

Commissioner K.G. Hoffman Prize in Urban Design, University of Newcastle, Australia

Prize for the Highest Achieving Female, Master of Architecture, University of Newcastle, Australia

Architects Medallion Finalist, NSW Architects Registration Board

AIA NSW Graduate Medal Nominee, Australian Institute of Architects and University of Newcastle

2018

Australian Poetry Slam NSW Finalist, Word Travels

2017

Honourable Mention in All-School Project, Manchester School of Architecture, UK

Global Traveler Grant for Semester Exchange, Semester 2, University of Sydney

2015

Best Woman Leader, Sydney Genesis, Business School, University of Sydney

Modeling and Fabrication Award, Digital Modeling and Fabrication Lab, University of Sydney

Dean’s List of Excellence in Academic Performance, Honour Roll - Faculty of Architecture Design and Planning, University of Sydney

2014

Travel+Study Grant - Singapore Field School, Southeast Asia Centre, University of Sydney

Henry J. Cowan Prize in Architectural Science (Undergraduate Architecture), Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning,University of Sydney