Carmen Chok, IT Sligo’s international student graduate in Interior Architecture and Design, was commended at IDI Graduate Award Ceremony under the Interior Design/Interior Architecture category for her final year Thesis Design project ‘WERKHub’.
‘WERKHub’, a co-working community centre, reconnects with the local community, reviving the forsaken heritage of downtown Kuala Lumpur City Centre in Malaysia.
The proposal frames an interactive platform for tourists and the local community to meet, connect, and collaborate and the hub for personal and professional development.
The international student was thrilled to find out that she was shortlisted and commended for the award.
“The competition was so tight, and everyone was so talented. All those efforts and sleepless nights were worth it. The feeling is overwhelming. Being acknowledged and recognised for something that I worked hard on and spent many nights doing, makes me proud and grateful.”
From Sabah in Eastern Malaysia, Chok came to Ireland to study at IT Sligo in 2017 after completing a foundation year in Arts in Kuala Lumpur. 
She studied for four years, completing a one-year BA (Hons) in Interior Architecture & Design Add-On 2020-21 and a three-year BA in Interior Architecture & Design from 2017-2020.
Elaine Regan, the Programme Chair of Interior Architecture & Design (add-on) in Yeats Academy of Arts, Design and Architecture at IT Sligo, commends the student for her dedication and hard work:
“Well done to Carmen, and very well deserved. Her tutors over the last four years are very proud of her. To create work like this, during a pandemic with many lockdowns, working virtually while abroad, is pretty amazing”.
The design student felt the course allowed her freedom to express herself through her designs.
“One word to summarise the years spent in IT Sligo is ‘freedom’. I was given the freedom to explore and develop different design ideas and this experience opened up various opportunities for my future career. Furthermore, I really enjoyed undertaking the course because my ideas were being respected and this further deepened my passion for design”.
In 2019, she won another award– her design for ‘Spaces of Sonic Engagement’ was the winning design for a Sculptural project commissioned to be built in collaboration with Creative Leitrim teams. She is also the recipient of the Governing Body Award for the IT BA in Interior Architecture and Design at Graduation 2020.
IT Sligo graduate is now working as a Junior Interior Designer for Optimise Design in Dublin, a renowned Architecture & Interior Design firm.
The Interior Architecture and Design course at IT Sligo provides an internationally recognised education and training aligned with European Council of Interior Architects standards and best practice across Europe.