Regina is working as a Life Cycle Assessment consultant at a company that shares her values and pushes for a more sustainable built environment. The collaborative learning environment and knowledge gained at ECA provided the tools to understand the topics relevant to her role such as the Sustainable Development Goals, carbon emissions, material life cycle and environmental certifications.

Why ECA?

A few years before pursuing my Masters in Advanced Sustainable Design, I visited Edinburgh to celebrate my sister’s graduation at another prestige university in the UK. During this trip, I was completely captivated by the city’s architecture, vibrant culture and welcoming community. The experience left a profound impression on me. My decision to pursue the MSc was driven by the university’s prestigious reputation and Scotland’s strong commitment to sustainability.

Scotland’s active role in promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in fostering sustainable cities and communities, aligned with my academic and professional aspirations. With a background in architecture and an MBA, I was eager to expand my knowledge of the SDGs while progressing my career toward sustainability initiatives.

The masters programme offered by the Edinburgh College of Art presented an ideal opportunity, combining the university’s prestige I sought and Scotland’s focus on sustainable development.

Tell us about your time at ECA

My time at ECA was a profound journey, a roller coaster of intensity, challenges and ultimate fulfilment.

During this time, I had the opportunity to share knowledge with my classmates, fostering a collaborative learning environment.There were two most memorable group project assignments I worked on. They were focused on creating sustainable communities. The experience was enriching, my classmate’s diversity and professional background were key to approaching a solution. Also, there were industry experts invited to provide feedback for some of the group’s projects.

The individual project that I enjoyed the most was my dissertation, because it allowed me to explore deeply and further develop my research skills. It was inspired by the city of Edinburgh and its green spaces. Its intention is to propose a framework of actions to design urban green spaces that decarbonises the cities and improve individual wellbeing.

I studied the masters programme after the pandemic lockdown, therefore there was no opportunity to visit companies in person. However, the programme director invited special guests to share industry insights. Also, we attended a leading event for the built environment, FutureBuild in London, where we had the opportunity to listen to industry experts in conferences and exhibitions. If I could start again, I would have actively joined opportunities in the industry such as internships, volunteers, conferences and more events.

Tell us about your experiences since graduating

Completing my masters degree marked another significant milestone in my academic journey.

My career plans were focused on pursuing a consultancy role in the sustainability industry in Europe. I am currently working as a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Consultant in one of the companies which has raising the standard in the built environment, Building Research Establishment (BRE).

ECA provided the tools to understand some of the topics that are relevant for my role such as the Sustainable Development Goals, carbon emissions, material life cycle and environmental certifications.

Since completing my masters at ECA, my most significant professional achievement has been securing a role in the sustainability industry in a company who shares my values and whose purpose is to contribute to a thriving and sustainable world by developing science-led solutions to the built environment.

Alumni wisdom

As you begin this September, always remember the reason you chose to embark on this journey, and let it be your guide and motivation. It is an intense journey but as everything in life, it will end, and you will create good memories with your new friends, share knowledge and approach problems in a different way.

If you are graduating this year, remember to look at things from a different perspective. There is more than one way to do something, keeping an open mind will help you navigate new challenges and discover paths you might not have considered.