Scholarship Recipient: From Curiosity to Career: How a CGF Scholarship is Helping Shape Aotearoa's Built Future
The Support That Makes the Difference
Growing up watching her father build homes and her uncles draft plans, Olivia Nott developed an early and enduring fascination with the built environment. That curiosity eventually led her to retrain as an architect, a decision that is already shaping the kind of thoughtful, community-centred professional the construction sector needs more of.
Before pursuing architecture, Olivia built a career in the music industry, an experience that gave her a distinct creative sensibility and a deep understanding of how people relate to the spaces around them. When she decided to change course, she committed fully. After completing a Diploma in Architectural Technology at Unitec, where she was named top student for 2024, she enrolled in a Bachelor of Architectural Studies at Unitec, determined to deepen her knowledge of design, place, and people across Aotearoa. It was not a small step, but it was the right one.
A Non-Traditional Path With Clear Purpose
Olivia's journey into architecture has not followed a conventional route, and that is precisely what makes her perspective valuable. Her background in the music industry sharpened her understanding of how people experience environments emotionally and creatively. Combined with the technical grounding she built through her diploma, she arrived at her degree with a breadth of experience that informs how she approaches design problems.
Her diploma results reflected her commitment. Being recognised as top student for 2024 was not simply an academic achievement; it was the moment that solidified her confidence and confirmed that architecture was where she was meant to be. "That experience built my confidence and curiosities further," she says, "and solidified my decision to continue into a Bachelor of Architectural Studies."
The Scholarship Difference
For Olivia, the CGF scholarship has been meaningful on two levels. Practically, it has eased the financial pressure that comes with studying as a mature student, particularly in a discipline where expressing ideas through modelling, printing, and design tools carries real additional costs. Removing that barrier has allowed her to focus fully on her studies and engage with her learning in ways that would otherwise be difficult.
Personally, the impact has been equally significant. "The scholarship represents recognition and encouragement, that there are people out there willing to help you keep pursuing a path that contributes positively to society," she says. "The CGF scholarship bridges different roles within our industry. They are extremely supportive and understand just how much it takes to reach your goals."
That sense of being backed by the sector she is working to join has given Olivia the confidence to push further, both in her studies and in her thinking about what architecture can and should do.
A Shift in Perspective
Olivia's time in the Bachelor of Architectural Studies has fundamentally broadened her view of what the profession means. Where she once saw architecture primarily as form, she now approaches it as a social and environmental responsibility. Design decisions, she has come to understand, carry real consequences for communities, for the health of the land, and for long-term sustainability. That understanding feels especially important within the context of Aotearoa, a young and evolving country with enormous potential and a unique cultural character to honour.
One experience stands out as particularly formative: Te Hononga Māori Studio, a paper that placed Olivia and her peers directly alongside real-world clients, working with an iwi to help plan the future of their marae site. The project involved visiting Te Awhina Marae, engaging in meaningful conversations to learn their stories and inform design thinking, and contributing practically to a small addition to the site. It is the kind of grounded, relationship-led work that connects values to outcomes in a way that classroom learning alone cannot replicate, and it represents exactly the kind of architecture Olivia wants to build her career around.
Building Toward What Matters
Olivia's goals are clear. She wants to build a career focused on sustainable, affordable housing and community-centred design, work that draws on cultural knowledge and values to shape a built environment that is both respectful and forward-thinking. Through her diploma and degree, she has already gained practical experience in technical drawing and completed a summer internship, with plans to pursue further opportunities before she graduates.
Her advice to others in the industry considering further study is direct: do it, and do not hesitate to apply for scholarships. "If you really want it and show engagement and passion, you will find the people willing to lift you up to reach your potential."
CGF is proud to be one of those people, and to support the next generation of construction professionals who are committed to building something better for Aotearoa.
Interested in applying for a CGF scholarship?