Creative spark: Durban students redesign luxury spaces with bold vision
Team Dalcor Interiors: Students Zimiso Biyela, Sheridan Pillay, Jenna Nel and second year students Sana Motala and Stephanie Waugh.
Image: Supplied
A GROUP of Durban students are likely to see their bold and creative interior designs featured in commercial spaces, hotels, restaurants, and high-end residential homes and work environments along the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal.
The students, who are pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design at the Independent Institute of Education (IIE) – Vega campus in Durban, took part in the annual Interior Design Collab—a national project where students respond to real client briefs under tight, real-world deadlines.
In just 10 days, the students developed design concepts for POP Design Studio’s flagship showroom and work environment at Zimbali Oasis in Ballito. The group, known as Team Dalcor Interiors, comprised second and third-year students. Among them were Jenna Nel, Zimiso Biyela, Sheridan Pillay, Stephanie Waugh, and Sana Motala.
In just 10 days, the students developed design concepts for POP Design Studio’s flagship showroom and work environment at Zimbali Oasis in Ballito.
Image: Supplied
They credited their success to strong collaboration.
“We all clicked from day one. Mutual respect played a huge role. We respected each other’s ideas, decisions, and deadlines, and gave it our very best. We divided every aspect of the project, which helped us know exactly what needed to be done and by when,” said Biyela.
Waugh added that the team dynamic was both professional and enjoyable.
“We didn’t take things personally and felt comfortable sharing our opinions. Our best ideas came when we were just laughing and talking. We socialised while working on the project, and we’ve become firm friends”, she said.
Nel highlighted IIE-Vega’s underlying lesson behind the project: the importance of group work. “You’re not going to enter the industry after working solo for three years and suddenly know how to function in a team. You need practice. These big projects may feel daunting because of the tight deadlines, but they prepare you for real-world industry work.”
The group also prioritised each other’s mental wellbeing.
“Whenever one of us needed to take a break, we said so. We constantly checked in on each other, because it’s overwhelming to complete so much work in such a short time,” said Pillay.
To approach the brief, the students conducted site visits, researched the client, and analysed precedent studies. Their task was to design a reception area, showroom, cinema, material library, meeting rooms, offices, designer workspaces, and a café.
“The foundation of our design was the concept. From there, we developed drawings, sketches, mood boards, and space planning to justify what belonged in the space,” said Nel.
Pillay noted the value of combining second and third-year students. “As third years, we jumped straight into modelling and final designs, while the second years reminded us of the importance of starting with sketches.”
Lecturers Musarath Sader and Akshi Behari praised the students' efforts.
“In a short space of time, the students produced impressive work by thoroughly understanding the client’s brief and expectations. POP Design Studio was a pleasure to work with, offering helpful feedback throughout. It was exciting to see how well the students collaborated and managed the pressure. They gave it their all and did an excellent job representing IIE-Vega Durban,” said Sader.
Behari agreed, saying “Thrown into the deep end with a complex project and a tight deadline, our students faced immense pressure. Yet, amidst the stress and fatigue, something remarkable emerged—camaraderie, support, and an unwavering dedication to each other. We are incredibly proud of the high standard of work they produced and how they rose to the challenge together.”
Jose Soeiro, Managing Director of POP Design Studio, was equally impressed.
“As designers, this is something we live and breathe, so it’s a process we know well. For the students to have done this in just two weeks was amazing. Every presentation had something that stood out. We appreciated their time and effort and were grateful for the opportunity. The students will definitely be invited to our space once it’s completed—and they may well see some of their ideas implemented.”