My work experience in the Netherlands gave me a hands-on understanding of materials and sustainable design, which links closely to my architectural degree. I worked with a product design company to create a rammed earth table, where we carefully controlled the weight, colour gradient, and mould preparation for our client in Miami. This taught me how small material decisions can completely change the final outcome. It also helped me understand the importance of testing, precision, and craftsmanship within design. I believe all creative industries move hand in hand with each other and can be used to elevate one another's work by seeing things from a different perspective. 

The client had a specific vision: a long oval table made from this rammed earth with a sand gradient. After receiving initial specifications, we crafted a design that was elegant and precise. However, during the prototyping stage, an issue arose: the base was covered in acrylic silicone. When the base was separated from the top, the white silicone was left, which couldn’t be easily fixed. Despite multiple attempts using thinners and alternative methods, the paint persisted. This forced us to pivot the design concept entirely. Instead of using acrylic silicone for the mould we switched to a clear polymer silicone, ensuring a sleeker, finish. Repairing this mistake costed us a whole day because we not only had to remove the acrylic silicone we had previously put on the mould the day before, but also re-apply the primer and the honey wax as well s thinners to completely remove the white acrylic paint. This adjustment meant a day's delay which was vital for us given our time constraint , but it saved the design. The company moved swiftly to clear up this mistake and we were able to purchase additional sand that same day to quickly recover this problem. Through this, I realized how important understanding material behaviour and sustainability is—turning a tricky detour into a valuable design lesson.