Winner of the Student Award at the 2020 Interior Awards, Abdallah Alayan, caught up with Jesse Mulligan – who was also the host of the event – on Radio New Zealand on Monday 12 October.

Alayan’s winning project, Faith in Fiordland, impressed the judges with “a thoroughly imagined, very detailed concept, which asks big questions and responds confidently, with utmost care and affection for the human condition”.

He tells Mulligan about the basis of his project, what his hopes are for the future and what he’ll be spending his $1000 prize money on. “I want to be a part of putting New Zealand further on the map, in terms the buildings that we have,” he says.

As for the prize money: “I’m definitely planning on getting a whole lot of brunches and lunches and supporting local.”

Listen to the full interview below: