Where the Moon Touches the Street by Karolina Hejduk

Where the Moon Touches the Street by Karolina Hejduk is a gender inclusive urban design thesis about Havana, night-time public life, light and memory.

The project is useful because it turns a social question into spatial work: who feels able to use the street, at what time, and under what conditions?

Project gallery

The project visuals show how the thesis moves between urban narrative, mapping and public realm intervention.

Project overview

Karolina completed her MArch at the University of Westminster with distinction and has over three years of experience at Atelier-SM Architects.

Her Havana thesis explores gendered public space through the image of the moon, drawing on Taino and Afro-Cuban symbolism, night-time routes, light, shadow and memory.

How the urban design idea works

• The project focuses on streets, edges, alleys and overlooked public spaces.
• Moonlight becomes a design method for safety, atmosphere and narrative.
• Lunar paths connect symbolic memory with everyday movement.
• Cultural references are used to support the urban argument, not decorate it.
• The thesis asks how public space can feel more open to different users.

Why the project needs careful reading

Gender inclusive urban design should not become a slogan. This project is strongest when the reader can see the relationship between social research, public realm, night-time experience and the actual spatial interventions.

Architecture Social view

Stephen’s recruiter view is that sensitive thesis work needs clarity and restraint. The concept can be poetic, but the portfolio still has to show what changes in the street, route, threshold or public space.

Next step

Explore more student projects, read the portfolio guide, or submit an urban design thesis.