The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) has announced the winners of the 2013 Student Sustainable Design Competition. Open to students worldwide who are currently enrolled in an interior design or related college program, the competition celebrates original sustainable design and rewards students whose projects demonstrate consistent, creative sustainable principles.
“Students are the future of design, so it’s crucial that they understand the importance of sustainability today,” says Cheryl S. Durst, IIDA executive vice president and CEO. “The IIDA Student Sustainable Design Competition is all about students developing their sustainable design approach, and that’s why we are so enthusiastic to see such a high degree of innovation and sensitivity for sustainability in this year’s submissions.”
The judging panel for the competition included Amy Campos of Amy Campos Architect; Tim Gajewski, associate with Wolcott Architecture | Interiors; and Robert Moylan of Smithgroup JJR.
“The general trend of sustainable design has grown from standard energy, efficiency, and resource concerns to include material, community, weather, disaster relief, and health issues,” says Campos. “It was nice to see this evolution of sustainable design represented in the projects we saw this year. They addressed the big ideas of sustainability with an exemplary consistency and follow through.”
Jenny Chang and Azarel Marrufo of Arizona State University won first place and a $1,500 cash prize for their project THE EDGE.
“The consistent design, from the exterior and urban planning through the interior space melds the project seamlessly, considering sustainability by addressing larger social implications and interior design’s effect on the broader social community rather than just the client and location,” adds Moylan.
Second place and $1,000 were awarded to Michelle Meléndez of Seminole State College of Florida for her design of the college of communication and public relations.
“This project applied sustainable strategy in a regional manner, clearly and thoroughly working through the urban and regional issues,” Gajewski says. “We were impressed by the designer’s ability to make such a complex project easy to read and navigate.”
Winning entries from the 2013 Student Sustainable Design Competition are available for viewing on the IIDA website here.
