2.18.15 | Chicago, IL | The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 10th annual Student Design Competition. For the 2014 competition, “Achieving Workplace Well-Being through the Evolution of the Open Office,” IIDA challenged students to design an office that encourages health, well-being, collaboration, and productivity while staying true to the original premise of the open office design and mitigating its negative effects.
 
A jury of design professionals reviewed the competition entries: Erika Moody, IIDA (Principal, Blackbird Design Studio), Robyn Taylor, IIDA, CID (Director of Design, Westgroup Designs), and Betsy Vohs, Associate IIDA, Associate AIA, LEED AP ID+C (Architectural Designer/Senior Associate, Gensler).
 
Amanda Heineman, Student IIDA, University of Texas at Austin, won first prize honors and $2,500 for her project, Spark, an open office workplace concept that provides its employees with choices through the introduction of flexibility and variety in three unique work environments aptly named Ignite, Trigger, and Kindle.
 
“This project was selected as the overall winner for its thoughtful solutions to the challenges posed in the design brief,” said Vohs. “The design solution addressed the need for not only collaborative spaces but spaces for focus and well-being. The visualization techniques were successful as were the narrative components demonstrating the research and design concept for the submission.”
 
Vivien Chen, Student IIDA, from the Savannah College of Art and Design won second prize and $1,500 for her project, Pencil Shavings, with the project title originating from one of Leo Burnett’s famous quotes, “big ideas come with big pencils.” Chen’s project pushed the integration of sustainability into an overall design solution that integrated brand design, furniture, and architecture into a complete design approach.
 
Gisella Allen, Student IIDA, University of Texas at Austin, won third prize and $750 for Flourish, a co-working space where employee well-being is elevated by implementing a work-life cycle in which members are encouraged to work uninterrupted for 90 minutes, then take a break to relax, renew, and replenish.
 
“The 2014 Student Design Competition brought unprecedented talent that exceeded expectations,” said IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA, LEED AP. “The high level of thought students put into the challenge was evident through their submissions. The result was provocative, diverse, and innovative designs that addressed one of the most talked about contemporary design challenges today.”
 
Winning entries from the 2014 Student Sustainable Design Competition are available to view on the IIDA website: www.iida.org/content.cfm/2014-student-design-competition-image-gallery. Winners will also be announced in the February 2015 issues of Quad and DesignMatters, both IIDA-produced publications.

The Student Design Competition celebrates original design and rewards individuals and/or teams whose projects demonstrate innovative, functional design solutions that have a positive environmental and human impact. SDC is open to students around the world who are currently enrolled in an Interior Design program. Participants can enter individually or as a team (maximum 5 people).

About International Interior Design Association
The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) is the preeminent Commercial Interior Design professional networking and educational association with more than 13,000 Members practicing worldwide in more than 50 countries. IIDA promotes the value of Interior Design to business decision makers and to the general public through its Members who create the exceptional environments that encompass every aspect of the human experience. IIDA is committed to enhancing the quality of life through excellence in Interior Design and advancing Interior Design through knowledge, value and community. www.iida.org

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