June Designer Dish “Displaced”

 

Adrian’s Converse College reunion was this past April and besides the excitement and nostalgia from reuniting with college friends and visiting the campus, she was most impressed with the progression of interior design department there.  Upon stopping by the senior interior design show, she ran into her favorite design professor, Frazer Pajak who immediately took her to see the sophomore final project “Displaced”. She was absolutely amazed…

 

 

 

 

In collaboration with STAND (student organization, Students Taking Action Now: Darfur), the sophomore interior design class had to construct habitats reflecting displaced individuals in four different regions of the world: Burma, Haiti, Iraq and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  With regional conflicts, native climates and environments and culture in mind, these students had to research materials indigenous to the assigned regions, present drawings and plans of their proposed structures and actually build true-to-region  full-scale structures.

 

 

 

After touring these structures, Adrian was so intrigued and touched by their raising awareness of these callous living conditions and displaced lifestyles.  This project evoked tremendous development and problem solving skills while allowing students to actually experience the assignment and see a design come to fruition.

Now, we’d say that should silence those who think interior designers only “pillow fluff”,  eh?

Want more? Watch ”Displaced” TV Coverage  and see more articles and photos.