• Integrates the disciplines of architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and construction management.
• Is the only school in the nation that houses the design and construction disciplines together.
• Teaches students the skill sets required for their chosen design major and offers a series of collaborative learning experiences that give students a substantial advantage when entering the job market.
• Will provide opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to ultimately advance their career through greater collaboration and integration with allied disciplines.

Beginning fall 2012:

• All interior design undergraduate and graduate classes will be taught on the Pullman campus.
• Students will have the opportunity to work in collaborative studios with students and faculty from other disciplines.
• Students will have the chance to participate in collaborative interdisciplinary research.

For more information contact:

Linda Nelson-Johnson
Associate Professor and Interim Chair of Interior Design
LNJ@wsu.edu

Matthew Melcher
Associate Professsor
Graduate Coordinator and Assistant Director of Interior Design
Melcher@wsu.edu

Starbuck's interiors designed by Anna Robbins

Walk into any Starbucks store in Seattle and chances are it may have been designed by Anna Robbins, a 2006 Washington State University Interior Design alumna.

Her most recent design project was transforming an old kitchen on the 8th floor of the Starbucks headquarters into a coffee shop to celebrate the company’s 40th anniversary—a project they started last October and finished in early March.

“When I first started with Starbucks it was very much cookie cutter production,” she said. “Since then, we totally revamped the entire model and now every store has a flavor of local relevance and compliments the surrounding architecture.”

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Initially working with communities as part of a studio class project, students now can earn summer internship credit for participation. The goal of the RCDI is to work in rural communities of 2,000 or fewer people to redesign derelict or abandoned community buildings and transform them into functional establishments capable of producing revenue for small-town economies.

McCoy offered several reasons why the program is focused on small towns, including the fact that “rural communities represent 20 percent of the population and represent many of the voting numbers, too. These communities are also where most of our food comes from.” As rural American communities disappear, in other words, so too does the ability to produce food domestically. [MORE]

DesignIntelligence is a bimonthly journal for architecture and design professionals.

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Looking at office space with an eye for design and space efficiency isn’t the only thing WSU interior design alumni do these days.

The North Idaho affiliate of Habitat for Humanity recently gained the expertise of WSU interior design alumna Marci Schreiber when she came on as executive director in September.  As a non-traditional student on the Spokane campus, Schreiber earned an M.A. in interior design from WSU in 2010, adding to her repertoire of degrees including a B.A in child development, B.A. in psychology, and an M.A. in organizational leadership. When she discovered the position with Habitat for Humanity, she realized it was a perfect fit.

Experience gained while working towards her degree at WSU provided Schreiber with valuable knowledge of how Habitat builds and designs homes. As a class project, she and her classmates collaboratively designed sustainable and affordable triplexes according to Habitat for Humanity’s design specifications.

Founded in 1976, Habitat for Humanity is an international nonprofit organization seeking to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness. Many Americans reside in sub-standard living conditions defined by structural inadequacies, overcrowding, health hazards, cost burden and, ultimately, emotional drain. Utilizing volunteer labor along with donated money and materials, Habitat for Humanity is able to provide affordable housing for low-income families dealing with some of these housing issues.

Marci Schreiber, M.A. Interior Design (2010), Executive Director, North Idaho Habitat for Humanity

The organization selects families based on their need, willingness to become partners in the program, and their ability to repay a home loan. Habitat for Humanity provides families in need with affordable homes and instead of turning a profit the organization uses the client families’ mortgages to fund the construction of additional homes.

Independently run non-profits in partnership with Habitat for Humanity International, such as the North Idaho affiliate, also sell reusable and surplus building supplies through ReStores. Habitat’s ReStore is a resale outlet focused on selling home-improvement goods at a fraction of the retail price. The profits go toward fund housing projects.

In addition to utilizing her design skills on the job, Schreiber is also responsible for managing all Habitat for Humanity operations including construction, the ReStore and family selection.

“I love our end goal of eliminating poverty housing,” stated Schreiber “This job provides a great combination of helping families and building communities.”

WSU’s program in interior design is one of the best in the nation and turns out successful graduates with real world skills. “It was a hard, challenging, and difficult program but it was good to go through it with peers to support you,” Schreiber said.

Project: The Millennial Generation: redifine the workplace

Course: ID 526 Interior Design Greaduate Studio II

Award: 2009 Northwest Design Awards Competition – Student Category (1st Place)

Project: LiFe Spa

Course: ID 426 Advanced Planning and Design II

Award: 2009 Northwest Design Awards Compettion – Student Category (2nd Place)

Project: High End Grocery

Course: ID 426 Advanced Planning and Design II

Awards:

2010 33rd Annual Cooper Source Awards/Student Division – Honorable Mention (2nd Place)

2009 Retail Design Institute (RDI) Student Competition (1st Place)

Project: SECO Market

Course: ID 426 Advanced Planning and Design II

Award: 2009 RDI Student Competition (2nd Place)