Become an interior design leader and innovator, setting standards for critical thinking, sustainable practice, ethical and social responsibility, professional aptitude and collaboration as you enhance and transform the built environment.
Interior Design at Pratt
At Pratt, one of the most prominent programs in the country, you’ll study interior design as an integral element of the built environment, generating creative solutions that combine light and color, craft and making, material research, evolving technologies, sustainable practice, and social responsibility, including global cultural histories and diverse contexts. Our CIDA accredited BFA program prepares you to think critically, innovate, and become an interior design leader, expanding the potential of professional practice, design education, and research that affects the interior environment.
Student Work
The Experience
The design studio is at the core of your educational experience at Pratt. It is a creative space and a community in microcosm, from which we connect to the larger design community. We believe education takes place in the studio and the classroom and that the work in the studio benefits the student’s growth equally. Working with tools and materials in the studio deepens knowledge of the opportunities inherent in form-making and design exploration.
Maker Spaces and Labs
Sustainability and material exploration drive our passion for making. We are hands-on and immersive; any student of design can discover, iterate and refine their investigations through our many labs. Learn more
Thesis
The Senior year spring semester design studio is devoted entirely to the development of a major design project: the Senior Design Thesis – a full semester of work on a self‐initiated project based on a strong sense of professionalism and design maturity. The thesis project is presented at the annual design show, a public event attended by industry leaders and potential employers. See Pratt Shows 2023.
Study Abroad
Immersing yourself in another culture is an incredible experience that can extend the boundaries of creativity. Study abroad programs are an integral part of the college experience, and Pratt has deep connections with university partners around the world. Junior year students have the opportunity to spend the spring semester at DIS in Copenhagen, Denmark. Many exchange and study abroad options, including the Custom Semester program for juniors, are available to Interior Design students. See where you can go.
Learning Resources
We develop disciplinary fluency in our program of study and we celebrate the interdisciplinary nature of design critical to address the plurality and complexity of the environments in which we operate. Learn more.
Our Faculty
Our faculty are practitioners of interior design, architecture, industrial design, lighting design, furniture design, and communications design. They run or work for some of the most exciting and successful design firms in the world. All faculty have extensive experience working at the scale of the interior, and their expertise and abiding interests are brought to bear upon the coursework.
See the full list of Interior Design faculty and administrators.
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Sameera Chukkapalli Holmes
Visiting Associate Professor
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Deborah Schneiderman
Professor
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Christian Rietzke
Adjunct Associate Professor – CCE
Our Alumni
Interior design alumni have risen to the tops of their fields in affordable housing, community economic development, transportation, government, community development and advanced research.
Where They Work
- Gensler
- Perkins&Will,
- The Switzer Group,
- Rockwell Group,
- Roman and Williams,
- Avroko,
- Tony Chi Studio
- FXCollaborative
Success Stories
Ready for More?
| HERE’S HOW TO APPLY | PORTFOLIO HELP | OUR CAMPUS & BEYOND |
|---|---|---|
| Thinking seriously about Pratt? Learn more about admissions requirements, plan your visit, talk to a counselor, and start your application. Take the next step. | Building your portfolio can be daunting. We’ll answer your questions and help you feel confident about the portfolio you submit with your application. Start building your portfolio, now. | Find yourself at home at Pratt: our residence halls, student organizations, athletics, exhibitions, events, the amazing City of New York and our Brooklyn neighbors. Check us out. |
Social Media
International Education Week
Pratt X Rwanda: Furniture Design in an Artisan Context is a four-week intensive travel abroad summer studio designed to provide students the opportunity to engage the process of design in an artisan driven context. The aim of the course is to expose students to alternate methodologies of fabrication, to challenge notions of what is considered the standard process of design, to provide the opportunity for students to work alongside different kinds of experts, and to broaden the types of formal languages and discourses available to our students.
Students have the opportunity to dive into the history, culture, and economy of the Rwandan landscape. They are immersed in the local trades, discover artisanal methods of production, and have the opportunity to work alongside local artisans and craftsmen to produce high-quality regional, and locally relevant furnishings.
Students work in partnership with MASS Design and utilize their pedagogical framework as a jumping point for the types of projects and processes they engage. MASS Design is a not for profit architecture organization founded in Boston, MA, whose mission is “to research, build, and advocate for architecture that promotes justice and human dignity.”* The office completed its first project, a hospital in Butaro, Rwanda in 2011 and has maintained offices in Kigali, Rwanda ever since. In 2022, MASS Design Group was the recipient of the 2022 AIA Firm of the Year Award, and has received dozens of awards for their work in the United States and abroad.
Faculty: Juan Jofre Lora
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https://pratt-sa.terradotta.com/
https://massdesigngroup.org/
1 week ago
TODAY - Tuesday 12th, 12:30-1:30pm - Steuben 311 + Virtual
RSVP link in Bio
INTtalks: Street Life: An Urban Interiors Workshop in Istanbul
Alper Bensen, Visiting Assistant Professor
Alper Besen is a New York-based designer and educator who teaches thesis studio, critical thinking for interior designers, and history of interior design courses at Pratt Institute, SVA, and RISD. He started practicing interior design in Istanbul, and continued his career at Deborah Berke Partners in New York. His research focuses on the intersections of urbanism, adaptive reuse, and interior design. He founded TDC Istanbul (Design Camaraderie Workshops) in 2023, aiming to build bonds between international interior design students to cultivate theoretical inquiry and social responsibility.
Taksim Square and its surroundings in Istanbul have been reconfigured many times, with differing understandings of what “public” and “public space” means. This presentation will share the results of a series of workshops in Istanbul, which explored the potential role of interior design students in defining the meaning of public spaces.
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2 weeks ago
TODAY - Thursday, November 7th, 6-7pm - Virtual
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INTtalks Light Pollution in our Interior Environment
Visiting Associate Professor Virna Abraham
Light pollution in our interior environments refers to the excessive or misdirected artificial light that can disrupt natural circadian rhythms, impact mood, and interfere with productivity. This phenomenon often arises from inadequate lighting design, such as overly bright fixtures or poorly placed sources, leading to glare and unwanted reflections. In residential and commercial spaces alike, mitigating light pollution involves employing strategies like using dimmable lights, selecting warmer color temperatures, and optimizing natural light sources. By addressing these issues, we can create healthier, more comfortable environments that promote well-being and enhance overall quality of life.
Virna Abraham is a multidisciplinary designer with over 20 years of experience in the fields of architecture, interiors, and lighting design. In her practice, she focuses on transforming environments into immersive experiences by skillfully integrating lighting, materials, and architectural elements across corporate, residential, and public projects.
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3 weeks ago
TODAY - Tuesday, Oct 29th, 12:300-1:300pm - Steuben 311 and Virtual
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INTtalks: Public Toilets in NYC
Margot Kleinman
With Jean Juan, MFA ‘25
Public toilet access in New York City is a major issue regarding a lack of restrooms available, poor maintenance and inconsistent access. This presentation will share the research, findings, and design work of the students from INT731, Public Toilets from Summer 2024.
Margot Kleinman is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Interior Design Department. She is the founder of Vagus Workshop Inc, an architect, focusing on research, user engagement, public facing and design of education spaces.
Margot’s passion for studying and making an impact in the realm of public toilets began as a traveler, designer in Los Angeles, and grew as a volunteer and advocate with PHLUSH (Public Hygiene Lets Us Stay Human).
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Below are two of the blogs from the series, and her website referencing the research:
https://www.phlush.org/introducing-the-public-toilets-at-pratt-institute-blog-series/
https://www.phlush.org/public-toilets-case-studies-with-pratt-institute-sydney-australia/
https://www.vagusworkshop.com/research
4 weeks ago
TODAY - Tuesday, Oct 22nd, 12:300-1:300pm - Steuben 311 and Virtual
RSVP link in Bio
INTtalks: FACE-ADE: THE HUMAN LANDSCAPE
Nina Freedman Visiting Associate Professor
An interactive installation, transforms a home facade from an opaque, private threshold into a translucent wall; an intimate vertical ‘skin’. Embedded with diverse hair waste, collected from NYC neighborhood hair salons, the communal collage explores the question, “How do domestic architectural symbols engage dialogue about belonging?”
Born in New York, Nina Freedman is an architect, educator and public interdisciplinary installation artist. Following work in the architectural firms of Shigeru Ban, Renzo Piano and Richard Meier, she founded Dreamland Creative Projects, an creative pivot, reframing her previous architectural discipline. She is an educator at Pratt Institute, the New School, and Cornell University NYC AAP, host of the podcast ‘Whereing’, about Belonging, Home and Space and former co-founder of ArchiteXX. A 2024 New York State Council of the Arts (NYSCA) grantee, she is currently exhibiting ‘Face-Ade’ at the European Cultural Center 2024 Art Biennial in Venice, Italy. She holds a Bachelors and Masters of Architecture from the Architectural Association in London and a Bachelors of Landscape Architecture from the City College of New York.
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@whereingpodcast
www.dreamlandcreativeprojects.com
www.thewhereing.com
1 month ago
TODAY - Thursday, Oct 17th, 6:00-7:00pm - Virtual
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INTtalks: Light defines Color, Light defines Time
HBF NYC Showroom: Designed & Illuminated by Alumni
June Park, Visiting Assistant Professor
We believe light is a unique medium which transforms our physical and emotional experience. We’d like to introduce two major feature lighting elements we focused on during the design collaboration of HBF NYC Showroom: central skylight at the atrium and dynamic white LED back-lit ceiling at the textile library.
Back in the 2003 Fall Semester, Tania Chau and June Park first met in the classroom at Pratt Studio. After 20 years, these former classmates became design professionals and reunited at a dusty construction site on a 6th floor in one of the buildings on Fifth Avenue near Flatiron to kick-off a design project together. One as an interior designer, one as a lighting designer.
June Park, Visiting Assistant Professor has been teaching Interior Lighting at Pratt Institute Interior Design since Fall 2017. She is also NYC based full-time architectural lighting designer with 15+ years experience. Her projects range from corporate offices to high-end retails to multi-family residential buildings.
June’s very first interest for lighting design ignited from Lighting Design class she took on her first Graduate Interior Design program at Pratt with Professor Jim Conti. Since then, she has grown passionate about becoming an architectural lighting designer. After a few years of working as an interior designer for a corporate office, she decided to pursue a second Master’s degree in Lighting Design at Parsons’ School of Design.
As a former Interior Designer, her main interests in lighting design is how light, color and surface interact with each other shaping our perception of the built environment.
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@hbffurniture
@_ala_studio
www.alastudio.com
1 month ago
Undergraduate Information Session
Tomorrow! October 16th, 8:00PM EST
Please join us to find out more about the the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design at Pratt Institute. The program has consistently ranked as the top interior design program in the United States. It prepares students to engage in critical inquiry through theoretical and applied research, establishing them as innovators and leaders in the field of interior design. The curriculum addresses emerging and innovative technologies, interdisciplinary collaboration, sustainable practices, and issues of ethical and social responsibility pointing to the larger potentials of professional practice, and design education affecting the built environment.
To contact us directly please email int@pratt.edu
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1 month ago
TODAY - Tuesday, Oct 1st, 12:30-1:30pm - Virtual and Steuben 311
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INTtalks: Design for Aging and Beyond
On the UN International Day of Older Persons
Yutaka Takiura AIA - Visiting Associate Professor
Thoughts on "Design for Aging and Beyond"
On this International Day of Older Persons, let's commit to strengthen care and support systems that honour the dignity of older persons and caregivers.
- António Guterres, Secretary-General, the United Nations
October 1st is the United Nations International Day of Older Persons
2024 Theme: Ageing with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Persons Worldwide
In the "Design for Aging and Beyond" course, Pratt students played a pivotal role, conducting ongoing research, discussions, and innovation to explore the potential of design to assist people in need.
It began with a focus on the aging population, but it quickly and organically expanded into a broader discussion and design proposal.
After all, Design for Humanity is not an option; it's a necessity.
Yutaka is a Visiting Associate Professor in the Creative Enterprise Leadership Department at the School of Art and the Interior Design Department at the School of Design. He is also a respected faculty member at the Osaka Institute of Technology.
Yutaka is an award-winning architect and Design Director at TD+A New York.
With extensive industry experience, Yutaka worked at Beckhard Richlan and Associates, a successor firm to Marcel Breuer Associates, following Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates.
He holds Architectural Degrees from Waseda University in Tokyo, the Illinois Institute of Technology, and the University of Pennsylvania.
https://www.un.org/en/observances/older-persons-day
https://www.aiany.org/committees/design-for-aging/
https://communityhub.aia.org/communities/community-home?communitykey=a83686b6-4432-4ac2-a3a1-b91a6808a014
https://network.aia.org/communities/community-home?CommunityKey=f5f03acd-d26c-46ef-a01c-58769916263f
#InternationalDayofOlderPersons24
#InternationalDayofOlderPersons
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@unitednations
2 months ago
Thursday, Sept. 26th, 6-7pm - Virtual and Steuben 311
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INTtalks: Designing Housing for People
Brad Leibin, AIA - Visiting Associate Professor Interior Design
Affordable housing needs to address a lot of problems. Stringent code regulations, NIMBYism, and soaring costs can be primary design drivers instead of the people who live in the buildings. Brad Leibin, AIA, will share design and coursework focused on how designers can transform these constraints into uplifting homes for people.
Brad Leibin, AIA, is Founder and Director of Leibin Architecture in New York City. He is a registered architect in New York and California. Leibin Architecture offers expertise in housing, housing affordability, hospitality, single-family residential, and retail design. With a deep commitment to making a positive impact on the world, Brad has guided the design and construction of thousands of affordable and market-rate homes for a wide range of residents in New York City as well as the West Coast.
While with Marvel, Brad led major, high-rise projects in New York City through all phases of design, permitting, and construction. When he was with David Baker Architects (DBA) in San Francisco, a national leader in housing and hospitality design, Brad co-led the firm's cutting-edge, prefabricated (modular) practice. Brad is active in the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Advisory Services Panels consulting cities across the United States on matters of housing reform. Prior to DBA, he was Design Lead at San Francisco-based national non-profit, Public Architecture, a pioneer of the public interest design movement that is now embraced by mainstream design institutions.
Brad holds a Masters in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania where he was awarded the Arthur Spayd Brooke Memorial Prize for design as well as the Lewis E. Dales Fellowship. As an undergraduate, he studied architecture at Washington University in St. Louis.
leibin-arch.com
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2 months ago
