“the Female Design Council Grant.” Link in Bio As part of its mission to advocate for equity and inclusivity in the design industries, the Female Design Council runs a biennial grant program for female designers of color. The third edition of the FDC Grant, presented by 1stDibs and NICOLEHOLLIS, awards a $20,000 cash prize in unrestricted funding to an exemplary woman of color in interior design. The winner and two finalists are selected by a prestigious jury of design world stars, and in addition to financial support, the winner receives major industry recognition and direct mentorship from a 1stDibs 50 and AD100 designer. The winner of the Female Design Council Grant will receive $20,000 in unrestricted funding, a 12-month membership in the Female Design Council, mentorship with Nicole Hollis of NICOLEHOLLIS, and will become a member of the 1stDibs Trade 1st program, where they'll enjoy a suite of benefits, including net price discounts and exclusive marketing opportunities. The two finalists will each receive a 12-month membership in the Female Design Council. https://www.femaledesigncouncil.org/grant @prattinstitute @pratt_sod @femaledesigncouncil @1stdibs @nicolehollissf https://www.nicolehollis.com/ https://www.1stdibs.com/

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 @pratt_sod @prattinstitute @pratt_education_abroad @massdesigngroup #IEW https://pratt-sa.terradotta.com/ https://massdesigngroup.org/

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. @pratt_sod @prattinstitute

TODAY - Thursday, November 7th, 6-7pm - Virtual RSVP link in Bio 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. @pratt_sod @prattinstitute

TODAY - Tuesday, Oct 29th, 12:300-1:300pm - Steuben 311 and Virtual RSVP link in Bio 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). @pratt_sod @prattinstitute @24.7toilets 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

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. @pratt_sod @prattinstitute @dreamland_creative_projects @whereingpodcast www.dreamlandcreativeprojects.com www.thewhereing.com

TODAY - Thursday, Oct 17th, 6:00-7:00pm - Virtual RSVP link in Bio 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. @pratt_sod @prattinstitute @unitednations @hbftextiles @hbffurniture @_ala_studio www.alastudio.com

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 @pratt_sod @prattinstitute #interiordesignschool #interiordesign #designschool #undergraduate #undergraduateinteriordesign

TODAY - Tuesday, Oct 1st, 12:30-1:30pm - Virtual and Steuben 311 RSVP link in Bio 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 @pratt_sod @prattinstitute @unitednations