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Submissions

2025 IIDA Student Design Competition

  • Closed
  • Winners Announced
SDCAP2024 6 sdc comp banner
Honoring design concepts from students throughout the world who are currently enrolled in an interior design or interior architecture program or institution.

Sponsored by

  • OFS black
  • Carolina black

Winners

  • Project Title

    Sunshine: Day 1 Behavioral Health Clinic

    LeAnne Hlavka | Sunshine: Day 1 is a thoughtfully designed facility integrating informed design solutions that radiate around a holistic patient experience and journey to more days of sunshine. Skylights and windows allow for natural and cast light and shadow while LED lights tunable to circadian rhythms are specified with LightGlass simulated glass features. The care desk promotes a positive relationship between staff and patients; the sundial courtyard moves patients out to nature; and the arched fireplace encourages gathering and community. Considerations of patient testimonials seeking autonomy, comfort and dignity in treatment centers are prioritized by designing the clinic with materials, tall structures and expansive views that resemble a mountain retreat. The ideas of “Prospect” (view of nature) and “Refuge” (shelter) in biophilic studies show that both in tandem reduce stress, enhance mood and a feeling of safety, therefore, alcoves and curved shapes are thoughtfully included to offer respite. Gentle colors, intuitive wayfinding and clutter free rooms inhibit potential triggers, resulting in a safe space sensitive to all patients.
    • Location

      N/A

    • Firm

      Interior Designers Institute

    • Category

      Overall

    • Award

      First Place

  • Project Title

    Path to Balance: A Healing Environment for Behavioral Health

    Leah Ferry | Path to Balance presents a holistic approach to behavioral healthcare by integrating fluid architectural elements, nature-inspired materials, and therapeutic strategies with a focus on guiding design principles of the seamless integration of curves and organic shapes; nature-inspired therapeutic spaces; adaptability and personalization; and safety, accessibility, and comfort. The intuitive wayfinding, sensory-responsive environments, and adaptable areas embrace biophilic principles and acoustic interventions through greenery, nature-inspired wall coverings, sound-absorbing materials, and white noise integration. Flexible therapy rooms and multi-use spaces that can be adjusted to meet individual needs, allow space for reflection, work, and rest while mitigating stress-inducing stimuli, while the care desk is strategically positioned to maintain a clear lie of sight. This design prioritizes ligature-resistant solutions, ADA-compliant features, and staff visibility without compromising the sense of autonomy and dignity for patients. Private spaces for de-escalation, including the Quiet Room, offer patients a sanctuary for self-regulation within a secure setting. Path to Balance is more than a healthcare facility—it is a dynamic, healing environment that fosters growth, resilience, and well-being through intentional, human-centered design.
    • Location

      N/A

    • Firm

      Kent State University

    • Category

      Overall

    • Award

      Second Place

  • Project Title

    Vantage Point Behavioral Health Clinic

    Katie Becher, Samantha Crown | Vantage Point Behavioral Health is an inpatient behavioral health facility serving patients eighteen and older, encompassing a combination of indoor and outdoor areas for use by patients, families and friends of patients, healthcare providers, and staff. The safety of all users is the main priority, utilizing design as a tool to promote wellness. Located in the city of Denver which is recognized for its vibrant urban skyline and scenic mountain views that appeals to tourists and locals alike. Therapy can lead to significant breakthroughs and insights into one’s mental and emotional health — similarly in nature, hidden depths are what build strength in our world. The clinic encourages patients to visualize themselves in their own environment and have control over their perspective and healing. Important sightlines for healthcare providers will be maintained throughout the facility to ensure the safety of patients. With a goal of encouraging patients to find strength in the depths of their own horizons, the facility will be inspired by the layers of Colorado’s nature, using an attentive design approach to create a positive, calming atmosphere where the healing power of sight is woven into every aspect of care.
    • Location

      N/A

    • Firm

      Florida State University

    • Category

      Overall

    • Award

      Third Place

  • Project Title

    Healing Through Connection Center

    Michael Hernandez Reyes, Hailey Reicks | Healing Through Connection Center embodies the resilience and unity of an aspen grove, where individual trees thrive through a vast interconnected root system. Combining Japanese minimalism with Scandinavian comfort, the space achieves a delicate balance of clean lines, organic materials, and soft neutral tones. Wayfinding techniques enhance navigation and accessibility through a color-coded system applied to rooms and hallways while skylights in the milieu space bring in natural daylight while a continuous light strip enhances spatial awareness. Open communal areas encourage social interaction and connection, while private nooks and enclosed rooms provide solitude and reflection. The design considerations reinforce safety, comfort, and therapeutic engagement with a patient-centered approach. Patient rooms have non-locking doors for safety without compromising dignity; belongings are stored in locked compartments; medication room layout facilitates a secure and smooth process, and the nourishment center is a secure, locked room adjacent to the care desk for easy access. This facility is more than just a treatment center—it is a space for growth, renewal, and holistic well-being. Blending nature, thoughtful interior design, and human connection, it fosters a sense of community, trust, and reassurance, ensuring an environment where patients, staff, and families can heal, grow, and thrive together.
    • Location

      N/A

    • Firm

      Kirkwood Community College

    • Category

      Overall

    • Award

      Honorable Mention

Jury

  • Aimee Burmaster Hicks-HS

    Aimee Burmaster Hicks, IIDA

    Principal, Interior Design Director, Page

  • Maria Van Deman Headshot 2025

    Maria VanDeman, Ind. IIDA

    Director of Design Strategy, OFS

  • Tricia Paulson 0422

    Patricia Paulson

    Senior Interior Designer, HDR

  • Lakiesha Stanley,-HS

    Lakiesha Stanley, NCIDQ, IIDA

    Interior Designer, Healthcare, Gresham Smith

  • Paul Widlarz HGA Final

    Paul Widlarz, AIA

    Vice President and Principal, HGA Architects and Engineers

Guidelines

Submission Requirements

Download the 2025 IIDA Student Design Competition Brief Here

Download the 2025 Student Competition FAQ/Clarifying Questions Here

The competition will open Tuesday, January 7, 2025, it is advised that you begin the application and project before that date.

All submissions must be submitted electronically, no hard copy submissions will be accepted. To enter a project into this competition, you will need to prepare and submit the following:

Written Component

  • Your contact information including participant name(s), member ID (if applicable), address, phone number, and email

  • Your design project's information including project title
  • Project description outlining why your concept demonstrates the best solutions possible for the design prompt (500 words)

Digital Presentation Board

Please submit one (1) 24” x 36” digital presentation board in PDF format with a file size between 3MB and 10MB and containing the following:

  • One (1) dimensioned floor plan drawn to scale

  • One (1) furniture and materials plan (may be combined with dimensioned floor plan)
  • One (1) reflected ceiling plan, created with the assumption that the ceiling is a blank slate
  • Two to four (2-4) renderings of the completed space
  • Two (2) additional drawings of the space, which can be elevation, perspective, isometric, axonometric, or orthographic.
  • Additional elements to convey the overall concept including, but not limited to, furniture and fixture specifications, color palettes, wall sections, electrical plans, schedules, additional renderings, etc.
  • Your board should NOT contain your name or any identifying information. Your file name should be: SDC + initials + year_board (SDCLHH2025_board.pdf)

Images

Please submit individual images of the 10-12 images outlined above. All images should be submitted in JPG or JPEG format with a file size between 2MB and 10MB. Take note of the following additional guidelines:

  • Images should be saved in RGB color mode with a minimum 150 dpi (300 dpi is preferred)

  • Images should have a minimum dimension of 8.5” x 11”
  • Your images should NOT contain your name or any identifying information. Your file names: SDC + initials + year_number (SDCLHH2025_1.jpg)

Judging

The winning design projects will be selected by a jury of design professionals. Submissions are judged on excellence in aesthetics, design, creativity, and function as well as the suitability of the design solution to the project challenge and the successful integration of the elements of design.

Prize

Winners will be announced Spring 2025, and will be featured on IIDA.org, in the Spring 2025 issue of QUAD, and DesignMatters newsletters. OFS provides the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place winners with a financial prize of $2,500, $1,500, and $750 respectively. Winners will also receive official digital assets, including competition winner logos for self-promotion, coverage and mention on IIDA’s social media accounts, and in an official press release distributed to leading industry outlets and media partners.

Past Winners