The second-year interior design major in the College of Architecture, Arts and Design recently spent two days in Washington, D.C., immersing himself in the spaces and locations of some of the area’s most prominent design firms, and thinking about colleagues he met, professionals he hopes to meet someday. Let’s try it.
For more than a decade, these annual field trips have occurred at a critical time in students’ academic programs, as they spend their first year completing the foundational courses required for all design and architecture majors at the university. I spent it.
When students enter their second year and focus solely on interior design, the classes become more difficult and expectations increase.
“After a year of foundational design, our second-year students are very excited about the specialized content. The DC trip is the first immersive interior design experience we offer.” Interior Design said Brad Whitney, program chair. “Setting up a DC trip at the beginning of the fall semester is the perfect time to introduce second-year students to what interior design is all about, and students return from the trip feeling inspired and excited about design practices and what is possible. ” to them after graduation. ”
During the experience, students and faculty visited the offices and workspaces of Gensler Corporation, Steelcase Corporation, Knoll Corporation, and LSM Architecture, the U.S. Green Building Council. They also toured sites such as WilmerHale’s offices, where they were able to experience the final results of the project and see the client working in their new space.
“The DC field trip is also a strong springboard for professional development and introduces students to networking skills, as for many of them it is their first time meeting and interacting with design practitioners in person.” said Whitney.
At the end of the two days, the School of Design students reflected on this immersive experience, what they learned, who inspired them, and what they will do next to land their dream jobs. . Their experiences and voices will follow.
This trip was made possible by a group of generous donors to the Interior Design program, which provides opportunities like this to students. These opportunities are hallmarks of the Virginia Tech Advantage, which aims to provide experiential learning to all students.
