The first award went to Anna Will for Outstanding Graduate Student (written by Beth McGee)

Anna is a force for good in all she undertakes. She desires to apply her human centered design abilities as a force for positive change in the non-profit world. She is a graduate of our undergraduate program and while in the graduate program has also been working on completing a Non-profit Management Certificate. She has also been working at Quaintance-Weaver on the design team as a special project coordinator facilitating LEED documentation, among many other tasks. Her work with Global Studio as an undergraduate led to her desire to continue working with non-profits. Her graudate work with the Greensboro Children’s Museum led to a collaboration between IARc and the museum for a new children’s exhibit.

She has also provided a number of beneficial services for the department, including working in the library, organizing mini-trade shows, serving as a Graduate Student Association senator, and a student representative to the Advisory Board. She has a positive and helpful attitude, some would say ‘bubbly’, that has benefited both her fellow students and the department as a whole. We celebrate Anna. We wish her the best and know that she is going to go on to make positive changes in our world.

The second award went to Sharece Ramos for Outstanding Undergraduate Student (written by Jonathon Anderson)

I recently thought about what it meant to be an outstanding senior and had words like distinguished, integrity, dedicated, loved, committed, and superior all come to mind. Those very words are those I would use to describe Sharece Ramos. Her superior talent in design, endless motivation and commitment to all IARc does and stands for is noticed by her professors and her peers. Sharece is often the first person to speak up, bring a smile into the building, stay up all night supporting her peers, add value to any conversation, and, if need be, take on more work. I had the honor of teaching Sharece for the past three years, I have watched her grow as a designer, a team player, a philanthropist, and always knew that Sharece would succeed in everything she does. It takes a lot to stand out in an amazing class like this class of 2013, but Sharece has done just that. Congratulations, Sharece.

The next award went to Abigail Buchanan for Outstanding Designer (written by Jonathon Anderson)

While in IARc, Abigail Buchanan has developed an impressive set of skills, ranging from hand drawing to complex modeling, and helping to manage CAMstudio. Abigail has a keen eye and appreciation for good design and a work ethic that is second to none. During her tenure at UNCG she has successfully placed in an international retail design competition, been awarded numerous scholarships, participated in the design and fabrication of an exhibition at the Greensboro’s Children’s Museum, exhibited at the Center for Visual Artists, and as a sophomore presented her work at the National Conference on Beginning Design Students. But is was during her internship at JUST BECAUSE WE CAN that I felt Abigail began to really grow as a designer. While in Oakland, CA as an intern she honed her skills and realized her passion for digital design and fabrication. We wish her well as she continues her studies as a graduate student.

The last award went to Alyssa Hankus for Community Engagement (written by Travis Hicks)

Since coming to UNCG as an adult transfer student from Maryland with an Associate’s degree in General Studies and a concentration in Interior Design, Alyssa Hankus has touched the Interior Architecture department and the community of Greensboro in a number of ways. She has served as: IARc Advisory Board Student Rep., IIDA Campus Center President and Vice President, IARc Student Ambassador, iblog contributor, Undergraduate Research Assistant, Resource Librarian, Stream Clean organizer, Student Peer-to-Peer Mentor Program Coordinator, and mini-trade show volunteer. Alyssa is one of those individuals dedicated to bringing people together…in fact, this class of 2013 of which Alyssa is a part has an incredibly strong sense of community…and they like to eat. Alyssa and her classmates began the tradition of the IARc Thanksgiving Pot-Luck Lunch, and for the past four years they have had no trouble finding other occasions to stage a pot-luck meal, and we have all benefitted from that communal energy.

What some people might not know about Alyssa is that she is a survivor. She has already beaten life-and-death odds that some of us will never know. 11 years ago Alyssa had mesothelioma, a form of cancer traced back to the building material asbestos. At the time Alyssa was 1 of only 2 to survive. Inspired by this life-changing experience, Alyssa has made it her life’s mission to work in sustainable healthcare design, using architecture, interior design, and material science to improve the health, safety, and welfare of others. We can all take great pride in Alyssa, her contributions to the community, her life’s mission, and the ways that IARc has equipped her to pursue this mission.

Alyssa Hankus’ pic of the graduating undergrad class of IARc 2013

We will miss you all. Congratulations class of 2013.

Contributed by: Lakiesha White [2nd] year

Contributed by Lyndsey Blackmon, [1st] year graduate

Our final presentations were nerve racking but we were relieved when our professors congratulated us on our work for the year. Next year, we will be joining Beth and Stephanie for our studio course. We will also be taking Jonathon’s online design visualization course. We are excited to see what is in store for next year. Hope everybody has a great summer and does well on final critiques!

Contributed by Rebecca Hall, [1st] year student

Congratulations to [4th] year IARc graduates Kara Harman and Kelly Harris for graduating with departmental honors.  The two were recognized at the Lloyd International Honors College Awards banquet for their achievement.  Also congrats to all of our IARc students who will be graduating this week. You have an exciting road ahead, and we look forward to hearing about your accomplishments.  

Contributed by Christine Lumans   [1st] year Grad

1.   How did you arrive at your current position? What is something that stands out from that path?

I have been at tvsdesign since I graduated from UNCG.  It’s most unusual that I will still be at the same firm I started with when compared to my peers.  I always thought I would travel to different cities and work at different firms; however, tvsdesign has been full of challenges and excitement and I haven’t wanted to be anywhere else.

2.   What type of projects do you work on most often? 

Most often I work on projects that are related to retail or entertainment in one way or another.

3.   How would you describe your design style and approach?  Who or what inspires you?

I try to make design strokes that are thoughtful and purposeful.  Some people may be surprised I say that since many of my projects are so bold and exciting.  The truth is function and strategies are at the core of my designs…even if they are topped with sprinkles.  Imagination inspires me. Looking at the possibilities of something different than the way it has always been done really excites me.  Other elements like fashion, color and emotion can be a driver for my thoughts as well.

4.   Any particular struggle that altered your design philosophy? How do you feel you have evolved?

Clients, cultures, locations, etc…often alter design solutions.  My design philosophy on the other hand stays unaltered.  I can’t say that I can label myself as having a certain style but I can say that I always want to design a space that makes the person feel welcomed and intrigued.

5.   When do you stand firm on something that is questioned by a client or contractor?  What helps define which battles you fight?

You have to be careful when you “stand firm” in certain situations with clients. This is something that I have learned over time.  My passion on an issue has in the past come across as me being non-negotiable.  I have learned that holding my tongue in many instances is the best way to keep the peace and in return allows your opinion to be sought after. Clients are the customers and you need to listen to them first and foremost.  Holding true to the Design Intent is often my point of reference when debating issues.  Collaboration is a team effort that seeks a common ground of success. Dictatorship limits the possibility of greatness.

6.   What impact, if any, has the economy had on your approach to design?

The economy really hasn’t changed my approach to design.  Design is design.  What the economy has done is force clients and designers to choose their moves wisely and in some instances making those moves more focused has encouraged a higher level of thought and dedication to the end product.

7.   Where do you see the future of architectural education going?

I think the best students come from a program that is multi-disciplinary.  Exposure to professors and experiences that pull from architecture, interiors, landscape, art, poems, music, athletics, manual labor etc… aids the student to challenge their way of thinking and learning.  We can’t all be great at everything but, we can be open to learning from all.

8. What is your ultimate goal when it comes to your work? What do you want to be remembered for?

When it comes to life my goal is to love and strive to be less and less about myself.  When it comes to my work it’s all about doing something and making things happen instead of sitting around and just talking about it.

Provided by Brian Slevar

We’re using the Instagram to show others about our department, our experiences, our designs, our inspirations, and our lives relating to design, etc from an IARc student perspective. We’re asking other IARc students or faculty to contribute to this by following UNCG_IARc on Instagram, through tagging IARc in your design and school related Instagram posts, and by sending us photos to add to the IARc Instagram feed. You can email images to this email address: UNCG.IARC.Instagram@gmail.com

Contributed by Lyndsey Blackmon, [1st] year Graduate

The next step from looking into a space, is to experience the space. We set scenes around the space and created a one minute walkthrough video. Learning how to make our ideas look almost real and being able to walk around in the space has already allowed our level of design to spring forward.

contributed by Natalie Johnson

We will have a guest critic from Weatherspoon, so the [1st] years are taking things serious. We encourage anyone to come to our critique as well as taking a moment and walking over to our studio space and looking at our full scale installations in the space. Some things you might see are wall hangings, free standing structures, and draped hangings. Come out and support the [1st] years as we unveil our final project. This is our final project before we transition into [2nd] year.

Contributed by: Rebecca Hale, [1st] year