Environmental + Interior Design seniors’ final presentation
The Senior Showcase Exhibit for Chaminade University’s Environmental + Interior Design (E+ID) program presented a remarkable culmination of the hard work and creativity from the 2024 graduating seniors. Each project not only demonstrated the technical skills and design prowess of the students but also revealed their sensitivity to the impact of design on human behavior, emotion and experience.
For seniors like Nicole Cacacho, Jenna Dahl, Erin Kelly, and Camryn Pedro, the showcase was an opportunity to share their journey with industry professionals, family and friends. This final hurdle before commencement highlighted their achievements and the profound sense of pride in seeing their projects come to life.
“It is a celebratory event for E+ID seniors, which every E+ID student looks forward to,” says E+ID Associate Professor Junghwa K. Suh, D.Arch, Arts and Design Discipline Coordinator. “All the former E+ID graduates and design professionals come to congratulate and recruit students. Also, family and friends come to celebrate the evening with them.”
In the four years that she has been in the program, Cacacho’s projects have ranged from industrial to residential, including the Normal School Apartments and Chaminade’s Presidential Residence.
“The Normal School Apartments transformed an old school building to seamlessly combine a contemporary and industrial-style interior with a carefully preserved historic exterior, resulting in a captivating blend of historic charm and modern comfort,” explained Cacacho on her presentation board. “These conversions preserve the architectural character of the original structures, boasting features like large windows, high ceilings and exposed materials, all of which infuse the space with a distinctive character.”
In her presentation, Dahl came up with the title “Art Arc: Prefab Quonset Studio.” But this is no lightweight prefabricated structure of corrugated galvanized steel with a semi-circular cross-section that we’ve been accustomed to seeing since World War I. Prefab steel Quonset studios are indeed gaining popularity for several compelling reasons. Their modular design, cost-efficiency, and versatility offer a unique alternative to traditional housing and commercial structures.
“Each piece of the ArtArc is completely manufactured off site for any specific design,” Dahl wrote. “Inspired by the Quonset Hut, this design uses panels that can be infinitely expanded linearly, making the design adaptable to any site it may be placed.”
The mission of Chaminade’s E+ID program is to educate, engage and empower students to optimize design of the built environment as it relates to our global, multi- cultural, multi-generational living and working communities. Graduates are prepared to make the transition to entry-level professional practice and to collaborate with architects and related industry professionals.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in E+ID granted by Chaminade meets the educational requirement for eligibility to sit for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification Examination (NCIDQ Exam), which licenses professional credentialed interior designers.
“Seniors get to curate how to showcase their last four years of design work,” Suh said. “Each student displayed the culmination of various design projects that they have created over their four years of academic work.”
The B.F.A. in E+ID provides a learning environment that fosters creativity and collaboration with art, design and technology. The program equips graduates with the knowledge and skills required for successful careers in interior design. This studio-based program allows students to work on a range of project types from small-scale residential to large commercial spaces.
The Senior Showcase is a testament to the students’ commitment to solving world issues through innovative design solutions, and bettering communities and their world in an inclusive and equitable manner. Students select the work to be displayed, carefully chosen from studio projects, visualization technique courses, custom designed and fabricated furniture, as well as fine art and sculpture. Students’ presentations are premised on deep and meaningful research, thought provoking development of design, spectacular imagery and the creative solving of societal issues.
