Environmental + Interior Design

E+ID Alumna Makes Positive Impact in Community

February 1, 2022

Nicolle Soriano ’18 believes good design should be universal.

“Whether you’re rich or poor, it’s for everyone to enjoy,” said Soriano, who has a degree in Environmental + Interior Design from Chaminade and now serves as a junior interior designer at WCIT Architecture. “Everyone should be able to enjoy a space that is beautiful.”

It’s an approach that drives Soriano at work and in life—and that passion has gotten noticed.

Soriano was named the International Interior Design Association-Hawaii Chapter’s Emerging Professional as part of the 2021 Ho’ohuli Awards. The recognition honors a junior design leader who has helped advance interior design in Hawaii and made a positive impact in the community.

Interviewed recently, Soriano said she’s humbled by the award. She also gave credit to her colleagues at WCIT, her mentors in the field and her professors at Chaminade, saying they’ve helped her grow professionally and given her the confidence to explore meaningful and exciting projects.

“My office environment is so family-oriented,” she said. “It actually reminds me of Chaminade.”

Soriano didn’t always know what she wanted to do with her life—or where she wanted to study.

Born and raised in Washington State, Soriano was active in the Catholic Church throughout her high school years and was set on choosing a university that would help keep her “grounded and connected to my faith.” She was also interested in the arts and interior design, and so was searching for campuses with strong interior design programs. In doing her research, she learned about Chaminade.

“It just became a perfect fit,” said Soriano, whose mother’s side is from the islands.

Nicolle Soriano '18 posing in front of her display at Na Liko Naauao 2018

In the Environmental + Interior Design program at Chaminade, she found the only program in Hawaii with Council for Interior Design Accreditation. And at the university, she embraced the supportive, warm and fun campus community that allowed her to pursue her other passions and her faith.

While a student, Soriano was active in Campus Ministry and attended several retreats. She also volunteered her time regularly with community projects. And she helped revive the Filipino Club, including as its vice president, recruiting friends and classmates to share cultural performances.

“Looking back, I don’t know how I did it all,” she quipped. “It was just a joyous experience.”

Soriano also said she thrived in Chaminade’s small classes and a strong emphasis on hands-on learning. “You really get to know your professors and have a close relationship,” said Soriano, adding her mentors—including associate professors Junghwa Suh, DArch, and Joan Riggs—“really inspired me.”

“They pushed me to be the best I can be. They really prepared me,” she said.

Soriano added that several projects she worked on at Chaminade still resonate with her, including an innovative assignment to reimagine the modern shopping mall—which has faltered as more and more shop online—and a partnership with a nonprofit to design housing units for homeless people on Oahu.

Her group project on the “death of the mall” even earned an AIA Honolulu design award in 2018.

“At Chaminade, I learned about the importance of interior design to everyone,” Soriano said. “It’s definitely not like what you see on HGTV. It’s a lot more work than you imagine. You’re creating spaces that people work in, that people play in, where they live. Being a part of the design industry taught me how we all function in our daily lives and how big an impact design really has on our communities.”

During her senior year at Chaminade, Soriano landed an internship at WCIT Architecture.

She loved it—and was ecstatic when they asked her to come back for the spring semester.

She was even more thrilled when they offered her a full-time junior designer position right before graduation. “It just worked out so perfectly,” she said, adding she loves her WCIT Architecture team and has enjoyed adding elements of Hawaiian culture and storytelling into her designs.

At WCIT, Soriano has gotten the chance to work on everything from hospitality and timeshare renovations to restaurant makeovers and corporate and office designs. While she builds her portfolio, Soriano is also working to secure her National Council for Interior Design Qualification.

“Put simply,” Soriano said, “it’s a certification that you are an interior designer who knows what they’re doing.” To get the qualification, applicants take several exams that cover a wide variety of industry practices and standards, including building codes, design application and professional practice.

Additionally, Soriano serves as vice president of student affairs for the Hawaii chapter of the International Interior Design Association. It’s a role that’s allowed her to talk about her own experiences as a young designer and serve as a mentor to others pursuing a career in the field.

She hopes to recruit other alums to serve as inspiration to current and future students. “Once you graduate from Chaminade, you are always a part of this bigger ‘ohana,” she said. “It’s very special when you meet other people who went to Chaminade. There are definitely so many of us who have accomplished so much in our careers. Building that alumni network is so important.”

Looking ahead, her biggest focus is on continuing to grow as a designer and community leader—and taking on new opportunities and challenges that allow her to have a positive impact. “I love what I do,” she said, “and am so grateful for the people who helped me become the designer I am today.”

Immersive Experiences Through Summer Institutes

August 13, 2021

Dozens of Hawai’i public high school students converged on Chaminade’s campus over the summer for a host of immersive learning opportunities—trying their hand at everything from spoken word poetry to marine conservation to designing a safehouse for a zombie apocalypse.

Chaminade’s Summer Institutes 2021 offerings, part of the University’s ongoing commitment to early college programming, gave rising juniors and seniors at two public high schools the chance to do a deep dive into disciplines of high interest.

The intensive, 10-day courses were free to McKinley and Kaimukī high school students and also included standalone college preparatory sessions on how to pay for higher education, apply for financial aid, select an academic pathway and build leadership skills.

Dr. Janet Davidson, Chaminade Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, said 37 students participated across five Summer Institutes courses. The offerings were made possible in part thanks to a US Department of Education GEAR UP grant.

Davidson said GEAR UP is focused on boosting college attendance among low-income students. To promote that goal, she said, the Summer Institutes program at Chaminade offered participants a high-quality, engaging college-level experience.

“The students had rewarding experiences on our campus—with each other and with their faculty and peer mentors,” Davidson said, adding that enrollees also benefitted from co-curricular sessions with the University’s advising, financial aid and admissions offices.

“Through our Summer Institutes, we aimed to support the academic growth of students, but also provided a series of college readiness sessions. We look forward to growing on our successes this year and provide even more institutes next summer.”

Doing It Yourself: A New World

high school students working together on a business plan project during the business summer institute

Among the available academic sessions was a course—taught by Accounting Professor Aaron Williamson—on entrepreneurship, business modeling and communication skills. “Doing It Yourself: A New World” also included an emphasis on leadership and team building.

Williamson said he wanted the immersion program to give students a “taste of what business really is. At its root, business is the thoughts, dreams and initiatives of a multitude of folks from history to present who simply had an idea and acted on it.”

He added that he was most excited to watch students tap into their passions and personal interests—and then figure out how to direct that energy into a business plan.

“I fully expect to be walking into a few of their establishments one day,” he added.

Word Wizards: The Magic of Poetry and Hip Hop

high school students at the museum of art during a field trip for the english summer institute

English Professor Dr. Allison Paynter drew from English 256 (Poetry and Drama) to design her summer institute course entitled, “Word Wizards: The Magic of Poetry and Hip Hop.” In addition to analyzing hip hop lyrics, traditional poetry and verse-driven dramas, students wrote poetry and then put on spoken word performances.

Paynter, herself a performance poet, said she most enjoyed seeing her student participants collaborate with one another on writing.

“I also loved watching my students perform their original poetry during our Spoken Word event,” she said. “I would like to believe each student felt empowered through the process of writing creative pieces.”

Marine Science Immersion

high school students at the beach looking at marine life during the marine science summer institute

Dr. Gail Grabowsky, dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Chaminade, co-taught a “Marine Science Immersion” summer course with Dr. Lupita Ruiz-Jones, an assistant professor of Environmental Sciences. Students in the session spent the first week exploring the ocean environment from the perspective of a marine scientist and the second considering the impacts of humans on marine ecosystems.

Participants spent time in the classroom, lab and, of course, the ocean.

Ruiz-Jones said students took field trips to Waimea Bay, Sharks Cove, Makapuu, Makaha and Ala Moana Beach. They even took a walk from campus to nearby Pālolo Stream, inspiring three students to return the following weekend for a stream cleanup project.

Grabowsky said a central takeaway of the course for students was just how incredible marine systems are—and how important they are to preserve.

“I wanted them to walk away with a knowledge of the ocean, of course, but also a feeling that college is wonderful and an understanding of how it works,” she said. “I hope they all came away loving Chaminade!”

Psychology Studies

Psychology Associate Professor Dr. Darren Iwamoto led a course in Psychology Studies, challenging students to take a journey of self-discovery and self-awareness to understand the importance of mental health in everyday life.

Iwamoto, who is clinical director of the School Counseling and Undergraduate Psychology programs at Chaminade, said he kicked off the course with two questions: Why do we do what we do? And why do we think what we think?”

It was through those lines of inquiry that Iwamoto encouraged students to consider how they tackle stress, handle change and plan for the future—and how they might apply new and healthier coping strategies in their own lives to promote personal wellbeing.

“It was so memorable to watch so much personal and academic growth in just two weeks,” he said, adding that he also learned so much about his own teaching from the experience.

“I had to learn different strategies of student engagement because I didn’t have grades being the underlying motivator,” he said. “I really like how this Summer Institute flowed and how students experienced psychology versus being told about it.”

Visualizing the Future

high school student working on their zombie apocalypse safehouse during the art and design summer institute

The fifth offering over the summer was called “Visualizing the Future.”

Dr. Junghwa Suh, an associate professor of Arts and Design at Chaminade, led the course—modeled after Art 103 or Visual Design. Students were introduced to the power of visualizations and used problem-solving skills and design tools to create models.

After learning the basics of hands-on modeling tools, Suh set the students to work in groups to create a zombie safehouse—yes, you read that right. Suh said the engaging project required students to think about space planning while trying to figure out how to protect the safehouse’s occupants from a decidedly horrific fate.

“I wanted my students to get a clear and dynamic overview of arts and design, see the connection of arts and design to various disciplines … and use their creativity and logical processing to execute design solutions to given problems,” she said.

Suh added that the students’ final safehouse designs were impressive.

“I hope these creative minds gained some new perspectives in arts and design and understand various possibilities they can pursue with this study,” she said.

And she’s already looking forward to next summer’s courses. “It is so beneficial for students to see how different disciplines come together to solve world problems,” she said. “These types of institutes help high school students in making decisions on what they want to study.”

Data and Design: A Powerful Storyteller

December 16, 2020

Majoring in data science means you spend a lot of your time combing through data, learning to use coding software, digitally mapping data and analyzing results. But at Chaminade University, it also means learning how to tell a story, understanding color theory, learning how to use design software and understanding the principles of visual communication.

Data Science 403: Digital Humanities is a new interdisciplinary course taught by Dr. Junghwa Suh, associate professor of environmental + interior design and Dr. Laura Tipton, assistant professor of data science, that all data science majors at Chaminade are required to take. The course merges the fields of humanities and data science, and teaches students how to turn data into meaningful, visual stories and relate it back to various dimensions of human living.

“We wanted to challenge the more analytic students in the course to think more creatively, both in their presentations and in their topics of study,” says Dr. Suh. “We wanted to show that not every data science analysis is based on a scientific study, sometimes we use data science to analyse classic literature or song lyrics.”

For many of the students, this was their first foray into the humanities and they weren’t quite sure what to expect.

“At the beginning of the semester, I interpreted digital humanities solely as studying the history of data science and technology,” says Trinity Young, a fourth-year student. “But now, after taking this course, I better understand that digital humanities is the study of applying data and technology to analyze and better understand human society and culture.”

Digital Humanities Miley Cyrus presentation

In the first iteration of the course this past fall semester, each student was tasked with choosing a topic for a semester-long project that either brings them happiness or sparks their interest and passion. They then spent the first-half of the semester collecting and analyzing data, and the second half of the semester learning to develop a visually appealing story out of the data and present their findings.

“[This course] really gave me another perspective in this area and allowed me to see the story behind everything,” says Taylor Ishisaka, a third-year student who used the project to explore how Miley Cyrus’s character has developed throughout various events and albums. “As of now, I truly think that it is necessary to have previous knowledge in humanities in order to understand the digital world better.”

Lilianna Flynn, a senior who is majoring in business administration and minoring in data science, did her project on the recent Australian wildfires. She used data visualizations and word clouds to determine the causes and consequences of the wildfires and to identify solutions.

“I believe my word clouds were my best visual aid,” says Flynn. “They displayed the most important words and gave the readers a basic understanding of the news articles.”

But her favorite part was seeing how creative her fellow classmates were in choosing their topics.

“My favorite part of the semester was listening to everyone’s presentations,” says Flynn. “Everyone had different ways of analyzing their data and unique presentation designs. Now, I believe design is even more important to communicate data visualizations effectively.”

While the course was fun and meaningful for the students, the professors also had a good time with it.

“I was really excited when I saw this course listed as part of the data science curriculum because it gave me a chance to highlight some of my “passion project” research areas, including dance history and mythology,” says Dr. Tipton. “And it gave me a chance to see what non-science interests the students have.”

On the other side, Dr. Suh was excited to take a dive into the sciences. “I have always wanted to teach a course where science meets art and design, and vice versa,” she says. “I usually don’t have a chance to meet students from other disciplines, so it was great interacting with the data science students.”

The pair is now brainstorming ways to expand the course in the future.

“Now I’m excited to see where this collaboration goes and how we can include students from other majors, like design and other humanities, next year,” says Dr. Tipton.

A Winning Pair

November 19, 2020

When Aurelia Vining and Jacqueline (Jaci) Harbin met during their first design studio course at Chaminade University, they became fast friends. They had both come from Army backgrounds before joining the Environmental + Interior Design program as transfer students in 2018, and their shared experiences matched with their opposing design approaches quickly proved to be a winning combination.

E+ID students Aurelia Vining and Jacqueline Harbin presenting their MRO project

They worked on a group project together during that first class, and it went so well that it solidified their partnership for much of the last two years. Since then, they’ve collaborated on several extracurricular projects, including working with the Marianist brothers to design a new exterior patio for the Mystical Rose Oratory.

“We had the chance to work on several extra-curricular design projects together, and it became clear that we balanced each other well,” says Harbin. “Things that I struggle with, Aurelia has completely mastered and areas where she might not be so strong, I excel.”

Their synergy recently came to fruition when it won them the 2020 Award of Excellence at the recent American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), Hawaii Chapter virtual award ceremony.

In January, their senior level commercial design studio course comprised a semester-long partner project. The class had chosen to design a boutique hotel—they were all given the footprint of an imaginary hotel in Vancouver, Canada and the pairs were tasked with designing three public spaces: the ground level, the lower level and the penthouse. The final design was due at the end of the semester in May.

“For this project we got to choose our partners so of course I was going to pick my Ace, Jaci Harbin,” says Vining. “She’s a wonderful designer and our styles are completely opposite of one another. I think that aspect of our relationship makes us question each other enough that we make sure our designs are purposeful, intentional and beautiful.”

Harbin and Vining designed The Glacier, an immersive hotel designed to capture the serenity that comes from being in nature. Upon arrival, the design protects guests with an outdoor vestibule positioned specifically to mitigate the northeastern winds. The lobby is darned with curved woods, semi-transparent materials and multi-faceted built-ins that help create a sense of humility and a feeling of being part of something bigger. On the inside, the ground floor included a lounge with a kids play space, a bar and space for casual dining, and outside the designers made space for an outdoor lounge, a rental area and an outdoor ice skating rink.

But the part that really captured the attention of the ASID judges was the outdoor star-gazing balcony in the penthouse. The virtual award ceremony specifically called out this area, with a quote from one of the judges saying “My favorite is the stargazing area. I like that the students thought through every scenario so that visitors would be able to see the constellations and stars day or night and all times of the year.”

The project wasn’t without its challenges—halfway through the semester COVID-19 hit and in-person classes were canceled.

“Zoom presentations are completely different from in-person presentations,” recalls Harbin. “The way you present yourself, how you showcase your work, all of that changes. You cannot have physical material boards because they don’t showcase well on a digital platform but that also means the client cannot touch the materials.”

It helped that the pair was already so close and had such a solid partnership to begin with. “The fact that we were already so comfortable with one another made a huge difference—it would have been very difficult to excel if we had just met one another,” admits Harbin.

But they did excel. Combined, the two put in over 600 hours to perfect the design of The Glacier. And when the project was completed, they submitted it for the ASID award, and won.

“Winning the ASID Hawaii Award of Excellence is a pinnacle moment for Jaci and Aurelia,” says Joan Riggs, the director of the Environmental + Interior Design program and a cherished professor and mentor. “This pair of emerging professionals hit the ground running with wanting to learn everything about design, taking risks with ideas and stretching themselves from day one.”

The two credit a lot of their success to the mentorship they received from both Riggs and their professor, Liza Lockard.

“I don’t think [Professor Lockard] ever told us we couldn’t do something—she just guided our explorations in the design process,” says Vining. “I loved when we’d ask her if we could do something and her response would be ‘I don’t know, can you?’ That was so encouraging and refreshing.”

Though they will both graduate this semester, this is likely just the beginning of the duo’s journey together.

The day after submitting their final design of The Glacier, they received an email from Joan Riggs saying she had a paid summer project for them if they were interested. The project was to design the tour check-in and retail area for Magnum Helicopter Tours at their Honolulu Airport facility. The space was being constructed, and they were looking to the design students to help them execute their vision.

“It was fascinating to watch a project happen in real time,” says Harbin. “There was a real sense of urgency regarding this project, but they were looking to us as the professionals and trusted our opinions and recommendations.”

Now, with graduation just a few weeks away, Harbin and Vining are trying to work out the logistics of a long-term professional partnership doing real estate development in San Antonio, Texas, where Vining will be moving next summer.

“I think hands down, you have to find someone that you can work with and trust they will put in the same amount of effort,” says Vining. “Jaci and I have been pairing together whenever we can, and have done multiple school projects, service learning and freelance projects together. She is by far the best partner!”

Designing While Quarantined

May 29, 2020

Over 15 Chaminade alumni attended a virtual event on Saturday, May 16 to gain insider tips for updating their space during stay-at-home orders. The event, Designing Your Space, was hosted by Alumni Relations and featured a panel of four Environmental + Interior Design graduates who shared tricks for updating, organizing and styling home spaces.

Chaminade alumni attended a virtual event to gain insider tips for updating their space during stay-at-home orders

With so many people obeying stay-at-home orders and spending more time in their homes, Nicolle Soriano ‘18, junior interior designer at WCIT Architecture, offered ways to maximize space and feel less confined. Some tips included using furniture to section off spaces, measuring areas to ensure the furniture you use fits appropriately, using neutral colors to make spaces feel more open and using shelving for storage and artwork.

Many people are also finding themselves suddenly working from home. Catherine Valentine ‘18, project designer at Philpots Interiors, offered tips for designing a workspace when you don’t have a home office. The first step is to find a place away from your bedroom, kitchen or typical relaxing area—when you finish work for the day, you don’t want to be reminded of it while you’re cooking, relaxing, trying to sleep or playing with the kids. She also mentioned that lighting and air ventilation can make a big difference in productivity. Ultimately, pay attention to what your work station is like in your office at work and in places where you do your best work, and try to replicate that setup at home.

There are also ways to mitigate noises while you’re trying to work from home. Gerlie Valdez ’17, senior designer at Pyramid Premier Properties, offered both short-term and long-term solutions. If you’re looking for a short-term fix, consider using fabrics and rugs to help reduce noise transmission. You can look for fabrics that have a sound transmission class (STC) rating, or you can simply use fabrics that have double layers, like burlap or velvet. Even blackout curtains help absorb noise. If you’re looking for a more long-term solution, consider adding mass loaded vinyl (MLV) under your carpet, or using decorative acoustic panels on your walls.

It’s also important to consider color. According to Marisa Saito ’17, junior interior designer at AHL, colors can dictate your mood so choose the right colors for the right space. For example, use brighter colors like reds, oranges and yellows to bring in more life and energy. Use blues and greens to create a calm or serene feel. Also, pay attention to color intensity—more vibrant colors can often be distracting and too intense. The best thing to do is to analyze how you want a space to make you feel, and then plan accordingly.

Other tips that the panel shared included:

Spend the bulk of your budget on a statement piece—something to draw your eye that you’re proud of and that brings you joy. You’ll get more bang for your buck and it will help make your space more personal.
If you’re on a limited budget, consider using things like accent paint, plants, hanging artwork and accessories to bring a space together and make it your own.
If you own your home, consider how long you plan to live in it before undergoing a complete remodel. While you want your home to be personal, you also want to maintain its resale value.
If you rent your home, work with what you have, and not against it. It’s important to choose the right furniture to fit your space, and you can do small things like change light fixtures or curtain rods, cover floors with rugs and hang artwork to bring it all together.
Create separate spaces within your home by decluttering and using a rug to highlight an area, plants to separate places, and accent walls to define spaces.
Consider scale and room size before decorating. If you’re working with a small space, avoid bulkier pieces to ensure you have ample space to walk and move around. If you’re working with a larger area, use taller, elongating pieces to maximize space.
Don’t forget about the outdoor areas. Utilize your outdoor space and bring the outdoors in with plants and images of nature.

Ultimately, it’s about making your home personal and creating something that you can feel proud of and feel comfortable in. With so many of us staying home, now is as good a time as any to finally turn your house into a home!

Green Roofs & Living Walls

April 27, 2020

Environmental+Interior Design students participate in service-learning project: green roof and living walls

Lots of times, designers create spaces for working and for living that cut us off from nature.

But an exciting initiative underway at Chaminade is aimed at challenging Environmental + Interior Design students to do the opposite by working to model and construct green roofs and living walls.

It’s all part of Chaminade’s Sustainability in Design course, which is aimed at helping students unpack principles of sustainable design by focusing on key environmental issues and then considering how they relate to other areas of society, including economic inequities and social disparities. The idea: Think through how relatively simple environmentally friendly design changes can have a positive impact.

That’s where green roofs and living walls come in.

For several years, students in the class have participated in a field project in partnership with the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture to install the design elements — along the way exploring the potential benefits of adding more greenery to urban landscapes.

In participating in the hands-on project, students learn first-hand how sustainable design can make a significant difference to city life. Green roofs and living walls can cool buildings, be sources of food, offer aesthetic appeal and can improve air and water quality. They can also provide a much-needed space for recreation or reflection — or even for gathering people together to try their hand at gardening.

Chaminade Environmental Science major Hiilani Fujihara-Nagamine ‘21 participated in the service learning project and said the class learned all about green roofs and living walls before actually working on them in person. “I can see a future in having these two concepts come to life here in Hawaii,” she said. “The islands seem to be the ideal place for green roofs and living walls due to the wonderful weather all year round. Native plants could be planted to increase the native plant population.”

She said her favorite part of the effort was learning about an actual solution — something tangible designers and environmentalists and even regular people could do to make a positive difference. “I want to make sure that the Earth is still around for the next generations to come,” she said.

“This experience will help me find more solutions that can help solve the problems in this world.”