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Parsons Honors Sustainable Design

Participants in the awards program came from all eight of the University's schools.

Mairi Beautyman -- Interior Design, 7/23/2007 12:00:00 AM

Parsons The New School for Design in New York has launched a new student-led awards program honoring sustainable design, the Sustainable Design Review. This year, the winning project is a nature-inspired subway design and the runner up is a design for eco-friendly food vendor carts.

Conceived and coordinated by Parsons students, the awards program singles out student projects in all eight of the University's schools. Among the disciplines are liberal arts, business, management, and social sciences.

Caroline Pham, the first place winner, is a student in Parsons Integrated Design Curriculum BFA program. Her “Subway Light Project,” is a public art proposal which would use fiber optic technology and patented sunlight collection panels to draw natural light into underground stations, were it would interact with images of nature. Second place winner Hae Jeong Choi, a product design student, conceived an eco-friendly food vendor cart which combines healthy food with support for local farmers.

A jury of green advocates sifted through more than 100 submissions to select the 10 finalists. Jury members included Majora Carter, executive director of Sustainable South Bronx; Guy Geier, principal of FXFOWLE Architects; and Kira Gould, chair of the AIA Committee on the Environment and director of communications at William McDonough + Partners.

“It is impressive to see what these students have accomplished and how their work is helping to raise awareness about this important issue,” says Tim Marshall, dean of Parsons. “This project reflects a very important focus at Parsons and The New School, where we are committed to exploring the crossroads of design, sustainability, and social responsibility.

Visit the Sustainable Design Review for more information on winners.