Interior Design Student Adina Schunicht Awarded Second Place Gensler Brinkmann Scholarship

Adina Schunicht, a third-year Interior Design student at the School of Architecture, has been awarded the second place Gensler Brinkmann Scholarship for 2018. It is one of just two Gensler Brinkmann Scholarships offered annually by the renowned design firm. In addition to the scholarship, Schunicht is enjoying the opportunity to intern with Gensler this summer. 

Shunicht's project, "Strata," a bath house located on the top two floors of a boutique hotel in Austin, Texas, was part of a design studio taught by Assistant Professor Nerea Feliz. "The inspiration for my design came from a combination of sources I researched. I first looked towards Peter Zumthor’s Swiss Pavilion wooden wall system. Essentially, studying how the wood members came together and how they were fastened to allow wood to expand and contract according to moisture levels in the air. I also wanted to create an integrated design that provided sense of comfort as well as privacy. Pulling inspiration from Japanese architecture, I designed a wall system made out of 2” x 2” wood members organized to create an undulating form. By pulling and pushing these individual wood members, I was able to incorporate specific functions needed throughout the bath house, including seating, stairs, and ceiling conditions. The wall system also functions as a screen that fluctuates in density to provide different degrees of privacy and visual connection across the rooms."

“Interior design is a complex field that increasingly requires students to think on multiple levels, all in support of user experience and intentional design performance,” says Robin Klehr Avia, Regional Managing Principal for Gensler’s Northeast and Latin America regions. "Schunicht’s design for a bathhouse draws inspiration from the perspective of the end user and elegantly integrates nuanced moments of experience to inform a design solution that is efficient and visually arresting."
In a recent announcement from Gensler, Avia remarked, "The Brinkmann Scholarship gives us the opportunity to celebrate and invest in the very best emerging talent in this field. We were extremely impressed by Niklos’ [fellow winner] and Adina’s work and look forward to helping them grow and explore their passions across Gensler’s footprint.”

The Gensler Brinkmann Scholarship Fund was established in 1999 as a memorial to Donald G. Brinkmann, an interior designer, inspirational leader and former principal at Gensler. The scholarship fund celebrates Brinkmann’s career-long commitment to nurturing new talent by presenting outstanding interior design students with an internship and scholarship for the students’ final year of school. Candidates for the scholarship must attend a CIDA-accredited school and are evaluated based upon their analysis and problem solving skills, design development, graphic presentation, communication skills, and passion.