Interior Design News

INTERIOR DESIGN NEWS

News and updates from The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture's Interior Design Program

Jessica Garza (BSID '26) Wins 2025 Angelo Donghia Senior Scholarship in Interior Design

September 17, 2025

Jessica Garza is one of 15 undergraduate interior design students in North America to receive this honor this year in the form of a $30,000 scholarship.

Hydrocommons by Stephanie Belov and Yuzheng Gan

Stephanie Belov and Yuzheng Gan Win 2nd Place in ASID 2025 Celebrating Design Texas Awards

August 28, 2025

The American Society of Interior Designers awarded Master of Interior Design students Stephanie Belov and Yuzheng Gan 2nd place in the Student Commercial Design Category, celebrated during the Awards Gala during the ASID Texas Chapter's 50th-anniversary conference in Dallas.

Students looking out at the water where a boat is docked.

May Term Travel Opportunities

August 25, 2025

Three new faculty-led study abroad opportunities expose students to critical works of contemporary and emergent architecture, global perspectives, and new cultural experiences. Programs led by School of Architecture faculty and leadership will take students to Japan, South Korea, London, Copenhagen, Zurich, and Basel.

"Lectures, Exhibitions, Symposia: UTSOA Fall 2025" written in black over intersecting pink lines

Announcing "Planetary Imaginaries"

August 22, 2025

The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture presents Planetary Imaginaries: an expansive series of public engagements for the Fall 2025 semester starting on September 5. Invited architects, landscape architects, planners, and historians continue the school’s legacy of intentional rooted practice through critical conversations that respond to the increasingly urgent conditions of each field.

2024-2025 Design Excellence Winners

August 15, 2025

Design Excellence awardees represent an exceptional level of accomplishment across our design disciplines.

UTSOA Fall 2025 Visiting and New Faculty

Announcing New Faculty Members & Visiting Professors

July 24, 2025

UTSOA is proud to welcome new and visiting faculty members to the school this fall. With unique insight in the fields of Architecture, Interior Design, and Planning, these scholars and practitioners will bring invaluable new perspectives.

Custom loft of the Lawnmont Residence by 3 Fold Design Studio

Faculty Studio Spotlight: Allison Gaskins and 3 Fold Design

July 8, 2025

We're kicking off a new series to highlight the professional work of our faculty, beginning with Interior Design Assistant Professor of Practice Allison Gaskins and her firm: 3 Fold Design Studio.

Valerie Balderas Wins University-Wide Bookshelf Design Competition for Office of the Dean of Students

May 29, 2025

Once renovations are complete, students can visit Valerie’s Cactus Yearbook Bookshelf in the Office of the Dean of Students.

Kotchakorn Voraakhom addresses the UT Austin School of Architecture Graduates

Kotchakorn Voraakhom Urges Graduates to Become the “Compassion Generation”

May 12, 2025

At the School of Architecture's 112th commencement ceremony, we celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2025.

A student presenting work during final reviews with a large architecture model in the foreground.

Spring 2025 Final Review Guest Critics

April 21, 2025

Academics and practitioners from across the country join The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture for our Spring 2025 final reviews, taking place Wednesday, April 23 - Friday, April 25.

Interior Provocations: WEATHER

March 27, 2025

Featuring boundary-expanding presentations, the Interior Provocations symposium, held on November 7, 2025, looks to further the scholarship of the expanding fields of Interior Design and Interior Design History through mutual collaboration and exchange.

UTSOA Lectures and Exhibitions Spring 2025 poster

Spring 2025 Public Programming

January 17, 2025

The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture’s Spring 2025 Lecture Series aims to create and explore discourse on critical topics within the study and practice of architecture, design, planning and the built environment.

Student presenting final work to reviewers

Fall 2024 Visiting Reviewers

November 25, 2024

Practitioners and academics from across the country join The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture for our Fall 2024 final reviews, Wednesday, Dec. 4 – Friday, Dec. 6.

Perforated steel art installation in the daytime

Design Faculty Art Installation Lights Up Austin’s 2024 Creek Show

November 13, 2024

Associate Professor of Architecture Kory Bieg and Associate Professor of Interior Design Clay Odom collaborate on their newest public art installation, Alluvial, commissioned for the tenth anniversary Creek Show on Nov. 8–16.

Faculty, Alumni, and University Win 2024 Preservation Austin Awards

October 24, 2024

Assistant Professor Tara Dudley, Lecturer Mark Wolfe, and the Hogg Memorial Auditorium Renovation received awards from Preservation Austin for their efforts to build community and enhance historic spaces across Austin.

Accepting Applications for Assistant Professor of Interior Design

October 18, 2024

The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture invites applications and nominations for a full-time, nine-month, tenure-track faculty position in Interior Design at the rank of Assistant Professor with the appointment starting in the fall of 2025.

Fall 2024 Public Programming

August 22, 2024

The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture’s Fall 2024 Lecture Series builds on the school’s ongoing exploration of issues vital to the study and practice of architecture, design, and the built environment.

Pollinator Lounge structure seen in the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens in early evening

Interior Design Students Create Insect Habitats

June 26, 2024

Part of a larger art installation designed by Nerea Feliz and her collaborator Joyce Hwang, the habitats will be on display at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden through October 20.

Rendering of a senior living faculty interior with people engaging around a swimming pool.

Interior Design Student Wins National Portfolio Competition

May 24, 2024

The American Society of Interior Designers recognizes Master of Interior Design student Winnie Lin for excellence in design, concept and execution.

2023-2024 Design Excellence Winners

May 21, 2024

Design Excellence awardees represent an exceptional level of accomplishment across our design disciplines.

Faculty wearing regalia on stage at commencement

Congratulations to the Class of 2024

May 13, 2024

At the School of Architecture's 111th commencement ceremony, we celebrate the accomplishments of this year's graduating class. What starts here changes the world!

Three interior design students in the Goldsmith Courtyard

Metropolis Future 100

April 24, 2024

For the fourth consecutive year, Metropolis Magazine recognizes several interior design students with the prestigious Future 100 designation.

Students presenting during final reviews.

Spring 2024 Visiting Reviewers

April 16, 2024

Practitioners and academics from across the country join The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture for our Spring 2024 final reviews, Wednesday, April 24 – Friday, April 26.

Several color geometric ceramic pieces of art by Claudia Wieser against a white backdrop

Workshop and lecture with Claudia Wieser

March 21, 2024

The Berlin-based artist Claudia Wieser joins the Interior Design program at The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture for a week-long workshop and a public lecture on Wednesday, March 27.

Lauren Rottet stands against a red background with pom-pom garlands draped over her body

Donor Profile: Lauren Rottet, FAIA, FIIDA

November 20, 2023

School of Architecture alumna and Founding Principal of Rottet Studio, Lauren Rottet, gives back to the place where it all began through an endowed Texas Challenge Scholarship. This article originally appeared in the 2023-2024 issue of Platform "Civics and Placemaking."

Multispecies Lounge

November 20, 2023

Multispecies Lounge was created by Associate Professor Nerea Feliz and Joyce Hwang, of the University at Buffalo, through their artistic practice Double Happiness. The temporary piece was part of an exhibition by The Bentway offering a series of installations, performances, conversations, and events that considered how urban nature and the built environment can co-exist in new ways to improve public spaces in the city. This article originally appeared in the 2023-2024 edition of Platform, “Civics and Placemaking."

Plume

November 20, 2023

Plume is part of an ongoing design and research collaboration between associate professors Kory Bieg and Clay Odom. Their focus lies in translating digitally conceived prototypes into permanent, site-specific architectural works that dynamically interact with and impact urban contexts. This article originally appeared in the 2023-2024 issue of Platform, "Civics and Placemaking."

Michelle Boyoung Huh, MID II '21

October 27, 2023

Meet Master of Interior Design Post-Professional (MID II) alumna Michelle Boyoung Huh.

Several children climbing on and interacting with a vibrantly colored set of arches at the Wildflower Center's Fortlandia

Monkey Bar Fort on Display at Fortlandia

October 20, 2023

Assistant Professor Ria Bravo’s design for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Fortlandia pays homage to the classic playground staple: monkey bars.

Wide angle view of the Multispecies Lounge project in front of buildings in Toronto

Multispecies Lounge On Display in Toronto

September 11, 2023

Associate Professor Nerea Feliz designed, in collaboration with Joyce Hwang, a series of urban furnishings for The Bentway that invite interspecies encounters with urban wildlife.

Interior design students gather in a dark red-lit room with Jorge Pardo to display their illuminated creations

Students Explore Craft and Plurality with Artist Jorge Pardo

July 17, 2023

Pardo engaged interior design students in a hands-on workshop exploring the MacArthur Fellow’s approach to craft and his perspective on the relationship between fine art, design, and architecture.

A student working on her experimental furniture piece in Jonathon Anderson's studio

Making as a Form of Critical Thinking

June 22, 2023

Interior design students embrace failure and digital technologies in visiting professor Jonathon Anderson’s Spring 2023 advanced studio.

Two Alums Named to Texas Exes’ Longhorn 100

May 19, 2023

Allison Brooks (B.Arch '00) and Michael Hsu (B.Arch '93) own two of the fastest-growing Longhorn-led businesses in the world.

Four Metropolis Future100 winners posing together outside the School of Architecture's Goldsmith Hall

Four Interior Design Students Selected for Metropolis Future100

April 26, 2023

For the third year in a row, interior design students from the UT School of Architecture have been named to Metropolis Magazine’s Future100, which recognizes the top graduating architecture and interior design students in North America.

Celebrate Earth Day 2023

April 20, 2023

A sampling of work from across the School of Architecture related to sustainability, our impact on the Earth, and how our disciplines can help build a better future.

View of the UT Tower in front of bright blue skies and buttery clouds

Students Recognized at UT Honors Day

April 6, 2023

Forty-four of the School of Architecture’s highest achieving undergraduate students will be celebrated on Saturday, April 15 at the university’s 75th annual Honors Day

Symposium stakes out initial signposts for architecture’s future with artificial intelligence

March 13, 2023

The Architect's Newspaper recaps the school's "Architecture After AI" symposium and exhibition, organized by Kory Bieg, Daniel Koehler, and Clay Odom.

Plume by Clay Odom and Kory Bieg at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport

Digitally Fabricated Public Art by Kory Bieg and Clay Odom

March 10, 2023

Part of the City of Austin’s Art in Public Places program, PLUME is tied firmly to its place at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport while reaching skyward. Interweaving both the digital and the handcrafted, the work evokes the complexity of air travel, the ephemerality of jet contrails, and the intricate iridescence of grackle feathers.

Renowned artist Jorge Pardo visits campus

March 7, 2023

Join the school for Pardo's public lecture on Wednesday, March 29, part of a larger week-long engagement with interior design students.

A row of students seen interacting with employers at 2023 Career Fair

What Starts Here: Highlights from Career Fair

February 10, 2023

Hundreds of students, employers, and alumni build connections as students explore internship and employment opportunities at the 2023 Career Fair

Spring 2023 Visiting Faculty

January 18, 2023

Joining us are Dwayne Oyler and Jenny Wu, Alex Schweder, Jonathon Anderson, and Dr. Nelly Robles Garcia.

Meet Assistant Professor Ria Bravo

September 22, 2022

An interior and architectural designer with experience in academia and at world-renowned architecture firms, Bravo’s research interests are rooted in the space between interiors and architecture.

Three headshots in a row. From left to right, Ria Bravo, Charles Davis, Tyler Swingle

Welcoming New Faculty Members

August 18, 2022

New faculty include Assistant Professor of Interior Design Ria Bravo; tenured Associate Professor and architectural historian Charles L. Davis; and our 2022-24 Emerging Scholar Tyler Swingle

Black and white photo of students looking up at a material sample that someone is holding up to an overhead light

Interior Design Program, Materials Lab awarded $60,000 Angelo Donghia Foundation Grant

August 10, 2022

The grant will help overhaul how interior design students learn about materials and materiality, as well as reframe the Materials Lab’s existing collection through the lens of circularity, embodied carbon, health, and social equity.

Siddiqui Receives IIDA Educator of the Year Award

June 2, 2022

Awarded annually, IIDA’s Educator of the Year Award recognizes and celebrates a full-time design educator for outstanding accomplishments and a commitment to interior design education. IIDA will recognize Siddiqui during the organization’s annual meeting

Students pose with Kelly Wearstler on the 5th floor of the West Mall Building

Designer Kelly Wearstler Mentors and Supports UTSOA Interior Design Students

April 20, 2022

The Kelly Wearstler Endowed Fund for Design Students will create new opportunities for students to expand their global perspective, seek new opportunities in the industry, and better prepare them for their careers.

Shadows from large oak trees are seen on the ground in front of Sutton Hall

Celebrate Earth Day 2022

April 19, 2022

This Earth Day, we’ve rounded up a sampling of scholarship and resources from across the School of Architecture that not only explores our relationship to Earth and the built environment but also how we can help build a better future for our planet.

Group photo of UTSOA's Metropolis Future 100 in front of the ODNA wall

Five Interior Design Students Named to Metropolis’ Future 100

April 7, 2022

Only 50 interior design students were selected for the exclusive list out of nearly 300 submissions from schools across the United States and Canada

New Gift Supports Craft and Artisanship in Interior Environments

March 23, 2022

The Emily Summers Fund for Craft & Artisanship in Interior Design will bring in recognized leaders and emerging voices in the fields of applied arts and design to explore craft, making, and fabrication as areas with profound potential for innovation.

Tara Dudley standing in a cemetery talking animatedly

Q&A with Dr. Tara Dudley

February 22, 2022

To celebrate Dr. Tara Dudley's appointment as a full-time faculty member, we sat down with her to discuss her background and professional trajectory and learn more about her current and future research projects

Laurence S. Rockefeller Preserve Center in Jackson Hole, WY

Reimagining the Interiority of Our National Parks with Lysa Janssen’s Advanced Studio

November 9, 2021

Interior design students travel to Wyoming to consider the relationships between interiors and exterior spaces, as well as organic and inorganic spatial features, through the lens of our nation’s national park system.

Master of Interior Design CIDA Accreditation Exhibit

Master of Interior Design Receives Full Accreditation

November 3, 2021

The School of Architecture’s three-year Master of Interior Design becomes the only CIDA-accredited professional interior design graduate program in the state of Texas.

Nerea Feliz taking a break from working on a design project in a messy studio room

Q&A with Nerea Feliz, Interior Design Associate Professor

October 1, 2021

To celebrate Associate Professor Nerea Feliz's recent promotion, we caught up with her to learn more about her background, interests and her views on the field of interior design.

Black and white headshots of three faculty members combined into one image

Congratulations to our Newly Promoted Faculty Members

October 1, 2021

The UT School of Architecture is pleased to announce three new faculty promotions effective September 1, 2021.

Four students of different genders and races gather around a table to collaborate over post it notes

New Stackable, Transcriptable Graduate Certificates Available Fall 2021

July 13, 2021

Certificate Topics include Social and Environmental Equity Design, Digital Technologies, Sustainable Design, and More

Boards from the Chamber of Visibility project

Students Recognized in SHELTER Design Competition

May 27, 2021

Interior design students receive Honorable Mentions in "Shelter: Design With a Hurricane Shell" competition.

BSID Student Xie Maggie Hill Awarded Metropolis Magazine Future 100

April 1, 2021

Q&A with Bachelor of Interior Design student Xie Maggie Hill, named to Metropolis Magazine's inaugural Future 100 list.

Q&A with Five Young Faculty Produced by UTSOA's Master of Interior Design Program

September 8, 2020

With students across the country returning to classes this fall, we caught up with five recent graduates of the Master of Interior Design (MID) program who are now young faculty members at other universities’ Interior Design programs.

Q&A with Georges Fares

September 4, 2020

Q&A with Master of Interior Design alumnus Georges Fares

Q&A with Cory Olsen

September 4, 2020

Q&A with Master of Interior Design alumnus Cory Olsen

Q&A with Elise King

September 4, 2020

Q&A with Master of Interior Design alumna Elise King

Q&A with Kendra Ordia

September 4, 2020

Q&A with Master of Interior Design alumna Kendra Locklear Orida

Q&A with Marjan Miri

September 4, 2020

Q&A with Master of Interior Design alumna Marjan Miri

Stack of copies of ISSUE XVI against a white backdrop with the orange spines prominent

ISSUE XVI Awarded the Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals

August 21, 2020

ISSUE XVI receives AIA New York’s Center for Architecture’s 2020 Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals.

Rendering of students Bug Filter lenses installed on hempcrete furniture bases, with all types of people dancing, engaging, and gathering around them

Bug Filter Design Studio Explores Fascinating World of Insect Vision

April 17, 2020

Bug Filter will debut a new video presenting a look though a series of 15 digitally conceived, insect-inspired filters.

Nerea Feliz engaging with a student during their final review presentation in Fall 2019

Two Interior Design Faculty Recognized by Interior Design Educators Council

April 13, 2020

Join us in congratulating our faculty on their well-deserved recognition.

Students sitting across tables from employers in a well-lit and welcoming hallway in the WMB

Our Students Get Hired

March 28, 2020

Three of our design disciplines are ranked as among the “Most Hired From” programs in the country within our size group: Architecture at #1, Interior Design at #3, and Landscape Architecture at #4.

Three University of Texas at Austin interior design students smiling at the camera with their hands in the hook 'em symbol in front of a purple stage backdrop

Three Students Selected as Finalists in ASID’s National Student Portfolio Competition

February 28, 2020

They were among only thirteen selected out of more than 200 submissions.

A group of faculty smiling and looking up at the camera with their hands in the "hook em" symbol

Two UTSOA Faculty Receive Associate Professor Experimental Funding to Support Interdisciplinary Research

February 14, 2020

Of the twelve proposals submitted, only six were approved for funding, two of which involve faculty from the School of Architecture:

Student engaging with reviewers during architecture final review

2019-2020 Rankings: Three Programs Within Top Five

January 10, 2020

We are committed to preparing our students for life outside our halls – and we recently got the rankings to prove it.

Hidden in Plain Sight on display in Madrid until October 6th

September 20, 2019

The project seeks to make visible the under-acknowledged world of non-human species – particularly insects – as active participants of urban life

Interior Design Student Baxter Estes Awarded Prestigious Angelo Donghia Senior Scholarship in Interior Design

September 9, 2019

Estes’ project is a conceptual bookstore that takes occupants on a voyage to worlds and times beyond,

Two Interior Design Students Recognized at 2019 International Interior Design Association's annual Texas Oklahoma Chapter Student Show

September 9, 2019

The finalists presented their projects to a panel of Austin’s leading design professionals at an event that also included mock interviews, portfolio reviews, and a panel discussion.