DI Instructor News

Instructor and ASID Student Chapter Advisor, Anne Kellett. recently won a design competition for a cat habitat at the San Diego Humane Society. She says, "The primary goal of any interior design project is to meet the needs of the client. To do so in an aesthetically pleasing way while, at the same time, protecting their health, safety and welfare. This project had 3 clients: The cats, the staff and the public."

What is more mesmerizing to a cat than a fish tank? Hours of tantalizing speculation on how to get the fish! Amusement of the humans watching their attempts. A real aquarium would, of course, be impractical SO, instead, the entire back wall of the main living room space has been transformed into an oversized "virtual aquarium". A media room extraordinaire.

A wall-to-wall water mural frames a LARGE flat plasma TV showing a real underwater video. Four custom-made "seaweed cat towers" provide vertical living spaces and access to a catwalk that continues around the space. The towers are faced with clear colored Plexiglas in seaweed shapes and color.

Several other vertical cat habitats, a sisal covered climbing pole and access to wall perches and the catwalk complete the Living Room.

Research-Inspired Design: A Step-by-Step Guide for Interior Designers
by Lily Robinson, Alexandra T. Parman

DI Instructor and architect, Lily Robinson, has written a textbook due out this fall. It is primarily to accompany studio courses such as IDV and Senior Project. This textbook/workbook prepares interior design students to understand how to change their professional practice from a project-based activity to a knowledge-based activity, providing them with the tools and skills needed for the independent research analysis and critical thinking that is expected of them on design projects.

Available online November 20, 2009 at amazon.com published by Fairchild Books, a division of Conde Nast.

Congratulations to Instructor and DI Grad, Ron Neumond, who recently passed the NCIDQ exam!