University of California San Diego (UCSD) Showcases Dormitory Room Designs by Design Institute of San Diego (DISD) Interior Design Students

"We had six teams of interior design students develop their ideas and concepts about what they vision a fully furnished student apartment could be, and now have awarded the six teams the opportunity to actually implement each of their designs in a unit", said Mark Cunningham, Executive Director of Housing, Dining and Hospitality; UCSD. "Sort of like the TV show 'Design on a Dime' where they have to work with the space as presented (no alterations) and use the furniture we provide but after that, it's anything goes... You might think 'what could they do?' Their concept presentations were amazing".

The six student teams, lead by DISD Faculty member and Architect/Interior Designer Lily Robinson, spent the 2009 summer semester developing their design concepts for The Village, a new transfer student dormitory at UCSD. "The benefits to students participating in a 'real world' learning experience are incomparable" explains Margot Blank Doucette, Director of Design Institute of San Diego. "As a college whose primary goal is to prepare students to successfully practice interior design, we are deeply grateful to UCSD for offering this exciting learning opportunity to our students.".

See more photos of the grand opening and who won the attendees' choice award at http://hdh.ucsd.edu/thevillage/whatyoucando.asp