51风流听Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design听student, 鈥� NEXT, one of the most prestigious competitions in the field of interior design听education. This year marks the 13th year of the competition, which saw a record-breaking 1,700 students from 86 programs across the country听participate, supported by 119 professors.听Lilly was supported by Lindsey Buening, full-time faculty听in听Maryville鈥檚 Interior Design Program.听
The Steelcase NEXT competition challenges students to design innovative, human-centered spaces that reflect the evolving needs of work, education, and social environments.听Vezino鈥檚听project stood out among hundreds of submissions for its creativity, functionality, and forward-thinking approach.听
As a Top 5 semifinalist,听Vezino听will travel to the Steelcase headquarters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, this February to present her design to a panel of judges that includes leading designers from top national firms. These judges will select the overall winner of the competition, making this an incredible opportunity for听Vezino听to听showcase听her talent on a national stage.听听
“The Steelcase NEXT project pushed me to explore how thoughtful, human-centered design can shape the way people work, while also being unique and creative. Making it to the Top 5 in the competition is extremely motivating and a great representation of the knowledge I’ve learned from Maryville鈥檚 interior design faculty, Vezino said. “Presenting at Steelcase鈥檚 headquarters in Grand Rapids will be an amazing opportunity to engage with designers in the field and continue growing as a designer myself. I am proud of the work I鈥檝e done and cannot wait to see where this takes me!”
This achievement underscores the strength of Maryville鈥檚 interior design program. All four of Maryville鈥檚 submissions this year advanced to the top 68 (top 4%), with two moving on to the top 29,听with听Vezino听representing听Maryville in the final 5. Remarkably, this marks the听third time in five years听a Maryville student has reached the Top 5, with Elliot Beach winning the competition in 2021.听
鈥淚 am continually impressed by the caliber of work that our students deliver,鈥澨齭ays Kirsten听Kohm, Program Director of Maryville鈥檚 Interior Design Program.听鈥淥ur program听emphasizes听the importance of听developing听research-informed听concepts, design thinking throughout the process,听and听supporting that work听through听studio critiques, both by our faculty and听industry professionals. We are proud of听Lilly and听are excited about the opportunities this competition will afford her.鈥�听
The Steelcase NEXT competition is considered the largest and most competitive design event in higher education. Vezino鈥檚 impressive journey highlights the exceptional talent and dedication of Maryville students and faculty. .听[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]