NY11+ Exhibition: ‘Wellness of Interior Design’ with Prestigious New York Interior Design Colleges at Port Authority Midtown Bus Terminal just completed and will be on display again for next year 2024 with a new theme.
New York Eleven Plus (NY11+) – a prominent New York Student Interior Design exhibition held at the Port Authority Midtown Bus Terminal mounted a substantial exhibit in a main thoroughfare, where the work of interior design students were displayed to educate the public on the benefits and potential of studying and practicing interior design. The focus of the exhibit highlighted one of the most relevant issues of our day and entitled: HEALTH+SAFETY+WELFARE=WELLNESS. These representative institutions included Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT SUNY); New York School of Interior Design (NYSID); Parsons The New School (SCE); Pratt Institute; School of Visual Arts (SVA) and Villa Maria College.
NY11+ Reception with Special Programming April 20th 6-8PM, Location: Haworth Showroom 125 Park Avenue Enter on 42nd Street New York, NY 10017. Principal Partners and Design Directors from prestigious Healthcare Institutions and Architectural Interior Design Studios (specializing in Spas/Wellness Hospitality Projects) moderated by Ellen Fisher, NY11+ President and VP for Academic Affairs & Dean (NYSID) New York School of Interior Design, had a very insightful and compelling discussion on the topic of “Wellness Interiors” with Student Representatives from the participating universities. Panelists included:
-Nancie Min, Design Director Clodagh Design
-Laura Constantin, NYS CID Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
-Jonsara Ruth, Design Director Healthy Materials Lab
-Addison Hansen, ASID Student Representative
Leading experts in Healthcare and Hospitality have discussed interior design that prioritizes wellness principles. The designers have been trained in the latest research on the impact of design on mental and physical health and are incorporating these principles into their projects. The wholistic approach includes elements such as natural light, air quality, and ergonomic furniture to promote physical health, as well as incorporating calming colors, textures, and materials to support mental health. The assertion of wholistic design incorporates biophilic design principles, bringing nature indoors with features such as living walls and natural materials. “We believe that interior design has a powerful impact on our well-being,” said Nancie Min, Design Director of Clodagh Designs. “By incorporating wellness principles into our designs, we can create spaces that not only look beautiful but also support our clients’ health and happiness.”
Laura Constantin, NIHD, CHID, CID from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center stated this very important point, “ Wellness and a cancer diagnosis may not seem like a natural fit. However, there may be no more opportune time to address a built environment that balances physical, emotional and cognitive wellbeing than during a cancer journey. Patients arguably are more impacted by the built environment as their physical and emotional well- being is compromised and weakened during treatment. Balanced solutions that solve for patient experience, safety, infection control, physical and emotional recovery are paramount. Patient centric solutions must also address the needs of caregivers to include family members and medical providers. Thoughtful gestures such as messaging at critical points of choice, seating along travel paths, appropriate light levels, sound attenuation, critical adjacencies and travel distances are at the heart of Interior Design for Healthcare.”
All designers need to understand their client’s requirements and goals and incorporate the latest wellness research into their designs. Interior design is part of a growing trend towards wellness-focused design, as more people prioritize their health and well-being in all aspects of their lives.
This year’s NY11+ Exhibit coincided with United Nations World Creativity and Innovation Day. Each student’s project was assessed and selected by their respective college’s curatorial team and was based on the quality of use and needs; the rationality of constructional approach; and the level of innovation in terms of both materials and techniques in relationship with local resources and traditions.
More images from NY11+ April 20th 2023 Panel Discussion – Health, Safety and Welfare = Wellness – All photos credit Kaddy Tsang Photography:
NY11+ was founded by Ruth Lynford in 1997 as an exhibition of work from six New York metropolitan area interior design institutions. Under the auspices of the International Council for Caring Communities (ICCC), a non- governmental agency of the United Nations, students exhibited their work and met with delegates from all over the world, who took back to their native countries the students’ many innovative ideas in interior design. (For more details visit: http://ny11plus.org/board-of-directors.php)