Purdue Polytechnic Interior Architecture student in Indianapolis Sophie Mariacher has won first place in the 2025 American Society of Interior Design (ASID) Indiana Chapter Student Competition for her thoughtful design of an access center for individuals experiencing housing instability. Olivia Schrink, a fellow Interior Architecture student in Indianapolis, was also a winner for her creative design work in the competition.
Mariacher’s project, which also earned a special recognition for best concept integration, stemmed from a holistic vision of what the space represents: "strength, resilience and renewal." The project was an assignment integrated into the Commercial Interiors II course taught by Emily McLaughlin, Purdue associate interior architecture site director in Indianapolis.
Schrink received an award for the most creative use of Fineline Millwork for her take on the same assignment. Both students were tasked with creating a functional and empathetic space to support a vulnerable community.
"Our assignment involved re-envisioning a shell building located in southern Indianapolis as a conceptual space dedicated to supporting individuals experiencing homelessness," Schrink said. "The proposal was required to integrate resource centers that provide access to essential services, including food, shelter and connections to broader community support networks."
For her award-winning design, Schrink explained that her creative approach was about solving practical problems in addition to creating a cohesive aesthetic vision.
"Using their product I solved design problems like storage and security of lockers, mail boxes and even room separators," she said. "I think my use of creativity stood out to the judges because of the amount of thought I put into the product usage and the overall look that was cohesive with my warm, natural and inviting atmosphere I was aiming to create."
Schrink also credited McLaughlin’s course for developing her ability to communicate a design vision effectively and to approach projects with compassion.
"Creating the idea and project is one thing but being able to translate a design and immerse the viewer into the concept is the main thing," Schrink said. "Along with having McLaughlin in many other courses she has taught me how to put care and empathy into a project."
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