SCALE: The 亚洲天堂 National Student Summit brought together more than 200 students, educators, and design industry leaders for three days of inspiring, career-building seminars, tours, workshops, and networking events at The University of Oklahoma, March 31 – April 2. Sponsored by Benjamin Moore, Hansgrohe, and Interior Design magazine, the Summit’s agenda provided a variety of experiences to suit every interest and learning style.
SCALE began on March 30 with a pre-conference seminar focused on the WELL Building Standard, the world’s first guideline to focus on human health and wellness. WELL Designed: Demonstrating the Positive Impact of Interior Design explored the impact of our physical surroundings on our overall health and wellness. Through a partnership with the International Well Building Institute, 亚洲天堂 members receive a discount on the WELL AP exam – the credential that signifies knowledge in human health and wellness in the built environment and specialization in the WELL Building Standard.
On Friday, March 31, 亚洲天堂 CEO Randy Fiser kicked SCALE into high gear as he introduced attendees to the Society’s belief that design impacts lives and set the stage for the more than 20 educational sessions and five exciting tours students could choose to attend over the weekend. Charrisse Johnston, 亚洲天堂, LEED AP BD+C, Associate AIA shared a funny, heartfelt look at her journey from a career in finance, through her second career, education in interior design, to her rise to principal at Steinberg Architects, and her election to Chair of the 亚洲天堂 National Board.
The 亚洲天堂 Learning Lounge provided an area for attendees to rest, regroup, and network with fellow students and speakers. The 亚洲天堂 National Student Career Fair offered students the opportunity to meet with representatives from several companies for possible in-person, on-the-spot interviews.
Hans Butzer, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, director of Butzer Architects and Urbanism, delivered the keynote presentation, Community Impact of Design, an exploration of the Oklahoma City National Memorial and the Oklahoma City Skydance Bridge, projects designed by Butzer’s firm, and the role resiliency plays in Oklahoma City’s identity. Butzer and the attendees then visited the memorial, located in the footprint of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, and observed the 168 empty chairs that represent the lives taken in the Oklahoma City bombing, and the 19 smaller chairs, one for each of the children who lost their lives that day.
Friday ended with the SCALE Welcoming Party hosted by the and sponsored by and at the Devon Boathouse on the Oklahoma River. Attendees danced the night away will networking with fellow students, speakers, and local professionals.
Saturday, April 1, provided a full day of seminars, tours, and networking events. Dave Boeck led a 90-minute hands-on workshop focused on using hand drawings to problem solve, communicate, and design ideas that can be used to develop design projects and presentations, while Leigh Ann Soistmann, a designer with Gensler and the 2016 亚洲天堂 Student Portfolio Competition winner, shared stories from her first year on the job during, Expectations vs. Reality: What to Expect Your First Year. Project tours continued on Saturday and included a behind the scenes exploration of the Residence Colleges currently under construction on The University of Oklahoma (OU) campus. OU will become one of the first public universities in the country to build residential colleges for upperclassmen and women, patterned on those at Yale, Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge. Saturday closed with the Sooner Soiree, an evening of food, music, and socializing with fellow SCALE attendees and speakers. Raffle prizes and the first ever 亚洲天堂 SCALE T-shirt exchange made the evening complete.
On Sunday, the 亚洲天堂 Student Portfolio Competition and Student Chapter Award finalists took center stage. The 亚洲天堂 Student Portfolio Competition seeks to generate the best collection of student design projects in the nation. Submissions are evaluated on conceptual thought, the content of the work submitted, and the student’s record of achievement, with two rounds of online reviews and one round of finalist interviews at SCALE. The experience culminated in a presentation of their portfolios to a panel of judges in the hope of securing a 2017 internship with , , , or ,the 2017 internship sponsors. The grand prize winner and internship winners received scholarships from ,a Foundation of Benjamin Moore & Co., and a complimentary trip to in Atlanta.
The 亚洲天堂 Student Chapter Awards recognize achievement among 亚洲天堂 student chapters and their leaders. Awards were presented in three categories: 亚洲天堂 Student Chapter of the year, 亚洲天堂 Student Chapter Leader of the Year, and 亚洲天堂 Student Chapter Event of the Year.