A Sacramento State student designed a youth center for runaways, which was recently selected as one of the top three entries in the 2009 American Society of Interior Designers Student Design Competition.

This is the first design competition for junior interior design major Amanda Foster, who is entering her second semester in the upper division interior design program with a concentration in architecture.

Foster entered the competition as part of a fall semester project in professor Carolyn Gibbs’ Interior Design Studio 153 class. Although the entire class of 45 students had to create a design, being entered in the competition was optional.

The competition centered on designing the Harbor House Youth Center, which provides housing, food and clothing to runaway youth in Portland, Ore.

The competition included 126 designs submitted by students from colleges primarily on the West Coast and was narrowed down to 12 finalists. Foster placed in the final three with an honorable mention.

“I really didn’t know what to expect and was so excited when I heard the news,” Foster said.

Foster said she chose to do a contemporary wilderness theme to create a fun and unique atmosphere for the youth.

“I love doing eclectic design because it offers more creative freedom,” Foster said.

After the competition, Foster received a letter from the society informing her that her design was thought of very highly by the jury.

“The jury was immediately taken by Ms. Foster’s creativity, well-executed concept and beautifully styled presentation. A combination of durable materials &- both existing and new &- eclectic furnishings, and a lively mix of color celebrate the diverse nature of Harbor House and its users,” according to the letter from the society’s jury.

The students were instructed to design a logo for the youth center and provide a soup and sandwich shop. Foster said her experience with graphic design was a great help to this aspect of the competition. Foster was able to enhance her project to look more visually interesting.

“I try to combine these talents, and my overall design becomes richer and more creative having this background,” Foster said.

Foster said both interior design professors Gibbs and Jim Kenney played a role in her design. Gibbs helped Foster with the initial design concepts and Kenney helped with the visual graphics side of the project.

“They both helped push me to push my design. They’re great teachers and I learned a lot from them and this project,” Foster said.

Foster’s design included an array of rustic furnishings contrasting with more contemporary, kid-friendly decorations. One particular item was an antler head that was spray-painted green in accordance with the youth center’s theme.

“Amanda’s design was both very innovative and very functional,” Gibbs said. “I thought it was a really great mix of thinking about the client and the youths that will be staying at the center.”

Although the end result of Foster’s design has received many great reviews, her dedication to such a long process was also very impressive to Gibbs.

“I made the competition a full semester project, where students did weeks worth of background research which included furniture, organization and runaway youth,” Gibbs said.

After about three weeks of research, the students began to make drafts of their designs. These included floor plans, interior elevations and three dimensional computer models.

“It was a semester of hard work that felt like torture at times with long nights and no sleep,” Foster said. “But in the end it was worth it and I am very proud of my design and my award of honorable mention.”

Gibbs said competitions like these are very important to students because they get to see how they compare to other students nationwide. In addition to comparing their design skills, students are also able to compare Sac State’s interior design program against other schools’ programs.

“It’s a great honor to be recognized by the (interior design) organization,” Foster said. “I’m getting a lot of attention from other competitions, so it’s a great networking and resume tool.”

In attempt to gain experience, Foster plans to graduate next spring and continue her education through internships.

“This career is always changing and advancing in trends, codes and technology. After college I hope to get my foot in the door and land a job,” Foster said.

To see more of Foster’s design, see the society’s newsletter and website at www.asid.org.

Ricky Alejandro can be reached at [email protected].