| Partnership for a New Generation of Design Professionals
There I was, surrounded by an enormous room, its multiple intertwining staircases zigzagging from one platform to another, climbing over 100 feet with a 3,000 sq. ft. skylight at the top. No, I was not climbing the staircase in Hogwarts Castle or looking at a painting by M.C. Escher. This was the Great Western Staircase at the center of the New York State Capitol Building, designed by architect Isaac Perry (built 1883 – 1897). This, most captivating of interior environments, invited me to travel across space while invigorating me with new ideas. This was not my first visit to the capitol. Just six years ago, a political science major, I was one of a hundred student interns working in the 2006 legislative session, an assistant in the office of assemblyman Robert P. O'Reilly. And while I lived and worked in Albany, I experienced this magical space daily. This singular interior environment is special to me because it inspired my pursuit of interior design as a career. In our meetings with each assembly member, we corrected their long-held and inaccurate perceptions and worked to persuade them of the importance of the partnership bill. Though the average person doesn't fully understand what a Certified Interior Design professional actually does, its important that lawmakers know that interior designers are expected to have a thorough knowledge of the most current thinking about human health, safety, welfare together with the codes and standards that apply to them, and that we identify, research, and creatively solve problems pertaining to function. On that long day in Albany our grouprior Designer, partnering with a well-respected architecture design firm in New York. I am optimistic about our bill's passage. Together with more proactive involvement from interior design students, emerging professionals, and our community of designers we are working to promote and secure our place as serious contributors to the designed environment. My generation is prepared to practice and support a larger and more invigorated view of our profession. |
Thursday, 7 June 2012
Partnership for a New Generation of Design Professionals
