ASID Names 4 for National Awards

April 8, 2015  by in Designer Weekly   

These awards represent the highest level of excellence in the interior design community and honor those who have made contributions toward the advancement of the profession, while exemplifying a commitment to enhancing the quality of life through the impact of design.

“This year’s recipients play a critical role in the advancement of the interior design profession and the impact design has in our everyday lives, our culture,

and society as a whole,” said Stephanie Clemons, ASID national chair. “The remarkable work represented by these individuals speaks powerfully to the depth and excellence of important design work happening across the country through healthcare design, education and research, environmental design, and workplace design.”

The award winners are: 

Designer of Distinction – Sonya Dufner

Designer of Distinction award recognizes an ASID professional member who exemplifies a commitment to the profession as demonstrated by a significant, high-quality body of work representing excellence in interior design. The award also celebrates the member’s attention to social concerns within the interior design profession, and his or her expression of creative, innovative concepts that have advanced the profession and helped transform lives.

As the director of workplace strategy for Gensler New York, Dufner has a passion for business and technology and its influence on the design community. Whether working with a Fortune 500 client, or with one of her many philanthropic interests, Dufner is focused on helping people build better communities that promote productivity, keep employees happier and healthier, and demonstrate how good design is good business. She is an award winning designer and has been featured in a variety of publications. A frequent speaker and panelist, Dufner takes pride in sharing her knowledge and leadership with students through programs such as Design Ignites Change, an organization that engages students to address pressing social issues in their communities.

Design for Humanity – William D. Browning

The Design for Humanity award celebrates an individual or institution for having significantly contributed to improving the environment for humanity through design-related activities or projects that transform lives, demonstrating a far-reaching effect. The award includes, but is not limited to, environment, health and wellness, universal or barrier-free design, energy conservation, safety, communication, transportation, and technology.

Browning, is a trailblazer in the field of environmental design. He has dedicated much of his professional career to improving the health and well-being of individuals by connecting the natural and built environments. Browning is co-founder of Terrapin Bright Green, a design firm focused on creating high-performance environmental strategies for clients including Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Interface, and Lucasfilm. He is the coauthor of two books on biophilic design, a founding member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Board of Directors, and has served on the Department of Defense’s Science Board Energy Task Force. Most recently, Browning assisted Delos Living on the development of the new WELL Building Standard.

Design Innovation – Wayne Ruga

The Design Innovation award recognizes an individual, organization, manufacturer, or research project for producing a significant and innovative product, project, or body of work. Design Innovation award honorees contribute to interior design by positively impacting human behavior, promoting comfort, efficiency, or communication, and exemplifying a commitment to the profession and to sustainability, health, and wellness, and displaying an overall appreciation for design.

Ruga has devoted his career to innovation in healthcare design, fundamentally reshaping the way knowledge is generated and shared within the field. He is the founder of the Healthcare Facilities Symposium & Expo, The Center for Health Design, and most recently, the CARITAS Project, a program that seeks to transform the future of health and healthcare delivery through the development of strategies and technologies that produce generative environments. With each of these initiatives, Ruga continues to push the boundaries of healthcare design, sharing his discoveries with the design community.

Nancy Vincent McClelland Merit – Lisa Marie Tucker

The Nancy Vincent McClelland Merit award recognizes an individual, organization, manufacturer, or research project that has supported the profession in an outstanding way through education, research, or promotion of the value and impact of interior design.

Tucker is an award-winning educator, designer, and author. Among her proudest accomplishments are the thousands of design students she has nurtured and educated at Virginia Tech, many of whom have gone on to become award winners in their own right. As the school’s interior design program chair, Tucker has developed a robust curriculum around sustainable and socially responsible design. In 2011, she was honored as one of the top 25 most admired design educators by Design Intelligence. A past president of both IDEC and the Virginia Chapter of ASID, Tucker remains a staunch advocate for the profession and for the regulation of interior design.

The ASID National Award winners will be honored at Celebration, the Society’s Annual Gala, July 18 in Boston and featured in the summer issue of ASID ICON magazine.