13 Belgian Creatives Featured at the 2023 SaloneSatellite

Belgium Is Design, a group of the country’s 13 emerging creatives, is among the up-and-coming talent show­cased at this year’s Salone­Satellite in Milan, the Salone del Mobile program laser-focused on the under-35 set. Among the highlights: Marianne De Cock uses lacquered larch for her jaunty Fold stool; Ahokpe + Chatelin encourages circularity with Ku do azò, a hammock made with secondhand sweater yarn; curves delineate Fersasos founder Pauline Vercammen’s Shell light; and childhood games inspired a tapestry by Manuel Leromain. Narcissus by Studio Matta is a polished-steel mirror integrating a shelf and vase. Notadesk’s laid-back lounge chair pairs an ash frame with a recycled-cotton sling seat. Playful Piédestal 1 by Tim Somers mixes wood species, and textile artist Emma Terweduwe contributes Gradient, a reversible felted rug that’s endearingly wonky. We love, too, how the mirrored top of Joe Sterck’s Speculum table separates from its base to become a stand-alone art piece.

Meet the 2023 Gensler Brinkmann Scholarship Recipients

Emerging designers have an exciting opportunity to make a difference. But with post-pandemic shifts reverberating across the A&D industry’s sectors, sourcing and supply chain issues, and a long overdue responsibility to craft more sustainable and inclusive spaces, they need to be able to rise to the occasion. These four outstanding students, recipients of the 2023 Gensler Brinkmann Scholarship, represent new talent primed to make a positive impact. 

The Gensler Brinkmann Scholarship is an annual program celebrating design excellence and innovative thinking. The scholarship, established in 1999 as a memorial to former Gensler principal Donald G. Brinkmann, honors those who continue Brinkmann’s legacy of outstanding design vision and leadership. To mark the 25th anniversary of his passing, Robin Klehr Avia, regional managing principal of Gensler’s Northeast Region, brought together a jury of Don Brinkmann Award winners—an internal award bestowed annually to staff members whose talent, leadership, and vision deserve special recognition—to review this year’s submissions. Chaired by Avia, the 2023 jury included Brian Vitale (2022), Jeff Barber (2020), Susana Covarrubias (2019), EJ Lee (2018), James Young (2017), Philippe Pare (2016), David Epstein (2014), Carlos Martinez (2011), Collin Burry (2008), Mark Morton (2006), and John Bricker (2002).

“Don’s legacy within Gensler, and the design community at large, is unparalleled. [W]e couldn’t think of a better way to enrich the program than by having our past Brinkmann Award winners select this year’s scholarship and mentorship recipients,” Avia said in a company statement.

Meet the students the jury selected below, each receiving $5,000 in scholarships.

The Recipients of the 2023 Gensler Brinkmann Scholarship

Up and Coming Talent Ensures an Industry in Good Hands

All recipients represent the high degree of talent among the next generation of designers. “Jason, Meixi, Henry, and Peter are talented young designers whose work and innovative processes reflect the creative thinking and artistry of Don’s pioneering work,” says Avia. “We are thrilled to support their development through the Brinkmann Scholarship.” With the support of leading firms like Gensler, raw talent, and the critical thinking skills evident in their work, these scholars are sure to rise to the design challenges of today—and tomorrow.

Cooper Hewitt Announces 2021 National Design Awards Winners

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum announced the winners of the 2021 National Design Awards this week, honoring innovations across nine categories from digital design to fashion. First established in 2000 by the White House Millennium Council, the National Design Awards spotlight the diverse range of talent in the industry, building on its decades-long vision.   

“The 2021 National Design Award winners challenge the boundaries of their fields—from community and future-focused to socially responsible design,” Ruki Neuhold-Ravikumar, interim director of the museum, said in a statement. “These designers fill us with an optimism for the future by demonstrating the transformative capacity of design.”

Up next, Cooper Hewitt will kick off its National Design Month in October to further celebrate this year’s winners. Programming includes virtual and in-person events such as talks, tours, workshops, and short films. Organizations around the country working to advance access to design also will be recognized during the festivities.

“Our philosophy is that design matters all the time,” says Carol Ross Barney, founder and design principal of her namesake firm, which won the 2021 Architecture and Interior Design Award. “Through the National Design Awards program, Cooper Hewitt strives to make people aware of the importance and impact of design on daily life. It is amazing to have our work recognized with this award.”

Jury members for the 2021 National Design Awards included: Kofi Boone, professor at North Carolina State University; Billy Fleming, Wilks Family Director at the McHarg Center, University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design; Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb; Kristine Johnson, co-founder and chief design strategist at Cognition Studio; Grace Jun, assistant professor of graphic design at University of Georgia and CEO of Open Style Lab; and Patricia Saldaña Natke, principal at Urban Works Ltd.

Explore work by the nine winning designers below.

Digital Design: Behnaz Farahi

Architecture and Interior Design: Ross Barney Architects

Climate Action: InVert Self-Shading Window by Doris Sung

Emerging Designer: Colloqate Design

Fashion Design: Becca McCharen-Tran

Communication Design: Imaginary Forces

Landscape Architecture: Studio-MLA

Product Design: BioLite

Design Visionary: Cheryl D. Miller

To register for programs and learn more, visit: www.cooperhewitt.org/Awards.