We are excited to celebrate our students and the Interior Design Industry.
We hope you will join us during this special time of the year!
Capstone Project Display
Come and visit the NDSU Interior Design Senior Showcase exhibit in the NDSU Memorial Union Prairie Rose room from 9am-4pm April 20th – 24th and see the projects the students have been working on with their senior project teammates. We hope you will be able to join us this week as we celebrate our students and their hard work!
Panel Discussion
Tuesday, April 20
12-1pm
Ballroom, NDSU Memorial Union
Join us as we delve into the evolving landscape of the design industry and explore the innovations driving its advancement. Our diverse panel of experts, each offering unique perspectives and experiences, will provide a dynamic and engaging discussion on the future of design.
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Our panel includes NDSU Alumni: Paige Breidenbach, Morgan Card, Haley Kaspari, Sarah Randall-Gildemaster, Leah Vikander. Cultivating the next generation, this unique opportunity enables students to gain invaluable insights, connect with industry leaders, and develop the skills necessary for innovation in an ever-evolving field. The panel discussion will take place in the NDSU Memorial Union Ballroom on Monday April 20th from 12:00-1:00pm.
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SPARK NDSU Charette
Tuesday, April 21st
5:00-7:30pm
Katherine Kilbourne Family Life Center (FLC) Room 116
This event is aimed at bringing interior design students and professionals together for networking and creative inspiration. The SPARK NDSU Charette will be held in the Katherine Kilbourne Family Life Center (FLC) Room 116 on Tuesday April 21st from 5:00-7:30pm.
Capstone Project Presentations
Friday, April 24
Presentations Starting at 9am
NDSU Memorial Union Anishinaabe Theater
We will conclude Fargo Design Week with the Interior Design Senior Capstone Project Team Presentations on Friday, April 24th. These presentations will be available via zoom (See link below) and all are welcome to join us in the NDSU Memorial Union Anishinaabe Theater, see project teams and presentation times below.
Team: Bri Bluiett, Mia Lucido, and Victoria Mitchell
Project: Unity Hall, NDSU
Presentation Time: 9:00am on Friday, April 24th
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Project Background
Many college students have experienced some form of violence or trauma throughout their lives. Unity Hall is a counseling and recovery space located on the North Dakota State University campus in Fargo, ND. It’s mission is to provide a safe and supportive environment where students can stay, study, gather, and receive professional help. By offering these resources, Unity Hall strengthens the sense of community on campus and promotes overall student well-being.
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Our design solutions will address the need for trauma-informed, inclusive environments that support health, safety, and well-being on university campuses. Because this issue spans physical safety, mental health, cultural belonging, and academic success, we analyzed these relationships and made recommendations that promote both immediate comfort and long-term resilience. The project examines how design influences human interaction, technology use and interdisciplinary collaboration, assessing options based on human needs and behavior with attention to cultural and social factors. Technology is incorporated to improve performance, accessibility, and safety, guided by frameworks such as trauma-informed universal design.
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Drawing on fields like psychology, counseling, public health, and sustainability, we have developed a comprehensive solution. Our methodology includes a literature review, best-practice analysis, and user research to understand student needs. This process informs clear project goals and demonstrates the application of current research to the programming and design phases.
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Project Description
Unity Hall is a two-story counseling and therapy center located on the North Dakota State University Campus. Its purpose is to support student wellbeing and create a safe environment where students can come to seek mental health support, study and hang out in community areas, or stay for a period of time if needed.
Vision Made Better Interiors is responsible for designing the first and second floor of Unity Hall which will be located in the NDSU Alumni Center. This building is 30,520 SF and will hold 488 persons. There will be a variety of users within this space. In regard to staff, the main individuals who will support the functionality of the building will be the Director, Manager, Maintenance Supervisor, Wellness Coordinator, and Café Manager. The first level of Unity Hall will include community spaces such as a café, game room, lounges, study rooms, fitness studio, and spa. The second floor will be dedicated to private spaces, including counseling offices and apartment units designed for short-term accommodation for students facing challenges during their time at NDSU.
Team: Tori Guenin, Kasey Utke, and Emma Dahl
Project: Mountains Edge
Presentation Time: 9:45am on Friday, April 24th
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Project Background
Mountains Edge Apartments is designed to create a welcoming, luxury apartment community that feels affordable, comfortable, and connected to the outdoors. The purpose of this project is to show how interior design can support wellness, encourage community, and make everyday living feel more like a retreat.
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Today, many people spend most of their time indoors and disconnected from nature and each other. Our team wanted to design a residential environment that addresses that by blending luxury with natural elements and community-driven spaces. Mountains Edge Apartments is inspired by the landscape of Whitefish, Montana, and focuses on improving mental well-being through design.
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To prepare for this project, we toured luxury apartments in Fargo, spoke with property owners, and researched how biophilic and trauma-informed design strategies can improve comfort and mental health. From this, we formed a design direction centered around nature, wellness, and high-quality—but still accessible—living. Our goal is to create a space where residents feel safe, comfortable, and connected—to their surroundings, to each other, and to themselves.
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Project Description
This project reimagines a 106,812-square-foot residential apartment building with a mix of one-, two-, and three-bed units. The building includes a variety of amenity spaces designed to support wellness and community, such as lounges, fitness area, pool/sauna, and pet-friendly spaces.
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Special Use & Amenity Spaces Include:
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Lobby & secure entry vestibule
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Community lounge
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Fitness and wellness spaces
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Coffee bar
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Sauna/pool
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Pet relief room & pet daycare
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Maintenance apartment
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Gender-neutral restroom
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Outdoor gathering / patio areas
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Circulation, corridors, and support spaces
The design blends natural materials, warm lighting, and intentional spatial flow to create a peaceful, mountain-inspired environment.
Team: Ella Gustafson, Mabel Simpson, and Alexandra Tihanyi
Project: Hotel Elevare
Presentation Time: 10:45am on Friday, April 24th
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Project Background
This project responds to the evolving nature of business travel, where the focus has expanded beyond traditional accommodations to consider how professionals live while traveling. Additionally, hotels must now serve users whose needs overlap between concentrated work, meaningful social interaction, and personal well-being during travel.
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Hotel Elevare is a 6-story hospitality concept created to challenge the limitations of conventional business travel hotels. This project centers on understanding how professionals truly work, connect, and maintain personal balance while traveling for their careers. The insights gathered are being translated into a more intentional and functional hospitality model, with the goal of producing a concept shaped by real user needs.
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To guide the design approach, our team completed research analyzing coworking spaces, remote work travel behavior, third-place environments, guest well-being, sensory hotel experience, and sustainable accessible hospitality strategies. Additional preparation included site visits, interviews, website reviews, and survey input. Included in the scope is the design for Levels 1 through 3, which contains shared amenities and guest rooms on floors 2 and 3. The remaining three floors stay in our narrative as guest rooms that will carry the same design intent, even as the floor plate narrows on Levels 4 through 6.
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Project Description
Level 1 of Hotel Elevare encompasses approximately 30,900 SF and establishes the hotel’s primary public environment. The lobby and restaurant are positioned in close proximity to create a smooth arrival-to-dining experience. The ballroom and its dedicated storage area are located adjacent to the lobby, providing a nice transition for guests to socialize as they make their way into the ballroom. Additional back-of-house spaces are strategically placed to increase staff efficiency and improve guest experience. Together, this level functions as the core of public activity, food service, and event operations while maintaining strong adjacencies between guest amenities and staff support areas.
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Level 2 of Hotel Elevare includes approximately 24,899 SF and blends workplace and hospitality functions. The business center, approximately 13,399 SF, positioned directly adjacent to the main stair and elevator bank for efficient wayfinding. The building’s L-shaped layout dedicates the long wing to all hotel guestrooms, which occupy approximately 11,500 SF and are organized along a double-loaded corridor to maximize space efficiency. This includes a mix of full, king, and suite guestrooms. Together, these areas create a cohesive level supporting both business activity and guest accommodations.
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Level 3 of Hotel Elevare includes approximately 18,996 SF and combines wellness amenities with guestrooms. The fitness and recovery centers, totaling approximately 2,025 SF, are located along the shorter wing of the building in proximity to the pool deck. Guestrooms occupy approximately 11,500 SF and follow the same double-loaded corridor configuration as Level 2, providing efficient circulation while maintaining adjacency to back-of-house areas.
Team: Megan Fliehs, Reilly Jorud, Maggie Opatril, and Nyla Teigen
Project: Summit Rising
Presentation Time: 11:15am on Friday, April 24th
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Project Background
Summit Rising will be a multi-use building offering an all-inclusive retreat for corporate companies with a focus on collaboration, inclusivity, and positive wellbeing. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, corporate workers have lost the aspect of team bonding and corporate collaboration. However, research has shown that social interaction with others cannot only positively affect people mentally but also physically (Martino et al., 2015). The interior design process is crucial for designing a building with various amenities to create a space for corporate workers and other hotel guests that will encourage socialization and a sense of community. By emphasizing inclusivity, security, and an Avant-garde aesthetic, Summit Rising will unite individuals through bold design and shared experiences. Extensive research and sampling will shape an evidence-based solution, culminating in detailed construction documents and presentation materials. Ultimately, Summit Rising aims to uplift corporate workers and the community through amenities and opportunities that strengthen collaborative wellbeing.
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Through focused research, our interior design team will create Summit Rising, a project centered on social interaction, community, and overall wellbeing. Guided by studies on mental and physical health, biophilia, inclusivity, safety, universal design, and ADA standards, we will design a space that supports users at both macro and micro levels. Broadly, the environment will bring people together, boost productivity, and foster collaboration; more intimately, it will offer specific areas that help individuals feel connected and supported.
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Project Description
Summit Rising, located in the heart of Boise, Idaho, is a multi-use building designed to promote collaboration and socialization among corporate workers and the surrounding community. This corporate retreat will be created for companies to spend time away from work to encourage more productivity and community among their employees. In all, each level averages 13,000 square feet, with the exception of the eighth level having 8,200 interior square feet.
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There are three main sectors of the building in which we will be designing which includes the vendor market and bistro, hotel rooms, and event and collaboration spaces. The vendor market and bistro will be located on the main level so both hotel guests and the public have access to the local vendors’ stores. The hotel check-in will be located on the first level as well and the hotel rooms will be located on levels three through seven for guests to enjoy themselves and relax while staying at Summit Rising. To provide a full view of the hotel rooms, a typical for a double queen, king, and suite will be designed.
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The event and collaboration spaces will expand across both the second and the eighth level with the second level providing open office and collaboration areas and the eighth level providing a large ballroom with a cocktail lounge. The second level will have allocated space for a fitness center for guests to use. Collaboration and event spaces can also be used by the community to host seminars or do every day work when it is not being rented for a corporate company.
Team: Elsa Bainey, Ella Miller, Alayna Moeller, and Kalea Thon
Project: Daytona Palms Hotel & Market
Presentation Time: 1:15am on Friday, April 24th
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Project Background
In a continuously evolving and fast-paced society, it can be challenging for individuals to make time for themselves, where at Daytona Palms Hotel & Market, they put an individual's health and wellbeing at the forefront of their philosophy. An abundance of amenities are provided which is a local boutique shopping center, a museum, a wellness studio, a rooftop garden, and a hotel. This mixed-use building also features an attached parking garage, which enhances the convenience for all locals and travelers. Daytona Palms Hotel & Market is a 10-to-25-minute drive to downtown tourist attractions and historic sites. Whether an individual is looking for a relaxing and immersive getaway, a casual shopping experience, or to have fun, Daytona Palms Hotel & Market is the place to be!
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The design of Daytona Palms Hotel & Market draws inspiration from its location along the shores of Daytona Beach, Florida. Its eclectic and sustainable design reflects the town’s vibrant energy and coastal atmosphere, creating a space that feels both invigorating and relaxing. Modern interior elements, unique lighting fixtures, bright inviting colors, tropical accents, and durable materials have been incorporated throughout to enhance the eclectic design scheme. Principles of space planning, sustainability, user-centered design, and universal design have also be utilized. Every step of the project has been carefully considered to create a space that improves the health and wellbeing of individuals.
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Daytona Palms Hotel & Market focuses on highlighting unique cultures and heritage, and while decreasing one’s carbon footprint. Information gathered from multiple scholarly sources, site visits,an online survey, and interviews with designers and local businesses helped fortify our design philosophy and understand what types of features and design characteristics individuals are attracted to in hotels, restaurants, retail spaces, wellness centers, museums, and rooftop gardens. Overall, these results shaped the conceptual and final design of Daytona Palms Hotel & Market.
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Project Description
The Dillard building is the shell for Daytona Palms, which features approximately 94,364 square feet. With the ground floor offering 17,778 square feet of commercial retail space. With an expansive ceiling height, this space accommodates multiple tenant shops, eateries, and lounges, creating an open-concept destination for guests and visitors. The second floor is 17,098 square feet and features a full wellness studio as well as a museum, to provide visitors with a wide range of services regarding physical and emotional wellbeing. Extending from the second level, the rooftop garden has been redesigned into a luxurious outdoor lounge reinforcing the focus on wellbeing. Levels 3–6, which consist of 14,827 square fee per floor have been converted into hotel rooms and suites, leveraging the large window openings for natural light and views of the Atlantic Ocean. Circulation has been a priority throughout the building to enhance wayfinding, comfort, and privacy. Furthermore, the attached Roberts Commons Garage with 455 stalls is included in the site design.
Team: Madison Cartelli, Alyssa Hall, Mac Mclellan, and Erin Pitmon
Project: Soleil Family Center
Presentation Time: 2:00pm on Friday, April 24th
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Project Background
The Soleil Family Center is an encouraging and safe family centered birth and wellness facility, that provides families with a supportive environment that not only fosters a sense of community but allows families to navigate their birth experiences with an adequate environment and resources to support their journey. The facility will utilize a modern organic, spa-like design approach that focuses on families’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The public spaces will be located on the first floor, consisting of a reception/waiting space, café/health bar, spa, yoga studio, staff lounge and daycare. Circulation and spatial layout will provide intuitive wayfinding for a stress-free environment. In public spaces, warm muted hues of mauve, pink, orange, and green will fill the space with a modern and organic design. These colors will balance warmth and freshness to bring both energy and calm to the space. Combined with wood, stone, organic textures, and natural light, the palette will promote healing, comfort, and emotional connection for all.
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The private spaces will be located on the second floor, consisting of birth classrooms, water birth rooms and birth suites. These rooms will be designed to meet all birthing needs but also provide a more private, home-like environment for individuals. The same warm muted hues and natural textures found on the first floor will be integrated onto the second floor as well, for a cohesive design. These rooms will be designed with adaptable furnishings and acoustic treatments for patient privacy. The use of soft dimmable lighting, soothing colors, and home-like atmosphere will provide a safe, calming, and sense of control for all individuals. Natural materials and large windows will fill the rooms with daylight creating a restorative environment while also having adjustable shading for comfort and privacy. Plants and big windows will be throughout to strengthen the connection to nature and support physical and emotional well-being through natural views and biophilic elements. Soleil Family Center is a warm and welcoming facility where families are able to build connections and focus on their birth wellbeing needs.
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Project Description
As the interior designers of the Soleil Family Center, we will be responsible for creating a prenatal and family wellness center that is nurturing and an environment that supports prenatal and postnatal experiences. The facility will promote mental and physical healing, emotional comfort, and inclusivity for birthing individuals, families, and staff. We will be designing a patient-centered space by incorporating a variety of public community amenity spaces for guests to utilize. Additionally, we will be designing typical spaces for pregnant individuals needing specific resources during their visit. This project is supported by a thorough research process that includes a literature review, field survey and distributed online surveys. The information gathered from this process will be implemented into the final project to create a design solution that is supported by research elements to ensure the Soleil Family Center is thoughtfully designed.
Team: Katie Jensen, Abeera Qarni, and Hope Stein
Project: KORU Wellness
Presentation Time: 2:45pm on Friday, April 24th
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Project Background
KORU Wellness is designed to function as a community wellness center that supports physical, mental, and social well-being. The center will serve adults of all ages, including fitness users, rehabilitation clients, older adults, families, and wellness staff. Tosupport this broad user group, the design will establish clear zones for exercise, recovery, education, and social interaction. It will also incorporate durable materials and comfortable furnishings to create environments that promote relaxation and movement.
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Beyond individual wellness, the project will address social and environmental concerns that influence community health. The facility will serve as a consistent gathering place for people who rely on accessible fitness and wellness services. Clear circulation and wayfinding will be essential so that every user feels supported and secure within the space. Since wellness is an important and growing community need, the design aims to create a center that encourages healthier lifestyles while giving users a sense of belonging.
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This project involves many key considerations such as accessibility, sustainability, flexibility, and inclusivity. Addressing these components ensures that the space can adapt to the needs of different users, whether they are engaging in high-energy workouts or seeking recovery. Our goal is to create a functional and restorative environment that supports community wellness now and in the future.
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Project Description
This project involves the redesign of the North Dakota State University Wallman Wellness Center, a 74,000 square foot recreation and health facility located on the university campus. This redesign will transform the current building into KORU Wellness, a holistic, community-focused wellness center. The reconfigured space will accommodate users and staff, including fitness professionals, administrative personnel, and community members engaged in fitness and wellness activities. Special-use spaces will include fitness studios, training rooms, cardio and strength zones, locker rooms, saunas, childcare, and community learning spaces. The existing interior will be fully gutted to provide a clean structural shell, enabling a new layout that emphasizes daylight, biophilic elements, clear circulation, and sensory comfort. By integrating sustainable materials, upgraded mechanical and lighting systems, and evidence-based design strategies, the project transforms the existing three-story structure into a modern, inclusive, and restorative environment that supports physical, mental, and social well-being (North Dakota State University, 2024; Lichtblau, 2025).
Thank You Sponsors!
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors for their generous support and commitment to making this event a success. Their contributions play a vital role in ensuring a seamless and enriching experience for all attendees.
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
Contact Information
Susan Ray-Degges
Professor/Interior Design Program Coordinator
701.231.7218
susanraydegges@ndsu.edu
