Hillier College Alumni, Student Work Featured in Annual Design Showcase

NJIT's Hillier College of Architecture and Design (HCAD) hosted its Design Showcase, the college's flagship fundraising and networking event, which provides a chance for members of the Hillier College community to connect and discuss the exhibited work done by HCAD's architecture and design students over the past year. This year's event took place in the Jewel Box of One Gateway Center in downtown Newark, a flagship space in Gateway's $50 million investment plan.

Design Showcase also serves as an important philanthropic event, providing benefactors with a rare opportunity to intimately discover how students, faculty and the college are taking advantage of enhancements in curricula and facilities. Previous events have raised funds to support improvements of the fabrication facilities, including animation and 3D print labs, a motion capture studio, a digital fabrication lab featuring a robotic arm and VR technology to enrich interactive design.

"Design Showcase is more than a display of student work - it's a testament to the collaborative spirit and innovative drive that define Hillier College," said Gabrielle Esperdy, dean of HCAD. "Events like this not only highlight what our students are doing in studio; they also embody our faculty's commitment to redefining architectural and design education. And at Design Showcase we share pedagogy and outcomes with our community-and receive critical feedback in return. In a way, it's another example of the iterative process that defines everything we design at HCAD. As ever, we continue to push boundaries and envision a future where design education is both inclusive and forward-thinking."

The showcase celebrated student and alumni accomplishments in undergraduate and graduate architecture, interior design, industrial design and digital design.

The four alumni award honorees were: Dalal Elsheikh '17, who received the Emerging Designer Award; Jonathan A. Ninnis '05 was awarded the Friend of the Hillier College Award; David C. Schulz '92 received the Distinguished Alumni in Leadership Award; and Bryan C. Lee '10 was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Impact Award.

Best in Show

A major component of Design Showcase is the student competition, which awards student projects in both the undergraduate and graduate disciplines within HCAD: architecture, interior design, industrial design and digital design.

Industrial Design - Leah-Marie Boake

"Harmony," a string-art bench created by third-year industrial design student Leah-Marie Boake is inspired by the windows of both the Newark Museum of Art and the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark.

"I think that my bench stood out for its unique design, craft, and attention to detail," said Boake. "The juxtaposition of the lightness of the string art surrounded by the solid wood in each leg adds visual interest and creates harmony in design."

Boake, who has been awarded the Designers of Distinction award for both her freshman and sophomore years at NJIT, has also grown professionally in her current internship. "I am currently interning at EZRED, a lighting and organizational tool design company, and I'm really enjoying my work there. Honestly, I would love a career in any place where I can collaboratively work with others to bring useful and functional product designs to life."

Digital Design - Jessica A. Menjivar

"Video #93" by digital design student Jessica A. Menjivar follows a blogger who makes his 93rd video exploring the abandoned Seven Wonders' Funhouse, where the only way out seems to be shrouded in mazes of doors.

"This was a very unexpected win for me," said Menjivar. "Just being in the showcase already made me very happy, but when I heard I won I was over the moon. I focused a lot on the interactivity and atmosphere of the game which is what I think helped with the win."

Menjivar, who will graduate this May, says that creating this game has influenced her current semester and future as she's making a new game for her thesis and hoping to add some more complexity and improve upon the environment and immersion with the new skills she's been learning.

"I'm very thankful to my peers and instructors as they are guiding me to make an incredible game that as of now has been going very well," she said.

Interior Design - Sheryl R. German

"Oaklyn" by interior design major Sheryl R. German is an urban biophilic hotel that incorporates biomorphic elements, greenery and natural materials such as stone to foster a deep connection with nature. Its design emphasizes wellness through biophilic principles, creating a tranquil and rejuvenating environment.

"I was genuinely surprised and thrilled when I learned that I won because I did not expect it at all," said German. "I am incredibly grateful and proud of myself for this achievement, especially given the amount of hard work I dedicated to the project. In addition, it is incredibly rewarding to see my efforts being appreciated and acknowledged."

She believes that what stood out from her design was the fact that it aligned well with the mission and values of the hotel, particularly through the prominent use of biophilia. The lobby ceiling, in particular, was designed to be a striking feature, contributing to the hotel's unique identity and individuality.

Architecture - Elizabeth Stoganenko

"Four Freedoms Foundation Library" by Elizabeth Stoganenko earned the best in show award for architecture. Centered around the idea of freedom, the building's concept focuses on the different journeys to freedom and how they intersect. This is reflected through the elongated forms of the library rooms and the variety of paths one can take through the building.

"I think what stood out in my project was the renders/perspectives. I spent a good amount of time working on them because I really wanted people to see how it would feel walking through the different spaces," said Stoganenko. "Compared to the last three years of Design Showcases, where I made my section or elevation drawings the largest, I made the perspectives the largest this year and filled the first page with them."

The Four Freedoms Foundation Library stands on Southpoint Park in Roosevelt Island, accessible by the NYC Subway, Ferry, and car. It is located next to important structures, including the Roosevelt Memorial and Smallpox Memorial Hospital, while having beautiful views of the Chrysler, Empire State Building, One Vanderbilt, Freedom Tower, and Queens.

Graduate Architecture - Nirva Patel

Graduate student Nirva Patel took home the award for best graduate architecture design with her work titled "Arts Education and Community Centre."

"Winning this award feels incredibly rewarding and validating. The project was a labor of love, grounded in the idea of merging architecture with community engagement in the vibrant city of Newark," said Patel. "I believe what made my design stand out was the dynamic façade concept-a living canvas that transforms through the movement of people navigating the staircase. This movement animates the building, reflecting the rhythm of the city itself. The integration of studio spaces within the façade not only connects the building to its urban context but also invites interaction, functioning as active ateliers for creativity and public engagement. The design blurs the line between inside and outside, creating an inclusive space where art, movement, and community converge."

This is her first major award she's received in a university-wide competition. "It's especially meaningful because it reflects the culmination of everything I've learned and the values I've developed during my time at NJIT," said Patel. "While I've had work recognized previously, this award feels like a major milestone."