The economy may still be questionable these days, but the next generation of interior designers is fearlessly moving forward, full steam ahead. Encouraging this new wave of industry, furniture and textile manufacturer Donghia, Inc. recently awarded its 2009 Angelo Donghia Foundation Senior Scholarship Award to Daniel Park, an incoming BFA senior at the New York School of Interior Design.
As winner of this year’s National Donghia Scholarship Competition, Park will claim a $30,000 gift to help cover the cost of his education, housing, books, and other related materials. Park was selected from this year’s entrants based on a design for an outpatient health-care facility for those coping with incurable diseases. Inspired by a friend living with HIV, the design offers patients a hospitality-like experience, featuring a sky-lighted reception area, a convertible museum for art therapy, a meditation courtyard, and a spa, as well as a research wing.
“What an honor it is to win the National Donghia Scholarship Competition,” said Park. “The New York School of Interior Design and my current internship with Jeffrey Beers International have given me a strong foundation to make my dreams become a reality. I am humbled by this life-changing recognition and look forward to my graduation in the spring of 2010.”