August 28, 2019
Interior architecture and product design student wins $30,000 scholarship
Kanoa San Miguel, Longmont, Colorado, fifth-year graduate student in the College of Architecture, Planning & Design's interior architecture and product design department, was selected as the recipient of a $30,000 scholarship from the Angelo Donghia Foundation for his design work.
San Miguel's design was one of 12 selected from student project nominations submitted by accredited design schools from across the nation.
"For the second year running we have had a student win this highly competitive scholarship for interiors," said Nathan Howe, associate professor and department head. "I couldn't be more proud of Kanoa and our faculty. This award continues to highlight the quality of our students and the education we provide."
As part of the submission, students were asked to write an essay and include one project from their studio. San Miguel's winning project "Denver NEXT" was created during his fourth-year design studio led by professor of practice Michelle Wempe.
"Denver NEXT" uses the Denver region's long history of settlement to inform the creation of a real estate and project management firm. Using old prairie settlements and mountainous mining communities as touchstones, the materials, architectural elements, and spatial varieties echo the authenticity of the original communities and translate them into contemporary office spaces. The combination of contemporary forms and classic materials seeks to provide a sense of Colorado nostalgia for all generations of employees and clients.
"It was a tremendous honor to be nominated as a candidate to represent our college for the Angelo Donghia Foundation scholarship," San Miguel said. "I could not be more appreciative of the individuals in the interior architecture and product design department for their support of my work, the incredible guidance they've provided, and the opportunity to submit for this award. The impact of being selected as a recipient by the panel of esteemed designers will echo far beyond my academic career and for that I am forever thankful."
San Miguel also received top honors in the NEXT competition sponsored by Steelcase for his "Denver NEXT" project earlier this year.
The Angelo Donghia Foundation provides support for two distinct fields, the advancement of education in the field of interior design; and initiatives pertaining to discovery of causes of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and its related diseases and treatments. Since its launch, including the amounts to be distributed to the scholarship winners, the foundation has awarded in excess of $16,000,000 to the above causes.