12/19/2017 1:59:42 PM

Ala Felemban, Interior Architecture & Design Masters student, is the winner of the Philadelphia Museum of Art's 2017 Collab Student Design Competition's People Choice Award, with an astounding 1,401 votes for the work AF Partition. The 2017 Collab Design Excellence Award honoree and the inspiration for this year’s Collab Student Design Competition was Spanish architect and designer, Patricia Urquiola. Urquiola takes a humanistic approach to her work, combining handmade and industrial techniques.
 
Westphal was proudly represented in the competition with a total of eight applicants, including works from Emma Ceddia (Interior Architecture & Design Master's program); Ye Jia (Interior Architecture & Design Master's program); Matthew Dessner (Product Design); Lindsey Kerr (Product Design); Ignacio de Socarraz-Novoa (Product Design); Helen Burgess (Product Design); and Evan Mosko (Product Design).

Each participant was tasked with designing a piece of furniture that would serve as the focal point of a room while incorporating storage, and designs were created referencing the work of Urquiola, who utilizes artistry, craft, technology, culture, and a nod to the “hand". For over twenty years Collab has provided a unique opportunity for regional university design students to experience competition outside the classroom, network with their peers and receive valuable feedback from nationally recognized industry leaders.