Exhibition

School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents “Designing Reentry: Transforming Spaces for a Fresh Start,” an exhibition of work by 24 BFA Interior Design: Built Environments students. The exhibition will be on view from Wednesday, December 6, 2023, through Saturday, January 13, 2024, at the Flatiron Gallery, 133/141 West 21 Street, New York City. 

A deeply personal journey is the source of inspiration for “Designing Reentry.” Dr. Carol Bentel, chair of BFAInterior Design: Built Environments writes: 

It all began when my sister, living in a midwestern state in the United States, was incarcerated for a nonviolent crime. During her year behind bars, her two children were taken from her by Family Services and placed in separate foster-care families. As she navigated her path through incarceration and its aftermath, I witnessed firsthand the transitional spaces she was housed in—spaces that, while providing shelter and educational programs, remained stark and devoid of thoughtful design. These dim environments merely served as a functional stopgap in the system, untouched by the hand of a designer. The experience of visiting her in these spaces and witnessing her tumultuous journey, where she was reunited with her children under new identities, shifted my focus as an educator.

“Designing Reentry” embarks on a mission to transform the spaces that single parents and their children inhabit during the challenging process of reintegration into society. Third-year students in the Studio Design course were assigned the task of creating a true “home” for 20 single parents and their children, cultivating a compassionate community where renewal, recovery and rebirth can thrive. Within a span of three months, these single parents learn valuable trades in the re-harvesting industry, such as solar, water, wind and geothermal technologies. Simultaneously, they participate in parenting classes and are reunited with their children, one by one, within adaptable apartments.

The adults engage in trades that focus on sustainable energy, learning to harness natural resources for the betterment of the planet. Furthermore, they acquire skills in urban organic food cultivation, composting and responsible waste management. These activities impart a profound message to parents and children about the importance of community, sustainability, health and their roles in nurturing the earth. At the same time, they work through their own personal paths toward regeneration and renewal.

Throughout this project, the students have demonstrated exceptional empathy for their “clients” and translated their ideas of nurture and protection into the very fabric of the spaces they designed. They sought to create a thriving community among the single parents, crafting an inviting and supportive environment for the children and establishing a conducive learning space around renewable energy. The design process went beyond the façade, entailing the creation of an entire building from the inside out. An essential requirement was to design a single, 320-square-foot room, configured explicitly for a single parent, and with the capability to expand in any direction to accommodate one or two children. Students then scaled up their single room to 20 such rooms and ingeniously stacked them with structural integrity to fit seamlessly onto an actual site. The result was a community of 20 adults and 40 children, given three precious months to bond, form friendships and flourish within this deliberately nurturing environment. These formerly fragile families emerge from this transformative experience, ready to reintegrate into society, equipped with a trade and the invaluable bond of a reunited family. 

“Designing Reentry: Transforming Spaces for a Fresh Start” is not just an exhibition; it’s a testament to the power of design that can change behavior, empathy and resilience in reimagining the path to a fresh start for those who need it most and for doing so in the most unexpected places.

Designers in the exhibition include Anabella Vilchis, Botao Wang, Brianna Toussaint, Capucine Laverdant, Chuyan Zhou, Dawn Hood, Hsiang Ting Huang, Huanyu Kuang, Camille Lyn-Morillo, Meixi Xu, Mira Genevieve, Dagbo Landa, Qian Wang, Rose You, Stephanie Schiff, Selin Ozderici, Shuangyu Xi, Wenxi Liu, Xinze Li, Xiran Geng, Xueyi Wang, Yuhan Wang, Yunfei Zhang, Zicheng Xie and Ziheng Zhao.

The SVA Flatiron Gallery is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00am–6:00pm. Masks are encouraged but not required.