Sustainable Interior Design

Chicago theatre

Interior Design
Location: Chicago, IL
Course: ID 4302H - Study in America Sustainable Chicago and ID 3321 - Contemporary Interiors and Architecture
CRN: TBD
Program Directors: Ali Chopra, fcz5@txstate.edu and Amber Branham, ab1390@txstate.edu 
Course Dates: Summer I, May 27 - June 27, 2025
Travel: June 6 - 13, 2025
Program Fee: $2,470
Course Tuition: 3-hours $1,068.24, 6-hours $2,136.48
*Financial Aid eligible

Program Itinerary

This Study in America program focuses on individual student’s exploration of interior design through global, sustainable, wellness and diversity lens. The program provides students with the opportunity to attend the interior design conference NEOCON in Chicago, and to select contemporary issues or problems identified during the conference to develop a design solution.

DateActivitiesOutcomes
Friday, June 6Travel to Chicago, IL.
Saturday, June 7Frank Lloyd Wright home and Unity Temple tour.Visit the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio to understand late 19th Century Architecture and interiors, observing custom furniture and textiles that Frank Lloyd Wright had introduced in his personal home and studio environment. Visit Unity Temple to observe 19th Century Architecture that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright to understand the natural materials and characteristics. Students will observe other Frank Lloyd Wright projects in proxemic walking distance in Oak Hill neighborhood.
Sunday, June 8Sketching seminar, architectural boat tour, and NeoCon.Students will attend the architecture boat tour and will be exposed to all architecture from 18th-21 century architecture. We will discuss the contemporary issues our industry is facing with design and construction. What is it like to design a livable city?
Monday, June 9NeoCon.NeoCon has served as the world’s leading platform and most important event of the year for the commercial design industry since 1969. A launch pad for innovation, NeoCon offers ideas and introductions that shape the built environment today and into the future. The industry’s major manufacturers as well as the latest emerging companies will showcase thousands of new products and services in categories including Furniture, Fabrics, Flooring, Interior Building Products, Interior Finishes and Technology. Design professionals representing markets ranging from Workplace, Healthcare, Hospitality, Retail, Education, Public Space and Government, converge each year at NeoCon to connect, learn and do business. The NeoCon exhibition is complemented by first-class educational and inspirational programming offering expertise and insight into the most relevant topics in the industry today.
Tuesday, June 10NeoCon.See outcomes from June 9.
Wednesday, June 11Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago Institute of Art, Walking tour of downtown including Auditorium and Rookery, Tribune Tower, and Millennium Park-Pritzker Pavilion.Explore downtown and the early financial district architecture. A blend of 19th and 20th century architecture will be toured and understand historical preservation projects. Students will tour contemporary museums focusing on today's contemporary art current issues and past. Understand how sustainability is introduced in a walkable and livable city.
Thursday, June 12Robbie House tour.Learning about the late 19th century historical properties in Chicago and how this Victorian architecture revered to some of the well-known architects that prospered in Chicago.
Friday, June 13Travel home.

*Itinerary is subject to change.

Application Process

Follow these steps to enroll.

STEP 1

Complete SIA student application. Deadline is January 24, 2025.

STEP 2

Applications reviewed by Program Director & OXP.

STEP 3

Pay $50 program deposit. Deadline is February 21, 2025.

STEP 4

Register for SIA associated course.

Program FAQ

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