The Florida State University Department of Interior Architecture & Design is celebrating the success of 4th-year students Samantha Crown and Katie Becher, who earned third place in the prestigious 2025 International Interior Design Association Student Design Competition. This international competition that draws healthcare project submissions from top design programs around the world. Their project, Vantage Point Behavioral Health Clinic, was recognized for its innovation, sensitivity and empathetic approach to creating meaningful healthcare environments.
“The opportunity to design an inpatient behavioral healthcare facility was an extremely important challenge that has altered how I navigate projects and my understanding of how users interact with the built environment,” said Crown. “Working through this as a collaborative effort was critical to the success of the project.”
Becher echoed Samantha’s sentiment, highlighting the profound impact of the project on her personal and professional growth.
“Working on this project with Samantha allowed me to become a better designer and student, said Becher. “We are so honored and excited to be a recipient of this prestigious award. It was extremely rewarding to learn about behavioral health and design a space that promotes mental and emotional well-being for users. I am so excited to continue my education in this field and advocate for innovative design in all aspects of life.”
The juried competition challenges students to tackle complex real-world design problems. This year’s brief focused on behavioral healthcare, an area of growing importance in the built environment.
Gresham Smith, a nationally recognized architecture and design firm, provided funding to cover the team’s submission fee, making this achievement possible. This generous support was facilitated by FSU Interior Architecture & Design Advisory Council member and alumna, Carolyn Blake, who serves as Technical Practice Leader, Senior Interior Designer, and Partner at Gresham Smith. Guest speakers Penny Houchens, Principal Partner, and Kayla Reiff, Healthcare Interior Designer, also shared insights with students as they developed their designs. Gresham Smith’s investment highlights the powerful role of professional partnerships in advancing the next generation of designers. In addition, Katie and Sammy also benefited from the guidance of esteemed industry leaders Michael Pukszta, Global Healthcare Practice Leader, and David Sass, Senior Vice President at CannonDesign, whose mentorship enriched their design process and professional growth.
“We are incredibly proud of our students for this incredible showing in a highly regarded international competition,” said Amy Huber, associate chair of the Department of Interior Architecture & Design and instructor for the students’ healthcare design studio. “Our students are designing a bright future for the healthcare industry, and we’re incredibly proud of their work.”
In addition to the $750 cash prize, the students’ work will be featured on IIDA.org, across IIDA’s social media platforms, and in the Spring 2025 issue of QUAD. Their project will also be included in the IIDA Student Design Showcase set to publish in Summer 2025.
