In the Interior Design world, the Las Vegas Market is huge. With over five million square feet of exhibition space for more than 4,000 furniture, home décor and related vendors, it attracts designers, architects and others in the industry from around the world. While the wholesale market is open year-round, the “Summer Las Vegas Market” is a five-day long event that brings industry professionals together for seminars, events and networking opportunities.
Every year, the summer market kicks off with the ANDYZ Awards from the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).
The awards recognize professional designers in a variety of categories. However, there is one student category that is awarded for the best student design in the Central California and Nevada region.
“Receiving the award at the Las Vegas World Market was one of the greatest moments of my life,” said Jinjin Huang. “After my award introduction, the audience, family, and friends were cheering for my winning. I left the stage to tumultuous applause.”
Huang’s winning project, “Aviv Wellness,” is an adaptive reuse and non-profit health center designed around a vacant building in Long Beach. She designed the faculty to provide health services for the community while utilizing Salutogenic design, a design strategy focused on improving human health and well-being in a built environment.
“Obtaining and maintaining good health is essential to living a happy and meaningful life,” Huang said in her design statement. “By optimizing people’s physical, mental, and spiritual states, we can help people achieve their full potential, encompassing every stage of life.”
This is the third straight year a Fresno State Interior Design program student has won the ANDYZ Award. In 2020, Marisol Coria received the award for her Centro de Justicia project, and in 2021, Alex Tsung achieved greatness with her “Crescent Wetlands Museum” design.
“I was very elated that we won again for the third year in a row,” said Holly Sowles, associate professor of interior design.
Huang credits the interior design faculty for taking every opportunity to bring recognition to the program and the students.
”I believe with the dedication of both teachers and students, the Fresno State Interior Design Program will continue to grow greater and cultivate more outstanding talents over time.”
Ten Fresno State interior design students attended the Las Vegas Market thanks to donations from a crowdfunding campaign. Seven students submitted their senior projects.
The College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State 