Southwest Florida College Interior Design Students Win Big at the 2011 ASID Student Design Competition

Left to Right: Adjunct Interior Design Instructor, Jeannette Dera; Full-Time Interior Design Instructor, Tamara Chesney; Program Manager of Interior Design for the Institute of Interior Design at Southwest Florida College, Linda Petersen MA, LEED AP, IDEC, ASID, IIDA, AIA; 2011 ASID Design Excellence Award Winners: Vicki Clay, Alexandra Hutchinson, Christopher Robinson, and Lina Abril.

Bonita Springs, Fla. (October 20, 2011) – Alexandra Hutchinson, Lina Abril, Christopher Robinson and Vicki Clay, all students at the Institute of Interior Design at Southwest Florida College in Bonita Springs, Fla., won all but one award at the 2011 ASID Design Excellence Awards, Student Design Competition.

President Elect for the Southwest Florida Chapter of ASID, Peggy Oberlin, came out to Southwest Florida College last night to present the winners. “There were so many who won awards from Southwest Florida College, that we thought it would be nice to come out and present the awards all together,” Oberlin said.

Alexandra Hutchinson with ASID President and President-Elect

According to Oberlin, “Southwest Florida College has shown to be a much more well balanced college regarding the technical and creative skills. The Interior Design program at Southwest Florida College is an all around quality program,” she said.

The 2011 ASID Student Design Competition was open to all colleges that have certified interior design programs in the South Florida area. Participating schools include the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, Florida State University, Miami International University of Art & Design, Indian River State College, Palm Beach Community College, and the Art Institute of Miami, to name a few. Projects are judged on the overall professionalism of the design, the presentation of the design, and the appropriateness of the design in relation to the design requirements.


Commercial Design awards: 

Alexandra Hutchinson – Commercial Project: “Dupree Family Law” – First Place
Vicki Clay – Commercial Project: “Tanglewood Elementary Library” – Second Place
Alexandra Hutchinson – Commercial Project: “Community College” – Honorable Mention

Residential Design awards:

Alexandra Hutchinson – Residential Project: “Lawson Residence” – First Place
Christopher Robinson – Residential Project: “Russell Residence” – Second Place
Lina Abril – Residential Project: “Osborne Residence” – Third Place
Alexandra Hutchinson – Residential Project: “Tyler Master Suite” – Honorable Mention

“Among nine other schools in the South Florida area who entered the competition, Southwest Florida College demonstrated the broadest area of skill,” Oberlin said. “Judging was completely blind and the criteria is very broad. It’s not just about the artistic presentation, but how well the student carried out the principles of design in their project, including technical skills, a basic understanding of lighting and an understanding of code, among other areas.

About Southwest Florida College: Southwest Florida College is an accredited, private institution of higher learning that is listening to employers and providing its students with placement assistance in today’s most demanding career fields. The college is located in Fort Myers, Tampa, Port Charlotte and Bonita Springs. The Institute of Interior Design is also located within the Bonita Springs campus. For more information, call 239-939-4766 or visit www.swfc.edu.

Southwest Florida College Students Earned Top Awards at the ASID Annual Student Design Competition

Bonita Springs, Fla. – Four students from the Institute of Interior Design at Southwest Florida College claimed top awards at the annual ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) Student Design Competition, held on September 24, 25 and 26 in Marathon, Fla.

In the residential design category, Sandra Dressler won first place for the second year in a row and received a check for $500. First time competition entrants Alexandra Hutchinson and Mary Seca took second and third place respectively in the residential design category earning a check for $250 and $175.

Sandra Dressler also won second place in the commercial design category and received another check for $250. Student Chris Beebe won the student rug design competition. Beebe earned a check for $500 and will have the honor of seeing his rug manufactured of silk in wool in Tibet. The rug was on display at the ASID South Florida Chapter Annual Design Conference and will be used in the home show in Naples early next year. Following the home show, the rug will be auctioned off at an ASID fundraising event.

“We all had a wonderful time at the conference and we hope that even more students will attend next year’s conference in Jupiter, Fla.,” said Linda Petersen, Program Manager of Interior Design at the Institute of Interior Design at Southwest Florida College. “We are very proud of all our winners and we are looking forward to seeing how great they will become when they graduate.”

The ASID Student Design Competition is open to all interior design programs in the South Florida area. Projects are judged on the overall professionalism of the design, the presentation of the design, and the appropriateness of the design in relation to the design requirements.



Southwest Florida College is an accredited, private institution of higher learning that is listening to employers and providing its students with placement assistance in today’s most demanding career fields. The college is located in Fort Myers, Tampa, Port Charlotte and Bonita Springs. The Institute of Interior Design is also located within the Bonita Springs campus. For more information, call toll free 888‐279-2342 or visit www.swfc.edu.