Blog

Creativity Illuminated: 3 Students Named Winners in Lighting Design Contest

Tasked with imagining and designing fully functional and one-of-a-kind suspended luminaires, Miami International University of Art & Design students did not hold back from letting their creativity shine—going above and beyond expectations for the sixth edition of Farrey’s Lighting Design Contest.

For this contest, 22 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design students created a unique design in hopes of beating the competition, with materials used ranging from wood to iron pipes to a live plant. Each of the submissions were then judged on originality, concept development, marketability, and presentation by a panel of lighting professionals from across a range of styles and manufacturers.

All three BFA in Interior Design student winners were awarded scholarships for their participation, courtesy of Farrey’s Lighting & Bath, lighting rep agency Light’N Up, and lighting manufacturer Avenue Lighting, through the Education Foundation.

First Place: Ocedetra by Taylor Rios


 

Taking home the prize, student Taylor Rios drew her inspiration from the art deco period of the 1920’s. Her creation, titled Ocedtra, attracted attention for its complex features, intricate beauty, and timeless design.

Although Rios wanted her inspiration to be evident, she still intended for the design to feel contemporary. “Although the 1920’s were close to 100 years ago, its design style is one that remains visible today and that’s the exact adaptability I had in mind when developing the Ocedtra,” she explained.

Second Place: Golgi by Cayleth Vivas

 

Student Cayleth Vivas and her luminaire, Golgi—created using 3D printing technology—earned second place in the contest. Inspired by golgi apparatus, an organelle found in human cells, the Golgi fixture is made to give your space an abstract feel of living in the future.

Designed for both residential and commercial spaces, Vivas wanted to give clients control over her fixture setting. “Golgi’s size can change thanks to its modular system that allows the user to have complete compositional control over their lighting experience,” she said.

Third Place: Soul Lamp by Valentina Zerpa

 

The final award went to Valentina Zerpa and her “Soul Lamp.” Inspired by the definition of a soul as the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being, Zerpa wanted to create literal representation of the soul as an “inner light.”

She said, “The essential identity of every one of us and what makes us unique is our soul, and that is what drove my inspiration and creation process.”