Justin Bailey

University of Iowa 3D Design Environment for SOFA Connect

2014 Sculptural Object and Functional Art + Design Expo

Lead Designer

Ecosystem in the Design Process was a collaborative built environment by the University of Iowa 3D Design Students. The space was designed as part of the Connect program, featuring juried spaces for design schools, at the Sculptural Object and Functional Art + Design (SOFA) Expo that takes place annually on Chicago’s Navy Pier. The environment was designed to be a retreat from the Expo which also featured individual student designs from the 3D Design program.

The initial concept designed by Yi Xie and myself looked at the shape and structure of seeds in order to create encapsulated spaces that could hold student work, lighting and even become seating elements for visitors. The seeds became representative of us as young designers attending the university, growing and expanding as humans and designers.

This space took first place in the Connect program at SOFA among other top design schools such as Pratt, IIT and UC Davis.