Brinkman design scholarships awarded

Real Estate Weekly, Oct 25, 2000

The second annual Donald G. Brinkmann Scholarship Awards were presented at the Design Days NY Breakfast Celebration Oct. 4 at the New York Athletic Club. The winner of this year's first prize $5,000 scholarship is Allen Chih-Wei Cheng of the Parsons School of Design. A second prize scholarship of $2,500 was awarded to Sigal Baranowitz of the New York School of Interior Design, and a third prize of $1,000 was awarded to Radha Kalaria of the School of Visual Arts.

Allen Chih-Wei Cheng, the winner of the first prize, is a senior at Parsons School of Design, and expects to graduate in the spring of 2000. Cheng is a graduate in advertising design of the Fu-Hsin Trade and Art School in Taiwan, and is currently working as a design assistant at Linnaea Tillett Lighting Design in New York.

At the awards ceremony, Walter Hunt, a Vice President/Managing Principal of Gensler, commented that the jury found Allen's submissions -- a retail store for John Galliano and a Chinese Dim Sum restaurant -- to "reveal an incredible versatility and sensitivity to design, bolstered by a strong technical mastery Allen is a multi-talented, multifaceted designer with strong skills both in design and rendering, clearly a rising star."

The winner of the second prize, Sigal Baranowitz, is a senior at the New York School of Interior Design. Ms. Baranowitz is a recipient of a Steelcase University Scholarship and a Virginia Saladino Scholarship Award from the Decorators Club. She is currently working at a Junior Designer with Anthony Law, Architect. Robin Klehr Avia, Vice President/Managing Principal of Gensler, commented that Sigal's submission, an Interactive Medicine and Wellness Center, "successfully addressed the challenge of this difficult site for a multiuse facility, and created an environment of both visual and mental calm. Sigal's ability to present verbally the program, her thoughts, and execution shows the strong foundation of a successful designer who is truly deserving of the Don Brinkmann award."

Third prize winner Radha Kalaria is a senior at the School of Visual Arts. Ms. Kalaria is the recipient ofa 2000-2001 New York Design Studio Award sponsored by the World Studio Foundation and is currently working as an interior designer at Delilah Henry Interior Designs in New York. Walter Hunt remarked that the jury "found Radha's work to be very poetic and organic. They were impressed with her extremely comprehensive and well-organized portfolio that includes some outstanding architectural sections."

The scholarship is administered by the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, who is responsible for investing the contributions and distributing the annual awards as tuition credits to the respective schools. The scholarship is funded by contributions from the partners and staff at Gensler, and friends and professional colleagues of Don Brinkmann. Gensler matches all contributions it receives. If you would like to make a contribution, please forward a check made out to Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, Account #CGF58798, to Susan Appel, c/o Gensler, One Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 500, New York, NY 10020.