Equitable Housing

The 2023 Scholarship

SMBW is committed to the education of emerging design talent. Over the past 30 years, the firm has focused on connecting with the academic community to mentor, collaborate, and support student work through internships and externships, open studios, critiques, mentoring, teaching, and scholarship opportunities. With this annual scholarship, we hope to inspire and support the next generation of creative leaders and expand access to design educations.

For the 2023 Scholarship, we asked design students to answer: How can design and architectural principles be leveraged to create housing solutions that address the pressing issues of equity, affordability, and accessibility in our communities?

Meet our winner below!

  • Isabel Dingus

    Virginia Commonwealth University
    Interior Design

    “I believe that the built environment serves as a tangible reflection of a society’s ethos, values, and socio-political narratives. As a designer and anthropologist I explore how different societies utilize and shape their spaces, acknowledging that the built environment plays a crucial role in human experience and expression. I am dedicated and excited to create design solutions that authentically resonate with users, ensuring both functionality and cultural relevance.”