Each year South Florida’s architecture and design community demonstrates its support for interior architecture education through their annual participation in Festival of the Trees, a fundraising event coordinated by Florida International University’s Interior Architecture Department.
Over the past 32 years, this annual holiday event has raised over $350,000 in funds that benefit FIU’s Interior Architecture Department and its students.
Sponsors underwrite designers who design and build unique holiday creations and donate them to the event. The “trees” are then displayed and auctioned at the gala opening. Winning bidders take these extraordinary creations home and get to show them off throughout the year.
Our President, Josh Oberhausen was selected as a judge at this year’s event, along with Hilda Altimari, Art Director of Dacra Miami Design District; Martin Amado, TV Personality; Massimo Casagrande, Director of Education at Marangoni Miami; and Liana Guilarte, Group Publisher for Modern Luxury. The event took place Thursday, November 21st, at The Moore Building in the Miami Design District.
Congratulations to the winners of the 33rd annual Festival of the Trees:
Most Colorful: “Candela” by AECOM
Most Animated: “It’s All Relative” by Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates, Inc.
Most Progressive: “Respirations” by FIU RDF Lab
Most Sustainable: “Cross-Cultural Headgear” by TSAO Design Group
Most Creative: “Layers Through Time” by G. Alvarez Studio, Inc.
Most Elegant: “Glitz” by HKS Architects, Inc.
Most Whimsical: “Hold My Memphis” by CallisonRTKL
Most Illuminating: “Depths of Deco” by Gresham, Smith, & Partners
Most Thematic: “Games Archiving Games” by OBM International
Honorable Mention (Creative): “Carousel Through Time” by Cube 3
Honorable Mention (Thematic): “Vessel” by Stantec
Honorable Mention (Colorful): “Copasetic” by Zyscovich Architects