PAVE Global Names 2025 Inspired by Design: PAVE Student Visionary Award Honorees
- PAVE Global
- 22 hours ago
- 3 min read
Three student designers recognized for visionary work in cultural awareness, sustainability, and human-centered design
PAVE Global is pleased to announce the three honorees of the 2025 Inspired by Design: PAVE Student Visionary Award. This program recognizes rising student visionaries whose groundbreaking concepts and designs are poised to make a positive impact on the world through design.
Introduced in 2023 to commemorate PAVE Global’s 30th anniversary, the Inspired by Design: PAVE Student Visionary Award honors students anticipated to revolutionize the industry with innovative, thoughtful work. In 2025, the program celebrates three student visionaries, each receiving a $10,000 prize package that includes a $7,500 cash prize, a $1,000 grant to their school, and travel and attendance at the 2025 PAVE Gala.
“The Inspired by Design Award recognizes students who are thinking deeply about the role design plays in people’s lives,” said Dash Nagel, Executive Director of PAVE Global. “Each of this year’s honorees brings a level of intention, curiosity, and care that reflects the future of our industry. Their work shows how thoughtful research and strong design thinking can create experiences that are more inclusive, more sustainable, and more responsive to the world around us.”
All submissions were judged blindly by a panel of industry professionals. Students submitted four 11x17 boards showcasing pre-existing work that addressed one of five sub-topics: Human-centered Design, Inclusive/Universal Design, Cultural Awareness/DEI, Contemporary/Reactive Design, or Sustainability/Adaptive Reuse.
Congratulations to the 2025 PAVE Student Visionaries!
Leilianni Hubbard
Kean University
Architecture, Class of 2026
Sub-topic: Sustainability/Adaptive Reuse
Leilianni’s Waveline Studios reimagines Asbury Park’s historic 1930s Steam Power Plant as a dynamic live/work environment for artists and the broader community. The adaptive reuse concept introduces modular pods that transition between creative studios and temporary housing, along with renewable energy systems and phytoremediation strategies to restore Wesley Lake. The project honors the cultural story of the site while proposing a sustainable, resilient path forward.
Phoebe Nguyen
Illinois State University
Interior Design, Class of 2026
Sub-topic: Cultural Awareness/DEI
Phoebe’s boutique hotel project, House of Talia, explores cultural understanding, belonging, and gender-responsive hospitality. Informed by research into Saudi Vision 2030 and the cultural heritage of AlUla, Saudi Arabia, the concept integrates a visible cultural workshop, women-only amenities, accessible floor seating solutions, and flexible privacy features that support cultural and religious practices. Her design celebrates cultural identity while creating opportunities for meaningful connection.
Shambhavi Sanjay
New York School of Interior Design
Interior Design, Class of 2025
Sub-topic: Human-centered Design
Shambhavi’s museum concept, MoMNT: Museum of Moving Narratives of Time, prioritizes accessibility, sensory awareness, and visitor autonomy. Through non-linear circulation, multiple path options, varied materiality, and moments of pause, the museum accommodates guests of different ages, abilities, and cognitive needs. The project blends storytelling, science, and philosophy to create a responsive, inclusive cultural experience.
Thank You to Our 2025 Inspired by Design Judges:
Bevan Blomendaal, BB Creative Consultancy
Chris DeLuca, McHenry Project Consultants
Chuck Luckenbill, Luckenbill Retail Solutions
Dena Yamaguchi, Arcadis
Mat Gurda, WD Partners
Maximus Coric, Vizex Branding
About the Inspired by Design: PAVE Student Visionary Award
The Inspired by Design: PAVE Student Visionary Award celebrates students whose work is innovative in nature, exemplifies creativity, and demonstrates strong design thinking aligned with one of the program’s five sub-topics. The award is open to full-time undergraduate and graduate students in North America pursuing design, architecture, or visual merchandising programs. For more information, please visit www.paveglobal.org/studentaward.
About PAVE Global
Founded in 1992 as The Planning and Visual Education Partnership, PAVE Global is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation that enables young talent to build successful careers designing and creating consumer environments. PAVE connects students, educators, and industry professionals through financial assistance, mentorship, industry exposure, and educational experiences. For more information, please visit www.paveglobal.org.