Northeast Winner

Leehyun, Seoyoon, and Celine
The Taft School, Kent School, and Deerfield Academy
Litchfield County, CT; and Franklin County, MA

Student Design
Our “Undulating Landscape” replaces rigid linear desks with a multi-functional, organic environment for kindergarteners. Children naturally transition between recessed curves for quiet rest and elevated ridges that serve as intuitive surfaces for creative work. This fluid design rejects stiff postures, encouraging imaginative movement and sensory engagement. By prioritizing flexible, non-linear forms, it transforms classrooms into dynamic hubs for cognitive growth, offering a scalable model for healthier, more creative learning environments nationwide.

Design from the Community
Steelcase’s desks define our community’s industrial identity, yet they create conflict in my sibling’s kindergarten. While these rigid forms deserve preservation as historical artifacts, their linear stiffness remains fundamentally at odds with the flexible, organic environment required for a child’s natural development and creative play.