During Boston Design Week last week, Boston Design Center hosted the Design Showdown, a competition that asked students to design a live/work space that “combines innovative design, functionality, and elements of social responsibility.” A selection of top student work was celebrated.

Judges included Barbara Sallick, co-founder and senior vice president of design at Waterworks; Helen Principio, interior designer at Stibler Associates and president-elect of ASID New England; Mark Haddad, principal of Haddad Hakansson Design Studio; Paul R. Guitard, business development officer of Woodmeister Master Builders; and Ramsay Gourd, principal of Ramsay Gourd Architects and Ramsay Gourd Home.

First place went to Alicia Kosasih, Master of Arts student in Interior Architecture, New England School of Art & Design/Suffolk University. The first runner-up was Nicolette Gordon, Master of Science student in Management/Interior Architecture, Mount Ida College. And the People’s Choice award went to Blake Swanson, Bachelor of Science student in Interior Design, Wentworth Institute of Technology.

Gail Ravgiala, editor of Design New England, tells EAL, “Each student started with the same program: to design a retail and residential space that combines innovative design, functionality and social responsibility. Yet each solution was unique, inspired by their individual perspectives on how design can influence how we live and work.... Alicia took her client’s global weaving initiative and literally integrated it into the interiors of both the commercial and residential units. ‘Teach a man to fish’ was the inspiration behind Nicolette’s drop-in learn-to-cook studio. Blake used balance and harmony to create the centered space of a yoga studio and a contemplative home for its owner.”