LTU_CoAD

Listed inside Houzz 8 Contemporary Furniture Trends From ICFF 2026 article, under "2. The Ripple Effect" is LTU student Sofia Eddy’s Meander coffee table.

This was one of the projects that earned our Product Department the prestigious Best of School's award at this year's International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) exhibition in New York. This recognition celebrates an innovative collaboration with Design Declassified, sponsored by Southfield Centrepolis, exploring circular economy thinking through contemporary furniture design.

Learn more here: https://buff.ly/w03toJQ

The College of Architecture and Design was buzzing during ShowLTU CoAD 2026 Industry and Alumni Night! Our high expectations were met in many ways - the quality of our attendees, the quality of student work presented, and professionalism. Plus, our guests were amazed and inspired by Kai-Uwe Bergmann’s talk.

If you missed the event, follow these links:

Show LTU Awards: https://buff.ly/AFMMuV8
Design x Technology Lecture: Kai Uwe Bergmann: https://buff.ly/iP7WXzl

BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group

CoAD Congratulations goes out to alumna and Creative Director, Senior Associate at
Gensler Detroit Lily Diego, MArch '11 for being named to the 2026 Crain's Detroit Business Notable Leaders in Architecture, Engineering & Construction list.

This annual award honors top professionals in Southeast Michigan who are driving innovation, executing landmark development projects, and mentoring the next generation of talent within the built environment.

Proud of our accomplished alumni!

For its 2026 edition, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) bestowed multiple awards upon exhibitors, including the Editors Awards, Best of Students, Best of Schools, and Best of Launch Pad.

🏆 LTU CoAD took first place in the WANTED AWARDS: Best of Students and Best of Schools

Read more:

ICFF 2026 Award Winners - ICFF A full list of those honored by ICFF and its partners, including Be Original Americas.

The College of Architecture and Design was buzzing during ShowLTU CoAD 2026 Industry and Alumni Night! Our high expectations were met in many ways - the quality of our attendees, the quality of student work presented, and professionalism. Plus, our guests were amazed and inspired by Kai-Uwe Bergmann’s talk.

If you missed the event, here are the links:.

Show LTU Awards: https://buff.ly/AFMMuV8
Design x Technology Lecture: Kai Uwe Bergmann: https://buff.ly/iP7WXzl

BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group

We're highlighting LTU Director of Product Design and Associate Professor Carla Diana who works at the intersection of physical computing, robotics, and interaction design, exploring how technology can feel more relational, embodied, and responsive. My research focuses on designing interactive systems — from robots to immersive environments — that connect human behavior with physical and digital feedback.

Diana was recently invited by USA TODAY’s 10Best to serve as a member of the Expert Panel for the 2026 "Best Science Museum" awards. Her role on the panel was to vet and nominate institutions that are pushing the boundaries of interactive discovery through sophisticated exhibit design and physical computing.

Learn more: https://buff.ly/D5tr6wj

CoAD Congratulations goes out to Assistant Professor of Practice Kurt Neiswender, AIA. A project he worked on was awarded an AIA Michigan Honor Award in a category sponsored by the Masonry Institute of Michigan. Alumna Allison Clark, BSArch '24, M.Arch '25 helped with drawings and alumnus Dave Lurvey, BSArch '97 President of Lurvey Construction provided Construction Management.

LTU CoAD is SO PROUD! Our program has been awarded the prestigious ICFF WANTED “Best of Schools” Award at this past weekend’s 2026 International Contemporary Furniture Fair. LTU CoAD surpassed 23 leading international design programs participating in the highly competitive Schools Showcase. Presented during , the award recognizes exceptional innovation, craftsmanship, and forward-thinking design from emerging student talent around the world.

The winning collection emerged through a creative partnership with .declassified, sponsored by . The project was led by designer and faculty member Erika Cross, who guided students through the development of a sophisticated collection of contemporary furnishings created from 100% recycled and recyclable HDPE sheets sourced from discarded products such as milk crates.

The award-winning collection reflects LTU’s commitment to industry collaboration, sustainable innovation, and experiential learning that prepares students to address real-world challenges through design. Participating students include:
Ashgen Boyer
Dante Cerroni
Lourdes Davish
Sofia Eddy
Delanie Shorten
Ryan Sukhraj

CoAD Interim Dean Lilian Crum said, “This award is a testament to what’s possible when students are challenged with real-world constraints, meaningful industry partnerships, and the opportunity to design with purpose. Erika Cross and these six designers demonstrated that sustainability and sophistication are powerful in combination. Winning ICFF WANTED’s Best of Schools distinction among 24 internationally recognized programs is an extraordinary achievement and a reflection of the ambitious, forward-thinking design education that defines LTU CoAD.”

The collection is currently being exhibited in New York during ICFF 2026 as part of the WANTED Schools Showcase through Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

*image credit:

LTU CoAD is SO PROUD! Our Product Design program has been awarded the prestigious ICFF WANTED “Best of Schools” Award at this pas weekend's 2026 International Contemporary Furniture Fair. LTU CoAD surpassed 23 leading international design programs participating in the highly competitive Schools Showcase. Presented during NYCxDESIGN, the award recognizes exceptional innovation, craftsmanship, and forward-thinking design from emerging student talent around the world.

The winning collection emerged through a creative partnership with Design Declassified, sponsored by CentrepolisAccelerator The project was led by designer and faculty member Erika Cross, who guided students through the development of a sophisticated collection of contemporary furnishings created from 100% recycled and recyclable HDPE sheets sourced from discarded products such as milk crates.

The award-winning collection reflects LTU’s commitment to industry collaboration, sustainable innovation, and experiential learning that prepares students to address real-world challenges through design. Participating students include:
Ashgen Boyer
Dante Cerroni
Lourdes Davish
Sofia Eddy
Delanie Shorten
Ryan Sukhraj

CoAD Interim Dean Lilian Crum said, “This award is a testament to what’s possible when students are challenged with real-world constraints, meaningful industry partnerships, and the opportunity to design with purpose. Erika Cross and these six designers demonstrated that sustainability and sophistication are powerful in combination. Winning ICFF WANTED’s Best of Schools distinction among 24 internationally recognized programs is an extraordinary achievement and a reflection of the ambitious, forward-thinking design education that defines LTU CoAD.”

The collection is currently being exhibited in New York during ICFF 2026 as part of the WANTED Schools Showcase through Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

*image credit: Nyki Reed
From left to right, Faculty member Erika Cross with students Delanie Shorten, Sophia Eddy, Lourdes Davish.

The College of Architecture and Design was buzzing during ShowLTU CoAD 2026 Industry and Alumni Night! Our high expectations were met in many ways - the quality of our attendees, the quality of student work presented, and professionalism. Plus, our guests were amazed and inspired by Kai-Uwe Bergmann's talk.

If you missed the event, find the videos here:
Show LTU Awards: https://buff.ly/AFMMuV8
Design x Technology Lecture: Kai Uwe Bergmann: https://buff.ly/iP7WXzl

BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group