Appalachian State University’s Interior Design program is celebrating a major national achievement after rising senior Rose Shandra, President of the university’s IIDA Campus Center, earned 2nd place at the 2026 National IIDA Student Design Charette held during NeoCon and Design Days in Chicago.
Shandra was selected by IIDA Carolinas as the sole student representative from App State, following a departmental nomination. From there, she advanced to the national level, where IIDA Headquarters chose her as one of only 50 students in the country to compete in this year’s prestigious charette.
The competition brought together ten teams of top design students from across the United States. Each team was challenged to develop a complete MillerKnoll office design in just 4.5 hours, relying on rapid collaboration, hand drafting, and rendering to bring their concepts to life.
Shandra’s team impressed judges with their concept, Flow + Connection, a design inspired by the Chicago River as a place where local residents and international visitors gather, collaborate, and exchange ideas. The theme aligned closely with the mission of sponsor MillerKnoll, emphasizing the power of community and global design innovation.
“Our concept represents the idea that people from around the world come together at the river to collaborate as a community,” Shandra shared. “It reflects how designers within Chicago and beyond can connect in shared spaces to create meaningful, innovative work.”
The team’s materials were generously sponsored by MillerKnoll, Behr Paint Company, Momentum Textiles, and the National Terrazzo and Mosaic Association, all of which provided sustainable products essential to the final design.
Shandra’s 2nd‑place finish marks an exciting milestone for App State’s Interior Design program and highlights the growing national presence of its student designers.
IIDA 2026 Rose Shandra
IIDA 2026 Rose Shandra