Principal Designer Francesco Giampietro, Interior Designer Cassandra Brandow and Professor Craig Crane offered Fanshawe College, in London Ontario the opportunity to participate in their initiative to enhance students' understanding of the materials and tools needed to be successful in the Interior Design Industry.
“WE ARE DOING THIS TO HELP YOU EXPLORE DESIGN IN A DIFFERENT WAY, MORE CREATIVELY”
Francesco Giampietro
Francesco explains the reason behind the enhanced learning experience, "Today’s high speed technological world has blinded us into believing that the vast amount of knowledge and information we have produced in past decades is being passed on to the younger generation. The reality is far from the truth. It is up to industry leaders to take these enthusiastic young designers and guide their way of thinking by teaching them meaningful and practical knowledge, so that they can create and design a more magnificent future."
Chestnut Grove Design Studio invited four key industry suppliers to participate in this teaching event, giving each of them time to enlighten the students on the products that they produce. Jeff Ayley of Wanderosa Wood Products, Naomi Katz of Stone Tile, Christine Roell of Cosentino and Laura Dewhirst of Willis participated in a presentation followed by an engaging question and answer session with the students.
Francesco and Cassandra took the students on an informational tour of the design studio, showroom and fabrication studio, to show them the elements required to produce a successful design - from start to finish. Francesco explains to the students the advantages of having his own fabrication shop, "What I found was a common problem in the interior design field; a translation between the designer and all the other people down the road. One of the frustrations when creating boutique furniture was that some of the craftsmen did not have the skill or attention to detail, and things didn't turn out the way I wanted." This is why Francesco's studio owns their fabrication facility, giving them 100% control over everything that they design.
He then focused on the importance of teaching the younger generation of designers' the benefits of learning from seasoned industry designers, "We are dong this to help you explore design in a different way, more creatively." The tour of the studio culminated in a discussion of past student projects from previous visits to Chestnut Grove.
Craig Crane's students will be required to produce a project called, "Designing The Future," which focuses on aging in place and modular interiors. The emphasis is on experimenting with materials, "We have the ability to experiment," Francesco tells the students when discussing their upcoming project. Cassandra and Francesco hope the students will freely use their imaginations and research with different materials for their projects.
Chestnut Grove designer's Francesco and Cassandra value the time spent enriching the next generation of interior design professionals and look forward to answering any questions they may have.
PARTICIPATING SUPPLIERS
