Spencer De Mille Travel Fellowship Presentation

About this event

Kendra Shea our 2025 Spencer De Mille Travel Fellowship winner will speak about her travels abroad and how she this has informed her design thinking.

Kendra’s Research Focus: Designing Community Through Interior Public Space

Kendra’s fellowship will explore how indoor public spaces foster community through the lens of urban design theories and how these ideas can be applied in the Pacific Northwest. Her research centers on the belief that PNW communities lack integrated, inclusive indoor public environments—and that intentional interior design can play a transformative role. Her project include travel and study of three international case studies, each tied to a specific urban theory: The Barbican - London, United Kingdom, Twegashe School - Tanzania, and Merida, Spain.

She also highlighted her travels in her podcast, Design Over Drinks! https://designoverdrinks.buzzsprout.com/

The Spencer de Mille Traveling Fellowship was established with funds contributed by the IIDA Northern Pacific Chapter Knowledge Advancement Fund in honor of past president, Spencer de Mille. The fellowship is intended to support foreign travel undertaken to research new and innovative practices related to the built environment that will further the recipient’s career goals and could have positive implications for the communities of the Pacific Northwest. We plan to open submissions for 2027, in the early new year!