Quake Inspired Work of Student Designer
A Cal State Northridge graduate student whose experience during the 1994 earthquake inspired her to study the effect quakes have on building interiors has been awarded a $4,150 fellowship.
Barbara Blatt Kessler received the 1996-97 International Interior Design Assn./Steelcase Design Partnership Professional Fellowship during a luncheon held this month in Chicago.
The award will pay for a study to determine the impact earthquakes have on the interiors of commercial buildings, inspired by the Jan. 17, 1994, Northridge earthquake, which severely damaged Kessler’s home as well as portions of CSUN.
In awarding the fellowship, judges noted that Kessler’s proposal could benefit commercial property owners on the West Coast.
A Granada Hills resident, Kessler received a bachelor’s degree in 1995 and will enter CSUN’s graduate program in interior design in the fall.
She hopes to use the information she gains to create a guide that will help owners and occupants prepare for and recover from quakes.
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