Interior Design student scoops national award for ambitious second-year project
21 July 2026
For BA(Hons) Interior Design student Marea Tippetts, developing digital skills and having the space to experiment at Falmouth has led to her creating the designs for an immersive dining experience, entitled Wonder. Inspiring the judges at this year’s Interior Educators’ National Student Awards, Marea’s work has awarded her with the Innovation in Practice and Process Award as Progressing Student.
Now, Marea's work has been published on Dezeen and the Interior Educators’ websites and has created the opportunity to take part in a year-long tour across various locations hosted by Interior Educators members.
Marea’s winning project, which explores how nature can impact the way interiors are designed, was inspired by the organisational intelligence of ant colonies. “My project views human behaviour through the lens of an ant colony system, exploring themes of community, roles and hierarchy to reimagine how people move, gather and interact within a space,” Marea shared with us. “Through a combination of physical model making, 3D scanning and digital modelling, I developed an innovative design process that bridged physical experimentation and digital technology, creating a unique spatial experience that celebrates collaboration, sustainability and human connection.”
Describing her win as “incredibly rewarding”, Marea felt thrilled that the award celebrated not only her design, but the innovative process that went behind it. “Having initially struggled with digital skills at the beginning of my university journey, receiving this award has shown me just how much I have grown and how my hard work and perseverance have been recognised,” Marea said. “This project has been one of the most rewarding challenges of my time at Falmouth University; it pushed me to develop new digital skills, embrace unfamiliar technologies and experiment with ways of designing that I'd never explored before. Throughout the process, I learned to trust my ideas, persevere through challenges and believe in my own abilities, even when the outcome felt uncertain.
“For me, this award has reinforced my confidence as a designer and shown me the value of taking creative risks, staying curious and trusting the design process. Having my work recognised by Interior Educators and featured in Dezeen has been an incredible milestone, encouraging me to continue exploring innovative approaches to creating meaningful and immersive interior experiences.”
Alongside Marea’s win, fellow BA(Hons) Interior Design student Poppy Lowe-Andrews and BA(Hons) Interior Architecture student Imogen Taylor saw their work shortlisted for the Spatial Experience & Interior Response Award, an accolade that celebrates designs focused on how space is conceived, organised and resolved.
Imogen’s shortlisted project, Umbra, is a concept that reimagines Village Underground, Shoreditch through the lens of sustainability and sensory engagement. Exploring how artificial light and shadow can shape perception, Imogen’s project considers the ways interior design influences emotion and behaviour.
For Poppy, Eat from the Earth is a demonstration of a clearly conceived spatial journey inspired by mushrooms and mycelium networks, encouraging sustainable dining and reduced meat consumption. Through atmosphere and materiality, Poppy’s project is an interior that educates users on sustainable plant-based food systems.
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