BACHELOR OF INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO . PORTFOLIO . 2022-2026
CONNEX- Law
Flight Path 66- Lighting
Soffioni- Garden
TIDE- Education
Harmoniq- Spa
Chapter 1
Dear Design,
Gratitude feels like the only appropriate beginning. Four years immersed in this discipline have cultivated strength, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to depth, integrity, and doing what is right - not simply what is easy. Within studios, structures, and historic walls, exploration became instinct and creativity evolved into thoughtful responsibility.
Art transformed from ornament to force, capable of healing, grounding, and shaping human experience. Space holds the power to steady the mind, restore the body, honor memory, and inspire forward movement. Through this realization, design became more than a profession; it became a responsibility to create environments that serve with intention and care.
Adaptability, connection, and empathy have proven as essential as technical precision. Design exists as a dialogue between structure and soul. From foundation to finish, the pursuit remains the same - to design with integrity, craft with precision, and create spaces that carry both weight and meaning.
All my best,
Madeline Stephens
DESIGN EDUCATION OVERVIEW
-The University of Idaho, Interior Architecture and Design Program, offers an accredited bachelor’s degree grounded in creative exploration and technical rigor through studios, theory, and hands-on application. Creating understanding of spatial design, balanced concept & constructability, human experience, environmental responsibility,&codecompliance.
Driven by a deep appreciation for historic detail and the discipline behind timeless craftsmanship, I hope to reflect a dedication to precision, intention, and design integrity. With a strong respect for the layers of history embedded within materials and structures, and a belief that thoughtful detail elevatesbothexperienceandlifetime.
With a very outgoing and adaptable nature I find ease navigating new environments, cultures, and architecturalcontexts.Myabilitytoconnectquickly and genuinely with others strengthens my design empathy,informingspacesthatarenotonlyrefined and carefully executed, but also deeply attuned to thepeoplewhoinhabitthem.
I take pride in the discipline of hand drafting, sketching, and watercolor studies, valuing the clarity,care,andemotionaldepththeybringtothe designprocess.
CRITICAL DESIGN SKILL
-DesignThinking
-EvidenceBasedDesignThoughtProcesses
-Poetic Concept Development & Cohesive Execution -FF&EKnowledge&SelectionCapability
TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE
Timberline High School
BoiseID-HSDiploma Aug2018-May2022 University Of Idaho MoscowID-Bachelors Interior Architecture and Design Minor in Architecture August2022-May2026
Additionally,yearsof experienceinhospitalityasawaitressstrengthenedcommunicationskills, efficiency under pressure, and a genuine appreciation for fast-paced, people-centered environments.
UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO
Currentlycompletingmybachelor'sdegreeinInteriorArchitectureandDesignwitha minorinArchitectureattheUniversityof Idaho.Academicfocuscentersonsustainable design strategies and historic preservation, balancing environmental responsibility with architecturalintegrity.
SEMESTER ABROAD
AccademiaItaliana-Florence,Italy
Studied abroad for five months in Florence, fully immersed in Italian design culture, history,anddailylife.Developedadeeperappreciationforrestoration,craftsmanship,and historically inspired design through a focused renovation project rooted in contextual sensitivity.
Worked alongside curators, preservationists, and architects within the Historic Preservation community of Annapolis, Maryland. Participated in site visits and contributed to initiatives focused on protecting historic rooflines and maintaining the architecturalintegrityofcolonial-erastructures.
Next CONNEX | Law Office
Year2025|Semester7
InteriorArchitectureandDesignIV
Instructor(s)
MirandaAnderson,DebraSaul Submissionfor-
SteelcaseStudentDesignCompetition
NEXT is a law firm that has served clients worldwide over fifty years. They are opening a new office in Los Angeles California, designed to embody the firm’s values of legacy, inclusivity and innovation, supporting flexible work andemployee well-being.
-THE BONDS THAT HOLD US-
One, unifying, inescapable force, connects us all. Like gravity and law alike, it grounds us - ensuring no one being exists higher or mightier than the rest. These invisible pulls bind us to each other. They anchor us in balance while allowing our individual experiences to move freely within shared boundaries.
NEXT embodies this inevitability of connection. Inspired by the microscopic structure of an atom that every element needs; and the fundamental force that holds all systems together, gravitational pull. The purest forms of balance and order.
Los Angeles office is a living system built around a core nucleus of legacy and purpose, surrounded by orbits of unique individuals, ideas, and energies.
A powerful CONNEX of law and the science of nature.
LAW CONNEX
ROOTED IN LAW DRIVEN BY LEGACY
NEXT-
Thriving on connection both foundationally and experientially, keeping everything in motion.
-CONNEX-
Definition: Connex (noun/adjective, archaic):
Adjective: Joined, linked, or related.
Noun: A relationship, union, or bond between things.
A state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced
LightinginBoth Tables/ chairs from cafe blend seamlessly with furniture from the Hall when opened together. Furniture is Compact & Mobile
Partition wall is on a curved track to divide/ join spaces. When open, spaces are fluidly joined by lighting and floor inlays.
Collapsable-
Felt Partition Wall
Town Hall & Circulation
Work Cafe
FLIGHT PATH 66 |
Year2025|Semester7
InteriorArchitectureandDesignIV
Instructor(s)
MirandaAnderson,DebraSaul,ThariqueDeSilva
Submissionfor-
RobertBruceThompsonLightingDesignCompetition
Awarded-
Honorable Mention for the Student | IIDA NPC design competition
An airport boarding lounge lighting installation, for the “Robert Bruce Thompson Annual Student Light Fixture Design Competition”. The competition proposed an issue afflicting airport boarding lounges across the US, they stated “...too often the lighting in these locations is bland, unmemorable and uninspiring. Management would like the lounge area to be welcoming, comfortable and unforgettable. They are experimenting with changing the lighting and interiors in several of the lounges to create a high-quality environment where you would like to stay... Not a place where you can’t wait to leave.” (rbtcompetition.org). This is a great effort during an era of hyper-independence and fast-paced lifestyles, where it is vital to protect human connection.
The lounge ceiling is set at 12’ high with the architecture completely up to the designer’s discretion. The design should be replicable throughout the extent of the airport.
PROPOSAL-
Inspired by the winding path of Historic Highway US Route 66, once the great American journey, crossing shifting landscapes and endless horizons. A reminder of intentional travel and time spent with loved ones, a reflection of the slower days of life.
Recessed into the ceiling above an airport boarding lounge, this fluid, winding form recalls the curves, dips, and elevation changes of the historic roadway. Sequentially changing light temperatures will reflect those of the changing colors of daylight outside, following the rhythm of day and night. As travelers wait to board, the instillation bridges past and present, indoor and outdoor, and reminds us that travel is more than a destination;
It is a passage of time, memory, and intention.
MaterialUse-
Five-footsectioned modular light “roads” will be made from a semi translucent ABS Injection-Molded sheet then incrementallysecuredintotheceilingsupports.
Subtle integrated City markers project 1/4" from the ceiling. Labeling major cities along Route 66, creating an even deeper sense of connection to physical location for the viewer. Encouraging the idea of slow, intentional travel.
SOFFIONI | Children's Center
Year2025|Semester6
AdvancedInteriorPlanning
VincenzoRoccoMagrin
HistoricAdaptiveReuseProject|AccademiaItaliana
IL GIARDINO DEI SOFFIONI – THE GARDEN OF
DANDELIONS
A magical children’s space inspired by the resilience and wonder of the dandelion.
An effort to bringing nature and imagination into the heart of Florence Italy for our young generations. Done by adapting the historically monumental building, Spedale degli Innocenti. Using organic architecture and interactive environments, fostering play, creativity, and education will allow children to explore,
“When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about and that was the beginning of Fairies.”
CONCEPT ~ Some seeds are meant to stay where they fall, but dandelions were born to travel, carried by the wind to new places, new stories, and new dreams.
Like dandelions breaking through the pavement, children grow with unstoppable energy, reaching for the sky while staying deeply rooted in their world. Il Giardino dei Soffioni – The Garden of Dandelions is a place where imagination flourishes against all odds, where curiosity drifts freely, and where ideas take flight.
Here, play is magic, learning is an adventure, and every child is a seed of endless possibility. In this space, wonder knows no boundaries, and creativity moves like the wind, spreading far beyond it’s walls to shape the world around.
Greenhouse V2
Reception and Stage V1
Planetarium V3
MainMaterials- Cork Bark Chevron Rubber
Barrie’s world of Neverland, resists the pressures of growing up too fast and can be found rooted in the design philosophy of Soffione. Creating room for softness in a hard landscape, for magic in a structured world, and for resilience disguised as whimsy.
Elements in the design references not only the fluff of the dandelion but the flutter of fairy wings. The unseen spark of belief that, in Barrie’s words, makes it possible to fly.
Laboratory & Observation
Caffè del Verone, P.za della SS. Annunziata,13,
The proposed children’s center will be in place of the current Caffè del Verone.
Situated in a stunning Piazza, directly above the historically monumental~ Spedale degli Innocenti (hospital of the innocents). Europe’s first orphanage.
FIRENZE
ITALIA
in need of refuge.
Designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. The hospital operated for centuries, caring for thousands of foundlings , who were left anonymously through a special revolving “wheel” (ruota).
ARNORIVER
Greenhouse -Il Giardino dei SOFFIONI-
TIDE | Education Center
Year2025|Semester7
InteriorArchitectureandDesignIV
Instructor(s)
DebraSaul,AnnJeanetteSeymour
Submissionfor-
2025StudentDesignCompetition-ID
Awarded-
Proposalwas one of the two selected projects UofItobesubmittedtothefinalIDECcompetition winner'scircle. Final placement TBA
Collaboration with B. Douglas, A. Cobarruvias, A. Matthews
Technology-Immersion-Diversity-Education
PROJECT-
Submission to the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) 2025 Student Design Competition - a nationally juried competition challenging students to address critical social and environmental issues through innovative spatial solutions.
CONCEPT-
TIDE is a modular, floating learning center constructed from repurposed shipping containers. Designed to rest along lakes, rivers, and coastal zones, it bridges oceanographic education with life-saving water safety training foradultlearners.
Through adaptable planning and layered programming, the structure integrates digital technology with hands-on environmental learning-encouragingmovement&reflection.
NAIRATIVE -
Across communities, the divide between people and water continues to grown wider. Climate change, fluctuating water levels, and increasing pollution have made these environments less predictable, while access to education and safety training has dwindled. Adults 20-65+ often lack the tools, confidence, or opportunity to engage in meaningful hands-on learning with their local resources and community.
TIDE serves as a semi-permanent, mobile intervention, reconnecting communities to the waters that sustain them. Each modular recycled shipping container addresses a distinct educational component, guiding users through a spatial sequence that culminates in immersion.
The project acts as both infrastructure and invitation: a bridge between people and water, fostering awareness, safety, and stewardship throughexperience.
MATERIALITY
WATER SAFETY SKILLS
FLOATING SYSTEM OCEAN HEALTH & VITALIZATION
Teach swimming, rescue, and water safety awareness
BIOLOGICAL STUDIES
Study marine life, ecosystems, and biodiversity.
Focus on conservation, sustainability, and the human impact on ocean ecosystems.
SCIENTIFIC OCEAN STUDIES
Explore ocean science — physical, chemical, and geological aspects.
Reimagined, water-sealed, shipping containers.
The structure is watertight once the modular units are assembled on site. Utilizes light-weight long-lasting materials.
Shipping Container
Cork Composite Panels
Recycled Rubber
Marine-Grade Aluminum Panel
Open Water Swim Zone
Ocean Health Education
Biological Ocean Study
HARMONIQ | Spa
Year2024|Semester5
InteriorArchitectureandDesignIII
Instructor(s)
ThariqueDeSilva,AnnJeanetteSeymour
Submissionfor-
BienenstockStudentDesignCompetition.
The 2025 Interior Design BienenstockProject was to design a holistic day spa specializing in therapeutic treatment for multiple sclerosis patients.
The spa is owned and managed by a doctor and physical therapist team. The owners reside in a 1,000 sq ft space within the 4,600 sq ft building located at the base of a mountain and surrounded by park-like settings, water features and abundant wildlife. It is very important that the facility reduces stress and outside pressures to provide a tranquil holistic environment.
Har-mon-ik - Combining the timeless principles of balance and organic interconnectedness with a modern, tech-inspired edge. Inspiring harmony of mind, body, and spirit, with a sophisticated approach to wellness and nature. Harmoniq inspires a rejuvenating haven that integrates modern innovation with the wisdom of natural well-being.
Inspired by biomimicry and natural healing elements, the spa integrates water, light, and biophilia to combat stress, fatigue, and physical discomfort associated with MS. The project reflects the interconnectedness of nature and well-being “embracing mother natures’ innate help and healing”, utilizing self sustaining systems, green building practices, and organic interior elements to enhance both aesthetic and functional healing.
Salt Rock - Sand - Water Specialized Therapy Room
Moss Wall in Reception
r essential functions within.
The spa’s architectural design embraced natural materials and forms reflecting the mountain scenery of the site, fluid spatial layouts, and holistic wellness principles to foster relaxation and rejuvenation.
-Reflecting the organic function and form of trees.
Accessibility was a prioritized through barrier-free circulation, adaptable spaces, and sensory-friendly environments.
HARMONIQ~
RESIDENTIAL PORTION
A 1,000 sqft private residence needed to be seamlessly integrated, reflecting the spa’s design philosophy while providing a warm, homely retreat for the owners (pictured in the lower right corner of the plan).
Design has become more than the creation of functional space; it is the shaping of experience, emotion, and connection to the built environment.
Through materiality, form, and historical context, this work strives to create spaces that carry meaning and respond to their surroundings with intention.
