School: Ryerson University
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Undergraduate program: Bachelor of Interior Design
Graduate program: None
Number of students: 400
Number of faculty: 28 (full- and part-time)
Notable alumni: George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg of Yabu Pushelberg, Diego Burdi and Paul Filek of Burdifilek, Elaine Cecconi of Cecconi Simone, Ashley Rumsey and Stanley Sun of Mason Studio
Website: rsid.ryerson.ca
Strengths: A dedicated School of Interior Design offering a strong base in studio-centred learning – students are constantly challenged to resolve design problems both independently or through collaboration – with access to loads of cutting-access technology
The overview: This workshop-based experiential program has been significantly enhanced by the recent addition of a new state-of-the-art digital fabrication lab including equipment such as 3D printers, laser cutters, a CNC router, 3D scanners and a CNC knife cutter. (Additionally, the school’s Design Fabrication Zone, a multidisciplinary experiential learning lab, is available to Interior Design students.) Classes are taught in a vintage warehouse building in bustling downtown Toronto, its wood and brick artfully exposed. External design-build partnerships introduce students to organizations like the Bata Shoe Museum, IIDEX and the Design Exchange Museum. Semester-long exchanges send students as far away as Australia, Hong Kong and Finland, while a required internship further readies students for professional life.