Winners of the 2024 Recipe for a Room Competition Create Places for the Displaced

Hosted by the AIANY Interiors Committee, Recipe for a Room is a model-making contest about building spatial, sculptural, miniature rooms while fostering creativity and professional mentorship. The 2024 edition benefits Terra Firma, a New York City-based non-profit organization supporting newly arrived immigrant children and families in gaining access to quality healthcare and legal representation.

Over 180,000 asylum seekers have arrived in New York City since the spring of 2022. Many did not choose this city as their destination, but all are travelers who left a previous home behind. In September 2023, Mayor Eric Adams stated, “New York is one of the few states where you have the right to shelter… however, while our compassion is limitless, our resources are not.” Shelter is only guaranteed for 30 days for single individuals and 60 days for families. This year’s contest asked student competitors to create a safe, temporary, portable room for two displaced persons (one parent and one child), constructed of items one might take when leaving a previous life: a bag, a coat, favorite shirt, shoes, family photos, etc. Two-person teams, each comprised of a student and architect mentor, designed portable shelters that can be folded up into suitcase-size packs. Winners were determined during a live contest event on Thursday, September 5, 2024.