The International Interior Design Association Rocky Mountain Chapter recently recognized our Swarthmore College Dining and Community Commons project with a 2025 BEST Award in the Serve – Higher Education category.

The IIDA Rocky Mountain Chapter BEST Awards aim to recognize design excellence, encourage new ideas and techniques, and build public awareness in the field of interior design.

Swarthmore College envisioned a dynamic, inclusive, and sustainable dining hub – transforming the historic facility into Sharples Commons while introducing a new Dining Center to serve the evolving campus needs. Our design achieves this vision through a bold architectural statement centered around mass timber, creating a warm, biophilic environment that promotes student well-being while advancing the College’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2035.

The award was presented at the 14th Annual BEST Awards Show and Winner Announcement on May 1 at the Denver Art Museum in Denver.