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Photo of two-seated individuals at a small table and a bartender behind a bar, whose sculptural elements resemble an oyster
The Pearl Bar and Dining Room within Oya, an oyster bar concept by Sophie Metzger and inspired by the anatomy of the mollusk.

feature / spatial-experience-design
July 31, 2026
By Mike R. Winder

SPATIAL EXPERIENCE DESIGN STUDENTS WIN PRESTIGIOUS INTERIOR DESIGN AWARD

SOPHIE METZGER AND MARY NERSESYAN EACH WIN A DONGHIA FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP

Congratulations are in order for Spatial Experience Design students Sophie Metzger and Mary Nersesyan, who were recently selected as recipients of this year's Donghia Foundation Scholarship, a prestigious interior design award, each receiving a $30,000 award.

Selected through a highly competitive process, Metzger was recognized for her project Oya, an oyster bar concept shaped by the anatomy of an oyster, while Nersesyan was recognized for her mocktail bar concept Nectar, an ikebana space inspired by the aromas and colors of nature. Both projects were created as part of the Materials Advanced course in ArtCenter's Spatial Experience Design program.

Black-and-white headshot of student Sophie Metzger
Spatial Experience Design student Sophie Metzger is a recipient of this year's Donghia Foundation Scholarship.
Photo of two seated individuals speaking in a warm, low-lit lounge
The Autumn lounge within Nectar, a mocktail bar and ikebana space concept, designed by Mary Nersesyan.

Metzger and Nersesyan have partnered on multiple projects while studying at the College, from the community green space project Gather Altadena in Resilient Futures Lab (a course the L.A. Times covered), which supported collective recovery and long-term community growth, to their projects in the Materials Innovation: Seaweed Sponsored Studio.

Metzger's design philosophy centers on crafting emotionally resonant, multisensory experiences that honor mind, body and community. Nersesyan designs immersive environments that invite people to reconnect with themselves, each other, and the world around them.

Black-and-white headshot of student Mary Nersesyan
Spatial Experience Design student Mary Nersesyan is a recipient of this year's Donghia Foundation Scholarship.
Section view of Metzger
A cutaway of Metzger's Oya, showing the Pearl Bar and Dining Room and The Shell, the establishment's arrival bar.

“Sophie and Mary have demonstrated outstanding commitment to their work, and I am very happy to see their talent recognized with this award,” said Stella Hernandez (BS 11), co-chair of Industrial and Spatial Experience Design.

"These are such wonderful projects," added James Meraz, associate chair of Industrial and Spatial Experience Design. "We're thrilled to see Sophie and Mary receiving this well-deserved recognition."

Metzger is also one of five Spatial Experience Design students who recently won the 2026 HiP Award from Interior Design Magazine for Workplace: Highback Seating and a Best of NeoCon Innovation Award for Privacy Please, ArtCenter Collection, five privacy lounges designed for a Bernhardt Design sponsored project.



In a bright dining space, customers sit underneath plants hanging from bow truss beams
The Summer dining space within Nersesyan's Nectar is a nature-oriented space.

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