As a high school student drawing up career plans, Rebecca Stewart ’06 wasn’t certain about what a career in the interior design technology field would entail.

After enrolling in Lakeland College’s interior design technology program, she soon discovered a passion for design. Now a working professional, Rebecca’s most recent accomplishment indicates that she’s building her career on a solid foundation.

In October, Stewart, an interior design technologist with Stantec Architecture Ltd. in Saskatoon, was awarded the distinguished Premier’s Design Award of Excellence, in the category of Interior Design to share with colleague and project partner Jackie Hoeppner.

The award was announced during Design Week ‘09, a week-long biannual celebration hosted by the Design Council of Saskatchewan that involves design professionals, educates the public and promotes design excellence.

The dynamic design duo of Stewart and Hoeppner earned the award for a modernization project of Mano’s, a restaurant in Saskatoon which had an interior dating back to the 1980s. Involving the clients in the process, the design team developed a design concept that encompassed their wants and needs for a modernized space. As a result, the project evolved into a full-scale renovation that improved functionality, accessibility and aesthetics.

“It became apparent that the owners’ objectives for the project were really fourfold,” explains Stewart. “They wanted to update the restaurant’s image so that they could attract younger patrons but still maintain its 50+ year old clientele, showcase its extensive wine collection and create an efficient layout to improve functionality and accessibility while maintaining occupancy during the construction process.”

With priorities nailed down, the pair set to work to develop a design concept that boldly integrated the elements of earth, rain and fire. “We thematically applied classic materials, dramatic details, effective accent lighting and created a striking sunburst ceiling and sparkling crystal rain feature in the dining area,” says Stewart. “The fire element was to immediately become apparent upon entry and form part of the edgy lounge design. In the interests of sustainability and client wishes, we also managed to retain the original rustic stone and water feature already in the restaurant and integrate them into the new “earthy” palette and modernized design. The result really set a new standard of quality for the restaurant and lounge.”

With the Premier’s Award added to an already impressive portfolio, Stewart is helping to establish a high level of credibility in the design field which benefits both the profession and the public.

“There’s some very cool stuff happening,” says Stewart. “It’s great to have a province-wide event like Design Week to promote design. The awards and entries submitted say a lot about the quality of work. There is a great degree of high quality work going on and it’s exciting to see the public as well as professionals getting involved and wanting to be a part of it, and most of all, wanting to go forward and do even better work. That really helps to push that envelope to be even more creative.”

Stewart joined Stantec as a full-time interior design technologist in 2006 soon after completing a practicum placement as a Lakeland College student. She is currently preparing to write the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) exam to become a registered interior designer. She recently passed the Leadership in Environmental & Energy Design for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) exam to become an accredited professional in sustainable design. She is also an active member of the Interior Design Association of Saskatchewan.

A home grown Saskatchewan girl, Stewart is a strong advocate of Lakeland College. “Lakeland’s program opened so many doors that otherwise would have been unknown or unavailable to me,” says Stewart.

“I have great memories of Lakeland. We spent an exponential amount of hours in the studio, but the accomplishments, positive energy and strong relationships that we made with each other made it all worthwhile. Our faculty’s teaching abilities of design fundamentals and skills also continually helped us to raise the bar.”

Top: Photo by Tyler Stewart Slide show: The renovated Mano's