The Office of Academic Affairs awarded Emerson Kraus ’24 (BFA), whose thesis project is featured on this page, the Chairman’s Award winner for her overall performance at NYSID . At NYSID, thesis projects are long journeys that challenge students to brainstorm, conduct research, and synthesize all they have learned. The journey ends with a presentation to a jury of faculty and industry professionals. Our students work closely with faculty to create hypothetical designs that offer solutions to real-world problems.

Student: Emerson Krau
Project: Art of Wellness
Program: Bachelor of Fine Arts
Instructor: Robert Dadras

Chairman’s Award winner Emerson Kraus’ thesis was inspired by holistic wellness, drawing on elements from Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish design as well as contemporary design’s clean lines. “My project aimed to celebrate wellness as a journey of curiosity and appreciation and encourage a holistic, regenerative approach to how we live, heal, and interact with the environment around us,” explains Kraus. She researched the five dimensions of wellness—physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual—which led to a design that showcases the relationship between well-being and the dimensions with the distinct spaces of a reception area, a staff wing, a hotel, and a wellness center. She located the wellness center in the footprint of McNay Art Museum, a Spanish Colonial Revival mansion in San Antonio, Texas. “Its blend of historic charm and modern design, especially the sleek glass extension nestled into the hillside, which creates a seamless connection between nature and architecture. It’s exactly what I wanted guests to experience at Art of Wellness, she added.

Kraus used color theory throughout the design with green representing renewal and rebirth, pink symbolizing harmony, and blue representing calm and relaxation. The color scheme, combined with sustainable design elements of solar panels, skylights, and reuseable materials, reinforces the project’s theme of renewal. Kraus utilized butterfly chairs she designed in her furniture design class in the dining space which underscore the project’s focus on the relationship between humans and nature. The biophilic design is meant to be a sanctuary for the end user, who will be able to focus on finding peace with the fitness and therapy spaces, while also fostering meaningful connections in the shared lounge and dining rooms.

Since graduating, Kraus has started her design studio, Studio Em, LLC, while also working at Rachel Mast Design in Austin, Texas.

— Olivia Baldacci