SOPHIE GERSHTENSON

Sophie is a fourth-year student at the University of Kentucky’s College of Design studying interior design and environmental and sustainability studies. She holds a passion for design that is sustainable both environmentally and socially and is often inspired by the natural world in her work. As a Gaines Fellow in the Humanities at UK, Sophie also strives to look at design from a human-centered and holistic perspective.

Sophie believes that diversity, culture, history, and wellness should be supported in all interior environments. As a proponent for historic preservation, she has additionally completed an undergraduate certificate in this subject. She is of the mindset that rehabilitation and adaptive reuse projects will become increasingly crucial as our earth continues to change. Utilizing existing structures is not only crucial for material conservation, but also helps to preserve history contained in our built environment that might otherwise be lost forever.

While open to many avenues of design in her professional career, Sophie is most interested in pursuing work involving affordable housing units, textile and material work, and hospitality. As approximately 90% of our lives are spent indoors, Sophie recognizes that creating beautiful, functional, and inclusive interior spaces is of the utmost importance to human and environmental wellbeing.