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Corcoran School of the Arts & Design

Columbian College of Arts & Sciences

Stephanie Travis

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Stephanie Travis

Program Head, Interior Architecture; Associate Professor, Interior Architecture Program

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Bio

Stephanie received her Master of Architecture with distinction and Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Michigan. Prior to GW, Stephanie worked in New York City for renown designer Vicente Wolf. She brings her passion for modern architecture and design to her courses and research; her love of drawing led to her best-selling book, Sketching for Architecture + Interior Design, which has been published in seven languages and is sold in museums around the world (including her favorite, the MoMA, in NYC). Her following books, 25 Concepts in Modern Architecture: A Guide for Visual Thinkers (Bloomsbury 2021), and Interior Design is Not Decoration and Other Ideas (Laurence King 2024) were co-written with C. Anderson. She has also brought students abroad to study modern architecture in cities such as Paris, London, Copenhagen, Berlin, and Milan. A devoted modernist, Stephanie lives in a mid-century modern house with her family, who support her addiction to architecture books, modern chairs, and minimalist design.  

 

Current Research + Creative Projects 

  • Visual Making: Teaching History Through Design Processes (with C. Anderson)
  • Add Color: 100 Modern Chairs Coloring Book
  • Modern + Contemporary Chair Poster

Publications

Books:

  • Interior Design is Not Decoration And Other Ideas
    • Laurence King Publishing Ltd, London (August, 2024)
    • co-written with C. Anderson
    • print ISBN 978-1-52943-155-1
    • ebook ISBN 978-1-52943-156-8
  • 25 Concepts in Modern Architecture: A Guide for Visual Thinkers
    •  Bloomsbury Publishing, London (2021)
    • co-written with C. Anderson
    • print ISBN 978-1-3500-5560-5
    • ebook ISBN 978-1-3500-5558-2
  • Sketching for Architecture + Interior Design
    • Laurence King Publishing Ltd., London (2015)
    • also published in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Chinese, and Russian  
    • ISBN 987-178067-592-3

Articles:

  • Architecture_MPS, Volume 22, Issue 1 (2022)

"Onsite/Online: A Case Study Approach Pivots to Virtual and Back with New Strategies Learned"

  • Museum History Journal, Volume 14, Issue 1-2 (2021)

"Function or Folly?: Philip Johnson's Pre-Columbian Pavilion at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington DC"

  • Design Principles and Practices: An International Journal - Annual Review, Volume 14, Issue 1 (2020)

"Answering JFK’s Call with a Modern Masterpiece: Marcel Breuer’s Robert C. Weaver Federal Building in Washington DC"

The Annual Review publishes articles by invitation-only based on the strongest peer reviews in the collection

  • The International Journal of Architectonic, Spatial, and Enviromental Design, Volume 12, Issue 2 (2018)

"Pure Form: The Interior of the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington DC"

Awarded the Design Principles and Practices International Award for Excellence 

  • The International Journal of Design Education, Volume 12, Issue 3 (2018)

"Design Process: A Methodology for Ingetrating Studios and Supporting Courses" (co-written with C. Anderson)

  • The International Journal of Architectonic, Spatial, and Environmental Design, Volume 9, Issue 3 (2015)

"The Forgotten Memorial: Mies van der Rohe’s Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in the Nation's Capital"

  • The International Journal of Design in Society, Volume 9, Issue 2 (2015)

"Philip Johnson’s Kreeger House: A Synthesis of Home and Museum"

  • The International Journal of Design Education, Volume 7, Issue 3 (2014)

"Sketching as a Tool for Seeing: A Method for Teaching Drawing to Architecture and Interior Design Students"

  • The International Journal of Design Education, Volume 6, Issue 3 (2013)

"The Design Critique: Faculty to Student, Student to Student, and Student to Self"

  • Design Principles and Practices: An International Journal, Volume 5, Issue 6 (2011)

"Conceptual Thinking: Understanding and Emphasizing the Development of the Design Concept"

Education

BS Architecture, University of Michigan 
Master of Architecture, University of Michigan (with distinction)

Professional Organizations + Certificates

  • Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP)
  • Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC)
  • NCIDQ Certificate No. 024979