Princeton’s Yeh and New College West residential colleges continue to bring recognition for their exceptional design. The colleges received top honors at the Association of University Interior Designers (AUID) 2023 Design Competition in the Student Life & Academics Over 20,000 square feet category.  

Brielle Bentley, Senior Interior Project Manager in the Office of Capital Projects, was awarded the honor for her work managing the interiors for the new colleges at this year’s AUID conference. Yeh and New College West are designed to be approachable and inclusive: easy to navigate, easy to find your place, easy to make your own. Altogether, the new colleges enrich the daily lives of undergraduates across all four years of college with spaces for socializing, dining, making, living, and learning. 

“The award solidifies the University’s success in creating a welcoming environment to students,” Bentley said. “The designs provide choices to students on how they want to engage in each space and with one another. Seeing the interactions of students utilizing the spaces gives me great satisfaction. The spaces provide students with a sense of belonging.” 

The AUID includes 150 members across 81 higher education institutions. The Judges, which reviewed submissions over four categories, had positive comments about the project. “Every surface, fixture, finish and furnishing in harmony,” one of the judges said. 

“This project was a show-stopper among the candidates,” said another judge. “The use of slat wood ceilings was thoughtful and well-executed. Loved the furniture selections, textures, and colors throughout.” 

The completion of the furnishings at Yeh and New College West was a team effort, Brielle said. “So many people were involved from Facilities, outside move management teams and furniture installers for the final touches,” she said. “Everyone sees the beautiful final installation photographs, but they may not know the magic it took to pull everything together in such a tight timeframe.”