Yabu Pushelberg Gift to Zone Leads by Design

The bond between Ryerson University and Yabu Pushelberg runs deep. Founders George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg graduated together in 1976 from Interior Design, and have been making connections with their alma mater ever since.

They connected when, as alumni, they ran into each other and decided to share a studio. They connected when they agreed to merge their individual businesses and form what quickly became one of the most lauded, innovative, and sought-after interior design firms in the world. They connected when they established an endowment fund at Ryerson to recognize and inspire outstanding interior design students. And they have built on that connection again by recently creating the Yabu Pushelberg Award for Innovation in Interior Design to support burgeoning entrepreneurs in the Design Fabrication Zone (DFZ), Ryerson’s interdisciplinary incubator used by emerging interior designers, architects, and engineers to take design projects from idea to prototype. Their generous gift, matched by the university and the Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, will create an annual award of up to $6,000 for a senior student to work in the DFZ at Ryerson.

“We believe in excellence in education.  Our desire is to provide support in the form of a bridge between education and the world beyond; to help nurture entrepreneurs, and contribute to the incubation of ideas that will propel our industry forward,” say George and Glenn.

The first Yabu Pushelberg Award for Innovation in Interior Design will be given out in the spring of 2016, and promises to motivate and inspire students toward innovation and design excellence. Recipients will be able to use the funds for materials, marketing, research and other elements that contribute to building their prototypes in the DFZ.

To celebrate their outstanding support, the Design Fabrication Zone held a special reception for Yabu Pushelberg in February, followed by a Q&A moderated by David Dick-Agnew, senior editor of AZURE magazine. Ryerson School of Interior Design (RSID) students, faculty, staff, and industry professionals were in attendance to thank the duo and to glean from their experience and expertise.

“This award is really going to propel a third or fourth year student forward and determine their career path,” says Filiz Klassen, founder and co-director of the Design Fabrication Zone, and professor in the School of Interior Design. “Education is great, but practice of interior design is typically an uphill road at the beginning. To be able to give this opportunity to a graduating student gives them important mentorship, access to facilities, and an opportunity to showcase what they can do. It helps them determine the direction they want to take as an emerging designer. The fact the award comes from Yabu Pushelberg, who are Ryerson alumni and founded an extremely successful firm, is incredibly encouraging for students. They see what is possible, what can be accomplished, and the importance of innovation in their work,” she adds.

To learn more about the DFZ, please visit the DFZ website.