Joan Blumenfeld MArch ’79 has been honored with the 2018 Legend Award from Contract magazine. She is the 16th recipient of the annual award, which recognizes individuals whose work and achievements have “contributed in a significant way to the practice of commercial interior design.” “Joan has had a demonstrable impact as a leader among women in architecture, as a mentor, as an advocate for sustainability and wellness—recognizing that the interiors we design have an impact on healthy living,” said John Czarnecki, Contract’s editor in chief.

Blumenfeld’s first job in architecture was with Sert, Jackson & Associates in 1977 while she was still a student at the GSD. “Sert was inspiring and encouraging,” Blumenfeld recalls. She went on to work at a few Boston-area firms before moving to New York in 1984. Since 2005, Blumenfeld has worked for the global design firm Perkins+Will, where she currently serves as a design principal. She was previously the firm’s first global design director for interiors.

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Photograph by Brian Ferry.