text: For the first time, a team from the University of Illinois has been selected to participate in the CONNECT student design competition at SOFA Chicago, which will be held at Navy Pier on November 3–6. Six entries from distinguished and inventive design programs were chosen to be created on-site at this long-running fair that showcases high-caliber contemporary art and design from around the world. CONNECT features installations of seating and lighting that are intended to be inviting respites from the dynamic atmosphere of SOFA.
  Faculty and academic professionals from across FAA guided student participants in their concept for Oasis, which takes inspiration from the tranquility of a Japanese zen garden and the ambience of a moonlit forest. Cool colors and materials such as astroturf and vinyl will be incorporated into the final design. Students from fields including architecture, engineering, graphic design, industrial design, painting, and sculpture have developed concepts, sourced components, and fabricated elements under the supervision of Alan Mette and Melissa Pokorny from the School of Art and Design and Kevin Erickson from Illinois Architecture and will mount the installation at SOFA.
  Illinois students will compete against teams from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Pratt Institute, Purdue University, the University of California–Davis, and the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning. The winning team of CONNECT, which will be selected by a jury of design professionals, will receive $3,000. Read more about CONNECT and the Illinois entry Oasis.