An interior designer dedicated to improving the well-being of others by rethinking the spaces we live in, is being honoured with a 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award from Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU).
Jeremy Senko, a 2013 graduate of the Wilson School of Design at KPU, will receive the award June 14 during convocation ceremonies at the university’s Surrey campus.
Senko is a Vancouver-based interior designer who leads creative development for residential projects, from conception to realization. He is certified by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification and has won several awards during his career.
When the pandemic hit, Senko volunteered his expertise to the American Society of Interior Designers, which formed a task force to study design and construction issues related to the pandemic. That research led to positive insights for the future of interior design.
In his work, Senko’s focus is not just making things beautiful, but doing what he can to help communities in the process.
“My main motivation is ensuring that all of that is done with empathy in mind,” he says. “I love research. I love furthering design thinking in regards to health, safety, and welfare, not only of the immediate users but of the community as a whole. My mantra with doing all this is to try and leave everything better than you found it.”
Senko has designed many homes, but a memorable project was a residential development focused on first-time homebuyers who were invited to share a video about their new home on move-in day.
“I sat and watched people tear up because they loved their kitchen, or a design we did in their amenity space, or little other choices we made that had a huge impact on them,” he says. “It reminded me that at the end of the day, people live in these spaces, they have families in these spaces, they work in these spaces, and we need to treat every design we touch with this in mind, whether it be simple or lavish.”
Senko is known for mentoring new designers and students entering the field, and advises graduates to help others when given the chance. He also urges graduates to not lose sight of what drove them to study design.
“We are lucky we get to help people in a different way than say a doctor, a nurse, or a teacher may. If we take this profession seriously, we can shape the environment that people spend most of their time in for the better. We can affect their mood, their mental health, their physical wellbeing. We can assist them in living longer, healthier, safer, happier lives.”
Debbie Johnstone Bjerke, a program assistant at the Wilson School of Design, nominated Senko on behalf of the interior design program faculty, noting he is a deserving winner for his determination, passion, and willingness to give back to the community.
“We see Jeremy as an overall inspiration to KPU students for his service outside his regular work life, including volunteering on committees and mentoring junior employees. His thirst for knowledge and innovative work in improving the wellbeing of others is what makes him an outstanding alumnus of KPU.”
The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes KPU alumni demonstrating lifetime accomplishments in one or more of three areas: professional, entrepreneurial, innovation; service; exemplified resilience in the face of adversity; and significant regional, national or international contribution.