Alexandra Hutchison
BA, MFA, ARIDO Educator
Professor, Honours Bachelor of Interior Design
Biography
After graduating from Ryerson University with a bachelor’s degree in interior design, Alexandra began her career working in design television, spending time both in front of and behind the camera.
Following several years of residential practice, she transitioned into commercial design with the acquisition of her Master of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute in New York City, which culminated in her thesis, entitled Sustainability is Luxury: Luxury is Sustainability. While working with BKSK Architects in Manhattan, Alexandra’s portfolio diversified to include institutional, multi-unit residential and projects for non-profit organizations, including the Center for Fiction in Brooklyn and the Lambaye Learning Center in Dakar, Senegal. Upon returning to Toronto in 2018, she launched Studio Marlowe, an interiors firm focused on hospitality projects.
Alexandra’s passion for environmental conservation and the natural world informs her work as a designer. Much of her free time is spent outside the studio. Alexandra is currently working towards her National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) certification.
Interior design is a collaborative and multi-disciplinary field that is focused on bettering the lives of people at home, at work, and in the public realm. It is a joy to teach students how to think about space as a mechanism of support for daily life, and to witness their creativity and thoughtful design interventions. Forward-thinking solutions to real-world problems that are compelling and inspiring happen often in the studio as students work together. The dynamic energy that results from their creative collaboration makes for a wonderful place to come to work every day.
Alexandra Hutchison
- Master of Fine Arts (MFA) – Interior Design with distinction, Pratt Institute, New York USA, 2017
- Luxury Boutique Hotel Design advanced certificate, Instituto Marangoni, Milan Italy, 2014
- Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Interior Design, Ryerson University, Toronto ON, 2007
- American Library Association/ International Interior Design Association (ALA/IIDA), Library Interior Design Award, 2020
- International Federation of Library Association (IFLA), Green Library Award Finalist, 2020
- The Architect’s Newspaper, Best of Design Award Honorable Mention – Institutional Interiors, 2019
- Society of American Registered Architects, Award of Honor, 2019
- Pratt Circle Award, Pratt Institute, 2017
Research interests
- Sustainability and luxury
- Cultural tradition of handcraft from around the world
- Redefining luxury for the 21st century
Research projects
- Sustainability is Luxury: Luxury is Sustainability
- MFA thesis