The Ike Kligerman Barkley architecture and interiors firm announced the third annual IKB Traveling Fellowship for 2020.

The firm has offices in New York City and San Francisco Bay Area. According to a press release sent out in November, “the IKB Traveling Fellowship is a $12,000 grant program that will fund travel and research for up to two graduate students in the summer of 2020.”

Thomas A. Kligerman, a partner at Ike Kligerman Barkley, wanted to foster a more meaningful conversation about design through the program.

“The IKB Traveling Fellowship is meant to encourage students of architecture to learn outside of the classroom before entering the industry,” Kligerman said. “With the fellowship program, we wanted to create a fund that would allow students to consider the intersection between traditional and contemporary architecture.”

To win, students must submit a research proposal consisting of a synopsis, itinerary and budget. A jury then reviews the proposals and picks two winners to travel and research design. The winners have the opportunity to present their proposals to the Ike Kligerman Barkley firm following their fellowships.

Last year, fellowship winners Jamie Lipson from Princeton University and Julian Murphy from the University of Notre Dame traveled to Ireland, France and England to “research the intersection between traditional and contemporary design.”

“A concise and organized presentation that follows the guidelines is very important when we are looking through a big number of applications,” Kligerman said. “We look for students with interesting ideas that we have not thought of ourselves. That can be a part of the world we are not familiar with [or a] study of an architect that we don’t know.”

The program has a focus on architectural history, but encourages participants to consider current and future design trends as well. Contestants are expected to go beyond the digital aspect of design.

“We want to help students understand and appreciate history, but a truly good designer can really talk about it,” Kligerman said.

The competition grew more fierce this year as it expanded to 22 schools.

“We have yet to see a bad proposal,” Kligerman said. “This competition is completely blind. It is always a great surprise to finally ‘meet’ the winners. We truly have no idea who they are, where they are from, [or] if they are male or female. The whole process is very exciting for us.”

Kligerman foresees the fellowship program benefiting the entire field in the long run.

“We believe in setting up future generations for success,” Kligerman said. “I’m sure down the road we will see something our fellows have learned play out in design theory or in an actual building.”

2020 fellowship proposals are due by March 30. Winners will be announced in April.

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