Richmond Institute for Design and Innovation

NewFormat Studio

NewFormat is RID+I’s applied design and research studio, created to expand and support the work that happens in the classroom. It provides a shared platform for Interior Architecture and Product Design, linking the two programs through methods and questions that are common to both disciplines.

At its core, NewFormat explores computational design, climate responsiveness, and digital fabrication—approaches that cut across scale, from furniture to interiors, and from prototypes to spatial systems. NewFormat is a tool for inquiry that facilitates: championing new questions, testing ideas, and generating knowledge that strengthens the culture of design education at RID+I.

The studio supports students through mentorship, paid employment, technical advising, and opportunities to pursue projects that push beyond conventional limits. Its work—whether in the form of prototypes, publications, or workshops—feeds directly back into the classroom, enriching curricula and fostering interdisciplinary exchange.

NewFormat exists to build shared expertise across design fields, positioning RID+I as a place where future-facing research complements teaching, and where students learn not only to meet the demands of today, but to imagine what design can become tomorrow.

Next Evolution in Workflows for Fabrication, Optimization, Research, Modeling, Architecture, and Technology

— what NewFormat stands for

Purpose

Advance design research: Secure and sustain internal and external funding to strengthen RIDI's institutional knowledge and expand opportunities for applied research in design education.
Empower undergraduate research: Provide mentorship, resources, and structured frameworks that support student curiosity, capstone work, and exploratory projects beyond the limits of standard coursework.
Enrich RIDI's knowledge community: Integrate applied research into curricula, cultivate shared expertise across Interior Architecture and Product Design, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration that deepens learning and sparks innovation.

Current projects

Beyond the Render: Inside the Digital Ecosystem of Interior Architecture, Open Textbook
Optimizing Non-Euclidean Interior Geometries for Energy Efficiency Through Digital Simulation and Multi-Material Prototyping
Pioneering Affordable Net-Zero Housing Solutions
Generative AI for Conceptual Design Exploration

People and updates

Directing faculty

Dustin Altschul

Current Students

Emma Jouppi, Interior Architecture and Design
Hannah Paasche, Product Design
Maddy Khan, Leadership and Business Strategy + Product Design
Shofi Alom, Electrical Engineering
Amber Smyczynski, Finance + Leadership and Business Strategy
Addie Lapaugh, Pre-Interior Architecture & Design