Student Designs to Foster Human Connection

By Heather Grant 28/07/2026 2 min read 4 views

Zhuyun (Joy) Xu, a Marymount University graduate interior design student, is being recognized for her work that prioritizes emotional well-being, interaction, and accessibility. As a METROPOLIS Future100 2026 honoree, Xu’s designs champion empathy, inclusivity, and intergenerational connection, exploring the potential of interiors to bring people together.

With a background in statistics and data science, Xu approaches design with both analytical rigor and cultural sensitivity, having studied in China, Canada, and the United States. Her work creates environments that support meaningful connections, focusing on interaction, accessibility, and emotional well-being.

Xu’s project, Symphony Grove Music Garden, is an outdoor music park that creates a space for people of different ages to connect. The park’s design features an infinity loop shape, with details like a floor-embedded piano and a music visualizer that translates sound into light, creating a multisensory environment for visitors.

The project, a collaboration with her peer Gabriella Sulzer, includes native greenery, tactile sensory walls, and wheelchair-accessible paths, ensuring that the space welcomes visitors of all abilities. Interactive instruments and a music visualizer allow everyone to participate fully, celebrating shared experience, mutual respect, and playful learning.

According to Salvatore Pirrone, associate professor of interior architecture and design at Marymount University, “Joy’s work places her at the center of the field while looking to the past, present, and future of what is possible.” Pirrone notes that Xu’s work is “thoughtful, empathic, and visually complex, whether she is looking at the overall layout or a handrail detail.”

Xu’s designs reflect her understanding of the importance of accessibility and inclusivity. For instance, the Symphony Grove Music Garden project demonstrates how public spaces can be designed to promote intergenerational connection and community engagement, ultimately redefining how people inhabit and interact with these spaces, much like a community park can unite people.

In practice, Xu’s designs can have a significant impact on people’s lives, particularly in terms of promoting social interaction and emotional well-being. By creating environments that are accessible and inclusive, Xu’s work has the potential to bring people together, creating a sense of community, which is essential for building strong, supportive relationships.

Xu’s work is helping to create a new standard for public spaces, one that prioritizes human connection and community engagement. As a METROPOLIS Future100 2026 honoree, Xu’s designs are being recognized for their potential to make a positive impact on people’s lives.

Her work will likely continue to inspire and influence the design of public spaces in the future.

Xu is a leader in her field.