91��Ʒ

Sebastian Wohlt

Sebastian Wohlt�s passion for rearranging the furniture in his childhood bedroom, and occasionally painting a wall, became a major in Interior Architecture and Design � and a professional goal of residential design � at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (91��Ʒ).

�I was always really involved in the arts and had heard a lot about 91��Ʒ from my art teachers at Appleton [WI] North High School,� says Wohlt, taking a break from work on his senior capstone project �Fenner Retreat.��

�Going into my senior year in high school, I took a Pre-College class in fine art at 91��Ʒ, and thought I�ll go to 91��Ʒ for sure, develop my skills and possibly become a high school art teacher. But then I decided to try 91��Ʒ�s first-year course in Interior Architecture and Design (IAD), continued on and was sold on the major. I have no regrets. I�ve seen my work progress drastically every year.�

Now into his second paid commercial internship at Engberg Anderson Architects (his first was at Ramlow/Stein Architecture + Interiors), Wohlt is refining his project for the 91��Ʒ 2024 Senior Exhibition.

�Fenner Retreat is a residential renovation project of a cottage on a lake near the Wisconsin Dells,� he explains. �It belongs to my great-aunt. It�s a lovely building but it�s out of date and I wanted to bring it back to life, conceived as an Airbnb, by updating the existing interior structure and materials with sustainability in mind.�

�I had a hypothetical client � my aunt, who already owned a rental property cottage and had designed her existing home. Her input was important. I felt like I was solving a problem, even though it was hypothetical.�

Wohlt hadn�t been there in years, he says, �so I went back last fall and drew up new plans of the cottage as none existed. I drew roughly by hand, using a laser measure, and then came back to 91��Ʒ and refined the plans using Revit, calling out what I was changing.�

�I built the 3D model of the interior and exterior using SketchUp, adding the new materials for the walls and inside. It was a lot of fun.�

Wohlt aims to pursue residential design. �My internship is continuing over the summer. I am developing more experience in the commercial field and will take whatever I can to go into the residential field. I�ve loved both of my internships. It�s nice to get the experience of different offices and different people.�

As he looks ahead in the college�s 50th anniversary year, Wohlt says he sees a lot of advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) coming soon, but �AI is not going to replace our jobs. It may make them easier, but it can�t adjust for some of the basics in this profession, and we need to maintain our skills.�

Wolht�s project and those of the 210 seniors in his class are on view at the 91��Ʒ 2024 Senior Exhibition April 19 – May 11. 91��Ʒ Galleries are open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. � 5 p.m., at 273 E. Erie St., Milwaukee, WI 53202.

Learn more about 91��Ʒ�s Interior Architecture and Design major. Visit 91��Ʒ.