Known for alumni who consistently go on to shine in nearly every creative field from architecture to cinematography, it's only logical to apply the principles of good design taught at RISD to daily life in the dorms. It's even better still to use in-house talent like planners did when confronted with furnishing a new dorm. The housing director turned to DEZCO, a firm made up of three current RISD faculty, Peter Walker, John Dunnigan, and Rosanne Somerson. (The latter two are RISD alums themselves.) Concerned with issues of functional, elegant design as well as sustainability, the team came up with Sage, which consists of 13 designs ranging from desks to couches. The upshot is a line of furniture that uses ecological materials, shows minimal hardware, is designed for longevity, and is economical to manufacture. Sage will soon be available through Adden Furniture.