Education
MArch II, Architecture, Princeton University, New York
BArch, Architecture, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Bio/Affiliation
Susan Beningfield is an architect and designer of fine jewelry. Her South African upbringing imbued in her a love of nature and a clear preference for creating bold and elegant design work.
“The process of designing fills my soul in the deepest way.” Susan Beningfield
Her enterprising spirit has taken her from study and practice in Johannesburg and Paris working for Daly Genik Architects, Paragon Architects, and AREP, to post-professional architectural training at Princeton University in 2001, and finally to Los Angeles in 2003, where she designed directly for the world-renowned architect Frank Gehry.
It was during this time that her exposure to new technologies in manufacturing combined with 3D computer modeling expanded reignited her affinity for working with precious metals that began in the 90’s. She saw an opportunity to innovate in the field of jewelry design – exploring the sculptural freedom offered by pioneering techniques to create pieces of extraordinary beauty and originality.
She launched her company in 2009 producing custom made jewelry that is unmistakably sculptural, reflecting her years of practice as a design architect and her fascination with natural lines and sensual forms and her view of space as a material which shapes the object. Susan teaches 3D Digital Design in the Product Design Department at Otis College of Art and Design.
