For third-year University of Virginia School of Architecture students Noah Stengel-Eskin and Noah Depeyrot, what began as a casual weekly tradition has now become a standout experience for students interested in creativity, culture and conversation.
The pair founded , a salon-style dinner party series bringing together members of the University’s creative community. Dinner guests are asked to bring a dish representing their heritage and to prepare a short presentation on a topic of their choice to help guide dinner discussion.
The idea for Designed Conversations began during the duo’s second year at the University, where Sunday evenings involved hosting friend-group dinners at Stengel-Eskin’s apartment. “We both come from backgrounds where cooking is very important to both of our families. ‘Family time’ was always time spent in the kitchen helping prepare meals,” Depeyrot said. “We met each other, and whenever we hung out, that’s what we’d be doing.”
Noah Stengel-Eskin, left, and Noah Depeyrot, right, join their love for food, architecture and connection by hosting the dinner party series. (Photo by Mac Doucette, UVA School of Architecture)
One night, they realized that most of the student organizations affiliated with the School of Architecture focused on professional development. They wanted to create a space where students could discuss topics that piqued their interest outside the academic environment.
“Noah is German Latvian, and I’m French American. Those are two cultures where the culinary tradition is very important,” Depeyrot said. That connection sparked the idea of bringing heritage-based dishes to honor UVA students’ diverse backgrounds.
During the dinners, students give presentations on topics ranging from “What makes a masterpiece?” and debates over minimalism versus maximalism, to the role of AI in medicine, and even showcasing handcrafted furniture projects.
Following the presentations, a Designed Conversation unfolds.
