Debi van Zyl

pronounced fun sail
van Zyl is an Afrikaans surname.

I am a freelance exhibition designer based in Bastrop, Texas, just outside of Austin. I work with a range of cultural institutions, from large internationally recognized museums to smaller local venues and conservancies.

I am a creative problem solver with over 20 years of professional museum design experience. My design approach is hands-on and collaborative. Trained as an architect, I bring a thorough understanding of building and materiality to my work. I have acted as consultant, as well as designer on exhibitions, installations, print work, and environmental signage projects. Working at a variety of scales and levels of detail, my goal is to create narrative spaces that respond to their contexts, the environment, and their visitors.

I received my M.Arch. in architecture from Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), and hold a B.A. in Urban Studies from Vassar College.

Oh, and I knit and sew funny creatures and beasts on the side :)

Clients and Collaborators

Annex Design Services
Autry Museum of the American West
Briscoe Western Art Museum
Captial Jewish Museum, Washington DC
Chinese American Museum, Los Angeles
Dallas Museum of Art
Emma Thorne-Christy
Getty Conservation Institute
Getty Research Institute
J. Paul Getty Museum
Huntington Library

Italian Cultural Institute, Los Angeles
LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, Los Angeles
Library Foundation of Los Angeles
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
New-York Historical Society
Roth Projects
Santa Barbara Maritime Museum
Skirball Cultural Center
Squid Ink Design
University Museums, Iowa State University
USC Pacific Asia Museum