Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

A newsletter for faculty, staff and students

July-August 2005 • Vol. 31, No. 4

Interior Design students participate in SEED projects

Interior Design students participated in three major projects as part of the Students Engaged in Economic Development (SEED) program of the UA Economic Development Institute (UAEDI). SEED projects match faculty members seeking to incorporate real-world experience into their classes with economic development activities in Arkansas communities.

The projects included providing design concepts for new uses of existing buildings. The buildings are the Drake Field airport terminal and Jefferson School in Fayetteville and the Technology Center for the Delta in Wynne.

Drake Field. When a new regional airport was built in northwest Arkansas, Fayetteville’s Drake Field transitioned to a general aviation facility serving  private and corporate aircraft, and it now enjoys a higher usage rate than ever before. This change has affected the use of the terminal building, which houses a restaurant, a hair salon, and the Greenland post office. However, the 27,000 sq. ft. terminal building remains unchanged.

Twenty juniors from interior design classes taught by Betty Loewer and Haroon Sattar, were asked to envision alternatives and produce a design that would address the present and potential uses of the terminal.

Students visited similar-sized fixed base operations in the region and researched applicable building codes. The resulting designs include 20 to 25 different entities that could occupy the space and generate revenue for the airport. Some facilities target the needs of aviation crew members, but many – like a copy shop, coffee bar, information center, or a dry cleaners drop off –  would also be useful for area residents. The ample parking would also support use for meeting rooms, a reception hall, or classrooms.

The designs were displayed in the main causeway of the terminal. Students presented their work to members of the Airport Board, visiting dignitaries and the general public.

Jefferson School. When the Fayetteville School District announced that Jefferson School would be closed and a new school built at a different location, the low-income community surrounding the old building was dismayed.

Instructors in the sophomore interior design studio thought this would be an ideal project for their students as they studied the adaptive reuse of public facilities. When old buildings have outlived their original purpose, adaptive reuse allows them to be redesigned for a new purpose while retaining the historic features of the building.

The project presented several challenges. The original, historic building had a wing added, which resulted in the floors not matching. Students had to compensate for this while making the new design fully accessible to individuals with disabilities. In addition, several outbuildings with no historical significance were on the site.

Student projects included an Artists Community, a Multicultural Center, a Fitness Center, and a Market. Each included a wide range of activities, public and private spaces, and a combination of residential and retail.

One proposal envisioned an unassisted living facility. Community areas would include a bank, café, convenience store, business center, salons, and other businesses to meet the needs of residents and the surrounding community. Private areas would include studio and 1- and 2-bedroom apartments and an exercise facility for residents.

The Jefferson Market project represents a business-focused facility, which would help to spur economic growth in the economically depressed area that currently has no grocery stores or healthcare facilities within walking distance and no public transportation. A family-oriented facility, the Market would serve to counteract the school closing by giving residents a reason to stay in the community. The project included an indoor Farmer’s Market, a café, and commercial kitchen space on the first floor and offices, a conference rooms, and a youth hostel on the second floor. The youth hostel is designed to bring tourism and visitors into the area.

The Artist Community focuses on rebuilding a sense of community. Much of the first floor would be devoted to classroom and studio space, where resident artists working in all types of  media teach classes and produce art. This public space would include a gallery, café, glass-blowing studio, and pottery. Out-buildings would house a dance studio and theater.  The second floor would be a private space to house the administrative offices and apartments for the artists.

The students  presented their projects to representatives of the Fayetteville School Board, community members and other interested individuals for review. The Board will be able to choose elements from these designs as it moves forward in re-purposing Jefferson School.

Technology Center for the Delta. Senior interior design students developed 27 designs to show the possibilities for the Technology Center for the Delta being built by the Crossroads Coalition, a nine-county economic development group in eastern Arkansas. Instructor Betty Loewer directed the project, working with community partners from the Cross County Economic Development Corporation and the Technology Center for the Delta.

Envisioned as a one-stop opportunity for both employers and employees, the TDC will give workers in Cross and its surrounding counties the opportunity to upgrade their skills, providing a skilled workforce that will be more attractive to potential industries.

The TCD occupies a building formerly used as a Kmart store. It would house offices of the Crossroads Coalition, the Workforce Investment Board, the Small Business Administration, Employment Security, and other entities, classrooms with satellite uplink for delivery of distance education, conference rooms, and an exhibit hall. It will serve as a place where industries can continue to educate employees as methods change, where engineers can go to earn an advanced degree, a place where local industries can showcase products to customers, and where people can improve their employment opportunities. So many ideas and uses made it difficult to know where to begin.

The senior interior design students met with TCD representatives before preparing preliminary floor plan drawings. They students were challenged to research all applicable municipal codes and requirements and develop the interior design criteria for conference rooms, restrooms, and utilities to accommodate the variety of uses envisioned.

Following further consultation with the clients, each of the 27 students developed a design for the space and presented it to the TCD committee. Because they are more in touch with the needs of students, they were able to suggest several facilities essential to working-adult students,  including a day care center and a student study area, that were not in the original plans.

The project was not intended to replace the work of architects and designers, but it gave the TCD a lot of different perspectives, allowing them to focus more clearly on what was really necessary  and significantly shortening the amount of time needed to arrive at a final design. The clients looked for potential in all of the designs and could pick and choose elements from several different designs for the final project. Construction on the TCD began in January and is scheduled for completion by August 2005.