Designing Economic Development In Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Few people think of interior design as an economic development activity. But when University of Arkansas commercial interior design students conducted their client interview on Tuesday, they became part of a novel program to enhance economic development in Arkansas.

The event marked a series of firsts for Arkansas: the students are the first class to participate in Student Efforts in Economic Development (SEED), a component of the new University of Arkansas Economic Development Institute (UAEDI). They are designing the interior space of the Technology Center for the Delta, which is being developed by UAEDI’s first project partner, the Cross County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC).

Established by University of Arkansas Chancellor John White in 2002, UAEDI works with strategic partners to promote individual and community prosperity in Arkansas by helping to extend University of Arkansas programs throughout the state. The SEED program draws on UAEDI projects to create educational opportunities for individual students or classes.

"This is a great project for the junior-level commercial design students," said interior design instructor Betty Loewer. "They are working on an adaptive reuse — converting an abandoned retail space into a multi-use facility, which is exactly the kind of project a design firm would be involved with."

Students were given the requirements for the facility, which will serve the needs of businesses and individuals in Cross and St. Francis counties in eastern Arkansas. Cross County has already purchased a building that will become the Technology Center for the Delta. Located in Wynne, the facility will have at least five office suites, conference rooms, classrooms, four distance-learning labs, a restaurant, a day-care center and an exhibit hall.

Before the client interview, the interior design students researched all applicable municipal building codes and requirements and developed the design criteria for conference rooms, restrooms and utilities for the various spaces. During their interview with CCEDC executive director Bill Thomas, they went over preliminary floor plan drawings and probed for details on topics ranging from space utilization to the image the facility will have in the community.

"The Technology Center for the Delta will be a one-stop opportunity for county residents to pursue college degrees or gain job skills," Thomas explained to the students. "We want it to be a stabilizing force for the community, and provide resources for both employers and employees."

Responding to student questions, Thomas stressed the need for flexibility. "You can’t think of everything in the beginning," he said. "We have many different ideas, but you will see things that we haven’t."

The interior design project has already prompted some changes, according to Loewer. The daycare center was not in the original plans, but it was suggested because most of the classes at the Center will be directed toward adults. The students also suggested including a student lounge/study area.

"This is one of the benefits of having college students work on the design," said Loewer. "They are in touch with the needs of students. I told them to think about the best and worst classrooms that they have been in and use that information to design the classrooms."

Each of the 27 students will develop a design for the space. The designs will be presented to a panel of CCEDC representatives in March.

"I want this to be a valuable educational experience, not a competition," Loewer explained. "The clients will be looking for potential in all of the designs and they may pick and choose elements from several different designs for the final project."

Although interior designers do not usually deal with the exterior of a building, the students may also provide some ideas for modifications to the outside. For example, adding a daycare center to the facility meant that an outdoor playground had to be added to comply with state regulations for daycare centers.

"While the exterior is done by architects, the design students may make some suggestions for modifications," said Loewer. "Depending on their design, they may choose to change the location of the entrance, add windows or exterior doors or change the façade to make it more cohesive with the interior design."

Thomas gave the design students some background on the economic situation in Cross County and measures that its residents have taken to foster economic development. Residents have supported tax initiatives to renovate and increase support for the hospital, build a recreation center and sports complex, upgrade the fire department and provide money for economic development projects.

"These are hardworking people who are always striving to improve," he said.

Loewer believes that it is important for students to work on real-world projects where they can talk with clients and see the designs evolve. And participating with the UAEDI helps them understand the impact that their work can have on a community.

"The Technology Center project benefits students in several ways," she said. "They get the benefit of working with a real client, understanding the clients needs and communicating their solutions. It is very different from just doing an assignment that I made up. And most of the students are from Arkansas, so they benefit from feeling that they are giving something back to the state."

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