22 Mar 2016 UCA interior design program earns special distinction

by Sonja J. Keith

The Interior Design Program at the University of Central Arkansas has been accepted into the National Council for Preservation Education.  

The council fosters the attainment and maintenance of excellence in preservation education.

“We’re the only ‘stand-alone’ interior design program offering a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of science in Arkansas,” said interior design instructor Ann Ballard Bryan, who wrote the program’s application, along with Maria Garcia, as part of her graduate studies. “It is very unusual for a stand-alone interior design program to apply and be accepted to NCPE. It is predominately architecture and historic preservation degree programs who apply for membership.”

The UCA interior design faculty has had an interest in historic preservation for some time, according to instructor K.C. Poole, but it was formally developed during the program’s strategic plan two years ago.  “We realized that this was an opportunity (for this designation) that would distinguish our program.”

“We had already developed part of the criteria,” Bryan said. The UCA faculty worked together about a year in order to add historic preservation curriculum to existing courses to make the application possible.

The Interior Design Program also made changes to its study abroad curriculum, adding an internship opportunity in Italy. Poole said there are other classes and ideas related to historic preservation that the faculty would like to pursue in the future. “We touch on it every semester in three or four classes, and we will do more,” Poole said.

Poole said the historic preservation focus started for the program on the UCA campus, by using existing campus buildings as student projects. Final presentations that included historical and sustainable research by the students, suggested possibilities for restoration and renovation. The department has been involved in several UCA projects, including the renovation of Ida Waldran Auditorium, McCastlain Hall and the application and designation of the historic district on campus.

Bryan said historic preservation is a national trend, with increased interest in local living, locally-grown food and doing business with neighborhood ventures. She said preservation was a common way of living before urban renewal occurred.

Poole has noticed a trend among younger generations to reside in downtown and to purchase homes in older neighborhoods.

Historic preservation architecture is also “very green,” according to Bryan. She said the impact on the environment is reduced when existing materials are re-worked rather than destroyed and something new built in its place. “It’s that whole idea of reducing humans’ footprint on the earth that is all part of it.”

As an example, Bryan shared that her daughter and her husband recently purchased a home built in 1939. “They have no interest at all in living in a suburb or new construction.” She said 10 or so of their couple friends live in the same area and share that feeling. Bryan added there is an increased interest in the outdoors and a bigger sense of community. “I think it’s just a different mindset.”

Poole said that older structures oftentimes have interesting details and qualities that are hard to find in new construction because materials have changed and craftsmen are not as available. “That’s why I think a lot of people like to go back to the old.”

“The quality and the craftsmanship is completely different,” Bryan said. “This is my opinion, but we don’t have as many craftsmen anymore.” She added that those who want to be craftsmen are presented with obstacles because the focus is on getting construction completed as soon as possible.

“Craftsmen are a disappearing breed,” Poole added.

Adaptive re-use is also a popular trend in downtown areas, according to Bryan, and involves taking an existing structure and re-working it for different purposes. She cited the Pyramid Bank building in Little Rock as an example. No longer used as a bank, it is being re-worked with some of the space now an art gallery as well as studio apartments. In the renovation, the old banisters, stairwells, mailboxes and elevator have been preserved.

“That’s a huge opportunity for our students because they are totally re-designing a building that is different from its intended use but it’s still serving a huge need for the community,” Bryan said.

According to instructor, Jennifer Whitehead, “historic preservation does have its challenges including the incorporation of barrier-free accessible codes within the Americans with Disabilities Act for public or commercial spaces. In addition, current building codes are obviously different today than they were in the past.”

Some materials may also be difficult to locate but Bryan said there are more architectural salvage operations nationwide.

The emphasis on historic preservation in the UCA department is already being felt, most recently in Downtown Searcy. UCA students worked with Main Street Searcy on a project to revitalize the Rialto Theater (see the March 2016 issue of 501 LIFE for more information). Students in an advanced class taught by Poole, did research on the theater and offered ideas and suggestions on its interior and exterior revitalization.

This semester, students are focused on a building in Downtown Conway, which is believed to have once been the site of the Conway Hotel. The property owners have asked the students to explore ideas to renovate the second story of the building, which Poole described as a “phenomenal space” with a skylight and pressed tin ceilings.

Poole is appreciative of UCA alum Susan Shaddox, interior design consultant with Main Street Arkansas, who has helped identify possible projects for students. She added that the program is always  looking for other  projects and the community is invited to contact her with suggestions.

All of the design faculty share a fondness for projects of historical significance.

“I’ve been a historic preservationist longer than I’ve been a designer,” Bryan said, adding that it’s the stories represented by an old home or building that interest her most. She is curious about someone’s motivation and thoughts at the time when something is built. “When you tear something down, it’s sad. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

Poole said she finds it interesting to consider “if walls could talk” in an old place.

“Sometimes walls do talk,” Bryan added, sharing that a recent remodel at her old home turned up a 1929 newspaper. A 1980s Pepsi bottle and a business card from the 1920s have also been discovered. Sometimes, signatures can be found on studs in walls. She and others consider themselves “caregivers” of an old house and more than an owner.

Bryan said the historic preservation focus is a valuable tool for UCA graduates. “A lot of the architecture firms, although they do new construction, they are also involved in a lot of these downtown buildings. Even if they don’t choose to do pure historic preservation for a living, they are going to be exposed to it because that is just how everything is moving.”

“That focus would be true for interior designers,” Poole added. “It’s a good thing to have on one’s resume.”

Bryan, Poole and Whitehead consider the historic preservation designation with its comprehensive curriculum as a big plus for the UCA FACS (Family and Consumer Sciences) department.