Redesign Redux
On September 11 I blogged about the work of University of Minnesota Interior Design students and their professor, Caren Martin, in designing flexible office space for both community and university groups in north Minneapolis. Now it seems they're at it again!
The Parkway Theater in south Minneapolis was built in 1931. It is still open, but has a new owner who wants to rehab it to become a neighborhood destination that can accommodate small live theater productions and banquets. A story by Linda Mack in last Friday's Star Tribune tells how the students, grouped into seven design teams, "showed their drawings to neighbors and community leaders in the theater's lobby and auditorium." The designs will next be used to inform potential investors.
Public engagement projects such as this give students valuable real-world experience and enhance their enthusiasm, while providing real benefits to neighborhoods and the urban environment. And, Mack's article indicates, it might not have happened had not Caren Martin been acquainted with the Parkway's new owner: a good argument for university faculty and staff to be active members of their communities.