Imagine there is a new building to be constructed on campus, the new college of business, perhaps. Instead of the standard "Here, this is what we're building" from the higher-ups of Ball State University, what if designers from the area and beyond were asked to submit proposals and an exposition was held to show them all? It would be a chance for people to interact with the designs and speak with the designers, where the potential users can share what they feel needs to be done with those who can make it happen. This, of course, assumes that those who can make it happen will care what we have to say, but what if this were so? Would you go?
I ask this rhetorically, but want you to consider: What if new buildings for campus had to go through a competition? What if faculty, staff and students were asked to critique the aesthetics, flow, program and functionality of these new buildings? Would you participate?
In the past few years, Ball State has done quite a few projects on campus, many of which included new construction or remodeling of existing buildings. By next summer we will have the David Letterman Communication and Media Building, Park Hall, Kinghorn Hall and the new Student Recreation and Wellness Facility. This is in addition to the remodeling of DeHority Complex, Woodworth Dining and the L.A. Pittenger Student Center. Additionally, McKinley Avenue, the Duck Pond and Scheumann Stadium have all had work.
I realize that I am a designer and a "buildingist" and that my interests may not reflect the majority; however, something like this feels like the right thing to do and something at least worth a try. In Urban Planning, Landscape Architecture and Architecture there is a process which is generally referred to as a "town hall meeting" or some other nomenclature which entails speaking with the residents about where a new project will go and to find out the wants and needs of those who live there and are expected to use it.
So I ask again: How great would it be to have competitions for new buildings on campus? I ask only that as the users and partial owners of the new building on campus that we can take part in the decision process to guarantee that it will serve our needs.
As far as I know, all of these buildings are exceeding our wildest expectations. The Letterman Building looks great, as does Park Hall. As Kinghorn Hall and the wellness facility are progressing, they appear to be continuing this trend. However, there is more to design and to buildings than how they look. I would be curious to hear from those who use the space — faculty, staff and students — as to whether these new spaces are performing the way they should.
Are those of you in the new Letterman Building happy with it? I'm truly asking because I, like many students, receive the benefit of seeing it and not being able to use it. Does it work as well as it looks? Those of you who live in Park Hall, how is it? What would you change? These are brand new buildings which fulfill the postcard requirement of the university but which are not looked into after completion. Are those of you who live in Park Hall happy with the facilities? How do they compare with the other places you've lived on campus?
These are the questions which should be asked after completion as well as while the design process is going on. Including the campus and all of its inhabitants in the process would be intelligent and would allow for us to get the best bang for our buck. Would you invest millions of dollars into a new building without seeing if the users would even like it? I wouldn't.
So I say, make it public. If the business college is to get another building, let us all know so we can see and partake, critique and analyze what is put before us. In this way the best solution can be sought, even if it is a bit more work for the designers. It's okay, that's what they're paid for.
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