Fort Wayne, Ind. - Local residents and media are invited to explore the new Fort Wayne Design Center. The new design center will house the creative ideas of five architecture graduate students, four of which are graduates from Ball State University and one from Harvard University. The students' focus will be on community-oriented design projects to improve downtown Fort Wayne. They will work on various projects throughout the summer, ending in mid-August.
"The Fort Wayne Design Center will be a hub of creativity this summer," said John Urbahns, the City of Fort Wayne's Community Development director. "We invite citizens to drop in, talk with the students and provide feedback on their work."
The students will be working on a variety of projects, including: a three-dimensional model of downtown Fort Wayne, development concepts for the Redevelopment Commission regarding the land acquisition on Ewing Street and Fairfield Avenue, development concepts for the former Citilink Transfer Facility on Superior Street, a corridor interconnection for the University of Saint Francis's downtown campus, and neighborhood commercial redevelopment concepts. In addition, the students will investigate multiple strategies for other downtown infill and transportation projects.
Design centers are commonly used in many communities to help government, developers, and the public plan for future development. The interaction between students, government officials, architects and the community offers collaborative, creative ideas for redevelopment of buildings, streetscape improvements, neighborhood plans, and designs for civic spaces. Before and after photos are often provided, as well as general costs and estimated timelines for the work.
The students who will be working at the Fort Wayne Design Center are: Jonathan Lain, Fabiola Yep, Nicholas Hoch, Chenyuan Gu, and Miao Yu. All students are enrolled in a master's program with varying degree concentrations in architecture, landscape, and urban design.
The Fort Wayne – Allen County Economic Development Alliance is the fiscal agent for the Fort Wayne Design Center. The project is funded by The Journal Gazette Foundation, City of Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission, and Downtown Improvement District. Visitation to the Fort Wayne Design Center is currently available through appointment only. If media would like to set up an appointment with the architect students, please contact the Alliance at (260) 426-5568.