Service Learning Opportunities
At the core of our program is giving back to our communities and creating interior architectural designs that foster inclusivity and sustainability. Service learning offers opportunities for engaged learning as a vehicle for design thinking. Such opportunities in the Interior Architecture and Design Program have included re-design concepts for the Basque Cultural Center in Boise, the College of Business and Economics’ student level, a local legal clinic and the university’s student body government engagement center.
“The redevelopment of Gritman Medical Center is an investment in the neighborhood and sends a message of commitment to those who live here.” Bernadette Beeman, recent interior design graduate
Gritman Medical Center Masterplan Design
In 2018, Gritman Medical Center, whose mission is to provide extraordinary healthcare to improve the health of people in the community, reached out to our Interior Architecture and Design Program for help in creating a hospital master plan. Gritman leadership recognized certain design problems in their facilities and wanted the hospital to be a more welcoming physical space for patients and families. The hospital introduced a design competition to our students and awarded winners with substantial scholarships and learning opportunities.
Palouse Prairie Charter School
In spring 2019, interior architecture and design students worked with students, teachers and administrators at Palouse Prairie Charter School in Moscow, along with U of I’s College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, to create conceptual designs for the interior design and landscaping of a new building for the charter school. Students engaged in site analyses, observational visits at the school, focus group studies and research on evidence-based designs for spaces that foster learning in the 21st century.
"It is our responsibility to ensure that these historic places continue to be a part of the current and future community.” Megan Cosdon, recent interior design graduate
The Liberty Theatre Project
The Liberty Theater Preservation Alliance in Lewiston approached our program in 2018 to request that students submit design concepts for a revitalized Liberty Theater — a historical landmark of the city, built in 1921, that has existed as a venue for the performing arts, film and culture. The theater closed in 2005, and once brought back to life, will contribute to the economic and cultural revitalization of Lewiston. Our students submitted re-design ideas and conceptual drawings to the alliance in hopes of revitalizing the arts in Lewiston.
Memory and Place Making
Named “Idaho Spirit” by stakeholders, this downtown Moscow sculptural tribute invokes the memory of U of I alumnus Roscoe Williams and his wife Gladys. Designed by interior architecture and design students, the sculpture has become an anchor of place and a landmark for passersby. The design was a semester-long studio project and installation was completed as a community partnership.
