UWG News Archive

Interior Design students re-design Chamber of Commerce

December 13, 2004

CARROLLTON, GA - With the help of creative University of West Georgia interior design students, the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce building will soon be getting a much-needed facelift.

Daniel Jackson, executive director of the chamber, said the organization has had a good working relationship with UWG through the years in hiring interns and working with the Richards College of Business. So when the Chamber’s Board of Directors decided its 18-year-old building needed redecorating, Jackson naturally turned to UWG for help.

Jackson had met Sangwon Sohn, associate professor of art who teaches interior design at UWG, and knew she wanted her students to be more involved in the community. They “connected the dots” and were very excited at the prospect of working together.

The pair came up with an idea for a contest between Sohn’s 13 interior design students, where each student will make recommendations and a presentation to Chamber officials on Friday, Dec. 17.

“We thought this would be a good way for our students to get practical experience as they learn about making presentations and applying their design skills to a project,” Sohn said. “By working on an actual project, all the students are experiencing a real-life situation in a design process from the client interview, inception of the design and the completion of the project.”

Sohn explained that students will learn how to interact with clients, and also learn to execute realistic and practical designs.

“This will give my students an idea of what’s going on in the real world. In a school setting, we always don’t have the opportunity to have interaction with a client,” she said.

Sohn explained that she was also looking to reach out and involve interior design students in the community.

“I believe that UWG has a good relationship with local business organizations and we wanted to be a part of that relationship. The building has an outdated look as it was designed in the 1980s,” Sohn said. “The Chamber of Commerce is the face of Carroll County because visitors go there first for information. So we thought it was time to redesign the interior to make a good impression in addition to providing a service to the community.”

The winner will serve an internship in overseeing the interior design next semester.

“After the Chamber raises money to implement the new design, the winner will be able to get practical experience buying furniture, drapes and other items,” Sohn pointed out.

All of the students in the class are enthusiastic about the chance to see a project through completion. Peggie Nelson, a student from Carrollton, says it really doesn’t matter who wins because the class will get to see a completed work.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for us,” Nelson said. “We get a chance to extend ourselves into the design field. I’m very excited.”

Jackson said the staff and some members of the Chamber’s Board of Directors will listen to the different presentations and choose a winner, which will be announced in January during the Chamber’s 50th year anniversary celebration and meeting at he food service building on the University campus.

“We’re very excited about what these talented students might bring to the table,” Jackson pointed out. “It’s a win-win for us and for the students.”

Dr. Pauline Gagnon, interim dean of the college of arts and sciences agrees. "This collaborative project is yet again another example of how a strong relationship between UWG and the west Georgia community enhances all our lives," she said.

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