BENTONVILLE, Ark., July 28, 2016 – The Walton Family Foundation announced a new application cycle for the Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program. Established in 2015, the initiative elevates the architectural quality of future public buildings and spaces in Northwest Arkansas.

The Walton Family Foundation expects to support up to three projects in 2016, in addition to the 2015 projects already underway. Projects selected for funding will be announced during the fall.

Architecture and landscape architecture firms interested in the program will be able to apply July 29 through September 12.

Through this program, the Walton Family Foundation provides financial support to entities that intend to develop space for public purposes such as school districts; county, state or local municipalities; and nonprofit organizations. Funds are earmarked for all phases of design work.

Designers are invited to submit their work for review by a selection committee that includes design professionals and educators. The panel will review all submissions and select the outstanding designers who will be added to the existing pool of firms that qualified for the program during its inaugural year.

While the program is open to professionals at local, national and international levels, it is intended to foster potential cooperation between in-state and out-of-state firms. A local approach will also be used when considering materials sourcing for the proposed designs in an effort to maintain sustainable development practices.

During its first year, the Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program developed a pool of 36 architecture and landscape architecture firms representing 13 states, Canada, and the District of Columbia. The inaugural projects announced in 2015 include:

• a new 51,500-square-foot performance arts space for TheatreSquared in downtown Fayetteville to be designed by New York City-based Marvel Architects,
• a 28,000-square-foot adaptive reuse building for the Rogers Historical Museum in downtown Rogers to be designed by Louisville-based DeLeon & Primmer Architecture Workshop, and
• a new 35,000-square-foot facility and half-acre playground for Helen Walton Children’s Enrichment Center in downtown Bentonville to be designed by New York City-based LTL Architects

Applicants should be able to discuss their approach to sustainability and the human scale – the core values in the program’s guiding principles. Sustainability practices should focus on attention to the life cycle of a building; prioritization of infill and adaptive reuse projects; and energy efficiency. Designs that prioritize the human scale should invite pedestrians and have superior accessibility to all members of the public.

Designers who are selected will be added to the existing pool of firms and considered for projects as they become available. Applicants will receive notification of selection by October 31. Firms remain in the pool for five years or until they are selected for a project. Based on the needs, the committee selects firms that are then invited to submit a proposal and interview for the appropriate project. Each organization will make the final decision on the designer for its project.

A comprehensive review of the application process and detailed instructions on how to apply are available at waltonfamilyfoundation.org/design.

About the Home Region Program and the Walton Family Foundation

The Home Region Program invests in projects that measurably improve the quality of life by creating cultural, educational and economic opportunities throughout Northwest Arkansas and in the Arkansas and Mississippi Delta region. In 2015, the Walton Family Foundation contributed more than $35 million to its home region. To learn more, visit waltonfamilyfoundation.org, and join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.