BENTONVILLE, Ark., July 29, 2015 – The Walton Family Foundation today unveiled a plan that will elevate the quality of architectural and landscape design in Arkansas’ Benton and Washington counties. The new initiative, named the Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program, will promote the highest level of design in the development of future public buildings and spaces.

Karen Minkel, Home Region program director at the Walton Family Foundation, outlined the vision for the project.

“The establishment of a design excellence program in Northwest Arkansas was driven by our strategic approach to preserve our region’s sense of place,” said Minkel. “Over the last 25 years, the population in Northwest Arkansas has more than doubled, creating opportunities and challenges in planning and design. The Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program will encourage quality design of public spaces, while complementing the rich architectural history of our urban fabric.”

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

The Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program is inspired by a similar enterprise in Columbus, Indiana by the Cummins Foundation.

The first phase of the program will involve the selection of world-class designers who would be considered for future projects as announced. Local, national and international designers will have the opportunity to submit their work for review by a panel of distinguished design professionals and educators.

The inaugural selection committee includes Victor Dover, principal-in-charge at Miami-based Dover, Kohl & Partners; Peter MacKeith, dean of the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design; Elizabeth Meyer, professor and dean of the University of Virginia School of Architecture; Karen Minkel, Home Region program director for the Walton Family Foundation; and Cynthia Weese, founding principal of Chicago-based Weese Langley Weese Architects, Ltd.

Selection committee member Peter MacKeith explained the impact this program will have on the local culture.

“One of the most important tasks our committee will have is ensuring architects, landscape architects and urban designers working within the Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program understand our region,” said MacKeith. “Our colleagues should be able to reflect and complement the strong place-based design qualities that characterize the region, from the vernacular to the modern. The talent, skill and knowledge of the Arkansas design professions, along with national and international best practices, will advance the region as a recognized home for American architecture and design.”

While the program will be open to professionals at local, national and international levels, it is intended to foster regional design excellence and 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.

Northwest Arkansas already features the work of renowned architects such as Moshe Safdie, who designed the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, and Fay Jones, designer of the award-winning Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs.

In order to develop a selection process that’s accessible to young talent, the committee will also place a heightened level of emphasis on innovation and creativity.

Designers interested in the program will be able to apply starting July 29 through September 16.

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. Ideas that prioritize the human scale should invite pedestrians and have superior accessibility to all members of the public.

The committee will review the applications and select a group of designers to be considered for projects as they become available. Based on the design needs, the committee plans to choose core groups of designers who will then present proposed ideas to the selected organization for final approval.

The Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program expects to support up to three projects each year.

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