Harding entering phase 2 of project

Harding University in Searcy has finished the first phase of a new educational and collaborative space for students in the architecture program on the third floor of the Kendall Building.

Previously, architecture students shared studio space with interior architecture and design students in the Olen Hendrix Building.

Renovations made to the 6,500 square-foot space, completed in March, include two studios, a digital design lab, materials lab, small classroom, gallery, faculty offices, work room and a reception area.

The university is scheduled to complete phase two of renovation work by summer 2025, on the remaining 3,500 square feet of space on the third floor. That renovation work will provide students with two additional studios, a student lounge and collaborative critique space.

President Emeritus David Burks and his wife Leah Burks have pledged $1 million to the architecture program. Their gift will allow the university to furnish a craft lab complete with the latest technology and equipment in the partial basement of the Kendall Building. The craft lab will provide architecture students with hands-on experience with fabrication and building components.

The Burkses’ gift will also endow scholarships for architecture students.