Students propose interior design plans for South Bend nonprofit as part of service-learning opportunity

During the spring 2024 semester, Emily McLaughlin’s sophomore Commercial Interiors major provided interior design advice at La Casa de Amistad, a youth and community center for Latino and Spanish-speaking people in South Bend, Indiana.

The nonprofit moved into a new 40,000-square-foot space in 2021 and needed more durable and consistent interior furniture for its educational, cultural and advocacy services. Humberto Delgado, deputy executive director of the center’s youth programs, said La Casa de Amistad received a $47,000 grant in 2023 to update furniture in its spaces, support student enrollment, curriculum overhaul and team development.

“Late last year, we were able to secure a grant from the Lily Foundation to improve access to high-quality educational programs for youth in our community,” Delgado said. “At first we started looking for furniture ourselves, but quickly realized it was an almost impossible task given everything else we had to do and the sheer number of options available.”

Delgado saw an opportunity to work with the university because his niece was a student in what is now an exclusive Interior Design major at Purdue in Indianapolis this fall. As La Casa de Amistad continues to reorient itself after the COVID-19 pandemic impacted its capital campaign, he decided to meet with McLaughlin to develop hands-on learning opportunities for her students.

“We have always collaborated with our local colleges and universities in many different ways, particularly with community-based learning courses, but we are now exploring how we can engage in more projects of this type,” Delgado said.

McLaughlin served as faculty lead for the project as part of Purdue’s Service-Learning Fellowship, which supports the development of courses with service-learning elements and strengthens collaborations with community partners. Individuals selected for the fellowship “work together to develop the skills and tools needed to deliver effective, mutually beneficial service-learning courses,” according to a release from the Office of Service-Learning. Each fellow receives up to $2,000 to fund their project.

Twenty-four students from McLaughlin’s class worked in groups to understand the unique cultural needs and history of La Casa de Amistad, research affordable furniture, assemble floor plans and 3D visualizations, and propose a conceptual idea that would make the most effective use of grant funds.

“Architecture and interior design are fields where professionals must solve complex problems related to our built environments,” McLaughlin said. “From residential to commercial, students must be educated to think ahead about the unique needs of our clients and propose solutions that improve the health, safety and well-being of building occupants.”

The furniture selected for La Casa de Amistad had to meet the needs of a wide range of services, including after-school programs, summer camps, kindergartens, adult classes, social services and immigration services. Students focused on meeting program needs while honoring the cultural aspects of the community through color themes and patterns.

“In the Interior Design program, we go beyond surface decoration and consider codes and standards, sustainability and ergonomics,” McLaughlin said. “In the case of La Casa de Amistad, students’ exposure to real-world clients helped them learn about the process used to provide personalized solutions to a unique nonprofit organization.”

Megan Wycoff, a student in the class, said the project taught her the importance of networking and building relationships with product and manufacturing representatives. He also helped her clarify her career goals and interests in this field.
“I always wanted to get into residential design,” Wycoff said. “But the more I learn, the more I realize how fun and exciting commercial design can be and how much opportunity and freedom it offers.”

At the end of the project, the students presented a furniture proposal with a budget and visualizations for La Casa de Amistad. Humberto and the rest of his team are currently reviewing the proposals and will make a decision on the purchase of furniture based on the students’ designs.

McLaughlin said the process taught technical skills, social skills, empathy and awareness of cultural diversity in interior design. She hopes the solutions presented by the class will “contribute to their mission by providing a safe and comfortable space for Latino children and adults to grow in knowledge and camaraderie.”

Interior Architecture courses are available at Purdue University at Indianapolis beginning in the upcoming fall 2024 semester. Learn more about the degree and its content in the Purdue Polytechnic degree program or through Purdue Admissions.

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