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Project Overview

The mission of Ball State University is to connect Ball State with the Muncie community. The phrase "Better Together" is highly utilized in the curriculum by faculty to have Ball State students actively engage in the Muncie community. With this idea in mind, we created two Immersive Learning projects (1. Muncie Community Energy Assessment with ecoREHAB, 2. Interior Materials and Applications: A Hands-on Project with First Presbyterian Church) that have an immediate impact on the Muncie community and Ball State students. We figured out these two projects worked very well, and we are now proposing a newly developed and combined project. Interior Design students learn knowledge of sustainable principles in the classroom. This project introduces building energy assessment tools to analyze and evaluate energy consumption and interior materials as they explore materials and finishes available to the interior designers and ways that they can be combined into construction assemblies. By applying this knowledge in the community, students will have better opportunities to measure building energy and to apply better interior materials as future interior designers. Many buildings in the Muncie community need proper insulation, sustainable materials, and more sealed windows and doors to reduce energy consumption. Through a relationship with our community partner, Ross Community Center, students will help to solve a community challenge of reducing building energy and applying sustainable materials. In this project, our Interior Design students will apply specific energy assessment knowledge, skills, and tools to benefit the community from the Sustainable Interior course, and learn sustainable materials and how to apply them to the real building, Ross Community Center, from Interior Materials and Application course. Students in IDES 114 Sustainable Interiors course will go onsite for an initial consult, walkthrough, and field measure with the community partner. This course further challenge undergraduates to master specific sustainable knowledge, energy assessment tools, and engage in real-world opportunities to assess building systems. Students will actively discuss and determine the methods to test energy efficiency and apply better materials engaging in processes that include examination of airtightness, heating, and cooling, and ventilation. At the end of the semester, students will provide analytical reports of Ross Community Center that suggest more efficient energy-saving ideas to benefit staff, children, and parents using the community center. Students in IDES 115 Interior Materials and Applications will design the space on paper by drawing a working set of construction documents. They will produce floor plans, furniture plans, finish plans, interior elevations, and wall details and sections. The students will then meet with the community partner to determine which student scheme, or combination of schemes using sustainable materials, will be implemented. Once a final design is established, the students will meet the industry consultants on-site for material applications and actually apply materials by shadowing the industry consultants. This project aims to provide students with real-world experience doing building energy assessments and sustainable materials. This “step-up” toward rehabilitation of existing buildings with attention to sustainable design will inspire stakeholders.

Students: Emma Anderson, Leah Austin, Aliceya Badgett, Elyse Bassler, Caley Bendell, James Blankenberger, Kiona Casarez, McKenzie Christian, Alexandria Clark, Kylie Clayton, Lexi Coar-Mattick, Maddi Curless, Amanda Dankert, Timothy Duke, Zoe Dycus, Madison Faulkenburg, Brook Feeney, Erika Franscoviak, Sofia Gallo, Faith Gill, Jaime Higuet, Madison Hornung, Therese Jirgal, Nicky Johnson, Andee Junker, Alexis King, Shanena Knight, Kaylee Krom, Mini Laird, Daniel Lupacchino, Macy McIlrath, Ke'Toren Mendoza, Alexandra Mueller, Courtney Mummert, Tim O'Gara, Danit Perez, Parker Peterson, Maria Ramonell Santos, Jace Rhorer, Annie Roberts, Kathryn Rockwood, Amara Rollins, Elias Romero, Rustin Schambach, Kelsey Slaven, Vanessa Smith, Keira Snow, Jake Son, Sheela Soni, Kurt Stein, Kenzi Stephenson Fujawa, Karina Stoltz, Grace Straley, Kaleb Study, Kaiyah Turner, Mariam Vardanyan, Cassie Whisler, Mya White, Jorja Wood, Claire Wozniak, Betty Zathang

Faculty Mentors: Dr. Juntae Jake Son, Dr. Sarah Angne Alfaro
Community Partner: Ross Community Center