Walton Family Foundation adds 14 new firms to Design Excellence Program

Northwest Arkansas

by Paul Gatling ([email protected]) April 7, 2024 8:46 am 1,044 views 

The nonprofit Walton Family Foundation in Bentonville has added 14 planning firms to its Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program, bringing the total number of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firms in the program to nearly 80.

WFF established the Design Excellence Program in 2015 to promote high levels of design in the development of future public buildings and spaces in Benton and Washington counties. Previous award-winning projects include TheatreSquared in Fayetteville, Railyard Park in Rogers, Luther George Park in Springdale and Thaden School in Bentonville.

The application process for design professionals opens when the Design Excellence selection committee determines that specific design backgrounds are needed to replace firms that have been awarded projects or whose five-year term has expired.

The selection committee, comprised of industry experts and WFF representatives, reviews qualifications and invites select design firms to join the program.

The 14 firms, including two from Northwest Arkansas, recently added are:

  • APD Urban Planning + Management, Atlanta, Ga.
  • Brooks + Scarpa, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
  • Crafton Tull, Rogers
  • David Baker Architects, Birmingham, Ala.
  • Field Operations, Philadelphia, Pa.
  • Henning Larsen, New York, N.Y.
  • Interface Studio Architects LLC, Philadelphia, Pa.
  • Kronberg Urbanists + Architects, Atlanta, Ga.
  • MBL Planning, Fayetteville
  • McCann Adams Studio, Austin, Texas
  • Snøhetta, New York, N.Y.
  • TEN x TEN Landscape Architecture + Urbanism, Minneapolis, Minn.
  • TSW, Tulsa, Okla.
  • Yard & Company, Cincinnati, Ohio

“We know that planning is the foundation of good design,” WFF senior program officer Meredith Bergstrom said. “By expanding the program to include planning professionals, this program will help Northwest Arkansas become one of the nation’s most vibrant and inclusive communities. With the addition of these firms, we look forward to selecting projects that cast a vision for welcoming public space throughout the region.”

Julie Bargmann

NEW COMMITTEE MEMBER
Landscape architect Julie Bargmann recently joined the Design Excellence Program’s selection committee. She is the founding principal of D.I.R.T. Studio in Charlottesville, Va., and her projects have gained international recognition for their impact on neglected landscapes.

“Julie’s commitment to regenerative design aligns with our program’s mission to elevate standards of sustainability and resilience,” Bergstrom said. “With Julie’s expertise, we look forward to selecting projects that enhance the built environment and inspire positive social and environmental change.”

Bargmann, a University of Virginia professor, graduated with a fine arts degree from Carnegie Mellon University and has a master’s degree in landscape architecture from Harvard Graduate School of Design.

In 2021, The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) announced Bargmann as the inaugural winner of the Oberlander Prize for her innovative work regenerating neglected, often polluted communities. The biennial award of $100,000 included two years of public engagement focused on her work and the state of contemporary landscape architecture.