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The Christa Helms Austin Writing Center group area and main space.
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Detail of the feature wall with quotes about writing chosen by the family and donor.
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One of the three breakout rooms, each has a feature "notebook paper" wall with a quote.
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My favorite breakout room — room Bb, note the room numbers on the doors, noted in upper and lower case alluding to the tools of writing
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There's writing on the views into the space, too, both a subtle message about the importance of writing and a recognition of who the space is named for.
Christa Helms Austin Writing Center
Category
Design > Environmental Graphics
Description
Best of CASE District III Award
Institution: Wingate University
Title of entry: Christa Helms Austin Writing Center
About this entry: During the renovation of our new Crowder Welcome Center, we had the opportunity to move our writing center. We received a gift to rename the center as The Christa Helms Austin Writing Center as a tribute to Wingate graduate and elementary school teacher who passed away far too early.
Most of this renovation project was completed in-house, and I was able to add some graphics that worked with the interiors to enliven the space and make clear the purpose of the space. Now located in the library, the center is comprised of a group area and three smaller, more private rooms.
Because writing is both an important skill, a gateway to knowledge and understanding, and, for some, fun and rewarding, we wanted to make the space a vibrant and inviting place. We also wanted to make it clear that writing is work, and because Wingate is a lab of difference-making — we also wanted to get the message across that this is a safe place to make mistakes and to learn from those mistakes.