Chicot Primary is a twelve-classroom addition to the existing Chicot Elementary.  With this addition, Chicot Elementary is converted from a K-6 to a PreK-2 facility.  The new structure presents a strong positive image, which promotes ownership and pride by the neighborhood.  An important design goal for the new building is to blend with the existing school building while projected an innovative and youthful image.  Burnished concrete block in a palette of earth tones breaks down the large walls to provide a more child-friendly scale, and recalls the color of the concrete panels that make up the skin of the original school building.  Metal panels in two colors sheath the projected classroom “boxes” and also help to break up the scale of the building.  The entrance for the preschool is largely transparent to allow parents, children, and visitors to see into the colorful interior while using high performance materials and shading devices appropriate for its orientation.  Other special features of the design include the box projections at each classroom that provide optional staging for learning activities, and observation rooms adjacent to four of the twelve classrooms.  Natural daylight is maximized with an abundance of windows and insulated translucent roofing panels at the classroom projections. Also “monitor” structures on the roof with clerestory windows brings natural light into the hallways.

Location:  Little Rock, Arkansas

Year Completed:  2008

On the Project:  Chris Hartfield

ASID South Central Chapter Silver Award, 2011

Harrin Hall, located on Alumni circle at the University of Central Arkansas, was the original library in 1929. In 1999 the 15,600 square foot addition shown above allowed the building to expand and accommodate the Division of Undergraduate Studies. This department houses the academic advising center and serves as the location for registration for all incoming freshman. Additional uses within the 26,000 square foot building are computer labs, advisor offices, classrooms, and spaces for freshman orientation. Because the building serves as the arrival for entry-level students, a welcoming front entry was an important component in the design of the addition. This classical stone arch faces the campus green and the student center. With respect to the historical context of existing buildings on campus, the addition is clad in the shared materials of red brick and cast stone. In addition, an architectural code was created to guide future university construction, and ensure continuity of design throughout the campus.

Location: University of Central Arkansas, Conway, Arkansas

Year Completed:  2000

On the Project:  John Allison

Allison and their consultant, Little Diversified Architectural Consulting, were asked by the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith to assist in developing a Long Range Campus Plan looking toward the University’s growing student population and its role as a four-year institution. The first element of the Campus Plan to be realized is the construction of a new 115,830 square foot residential and dining complex. The two residence halls and multi-purpose dining facility were sited to create a traditional collegiate quadrangle on a significant corner of the University campus. The residence halls contain 460 beds in a variety of suite-style room types. Lounges are located on each floor to provide students with small gathering areas and study space. During the evening, the food service areas of the dining facility may be cordoned off, allowing it to serve as a multi-purpose space for social functions and University events. The project attained LEED Silver Certification from the USGBC. Sustainable design elements include LED light fixtures, recycling centers in the residence halls, a bicycle pavilion, and a high-efficiency mechanical system.

Location:  University of Arkansas Fort Smith, Fort Smith, Arkansas

Year Completed:  2010

On the Project:  Katie Bruhl

In Association with:  Little Diversified

ASID Regional Gold Award, 2011

LEED Silver

The Little Rock Job Corps Center is located on a 20-acre site in southwest Little Rock. Comprised of 8 individual buildings totaling 164,000 square feet, the campus accommodates 300 students ages 16-24 in a living/ learning environment. Job Corps is a no cost education and vocational training program administrated by the US Department of Labor. Students are taught a trade, earn a high school diploma, and are assisted in finding jobs while living on campus for 10-12 months. Full classroom facilities are provided, and students reside in suite style residence hall accommodations. A cafeteria serving three meals a day, a gymnasium, weight training facility, and staff administrative/ support facilities are included on site. The Little Rock campus offers classes in construction, automotive mechanics, medical training, and computer technology. The project was a joint venture with Stuck Associates Architects and Woods & Caradine Architects

Location:  Little Rock, Arkansas

Year Completed:  2008

On the Project:  Chris Hartsfield

In Association with: Stuck Associates

and Woods & Caradine Architects

Since its founding 40 years ago, the New School has grown from a few rooms to a multi-building campus.  However, none of these buildings presented the signature image that the school required.  The New School hired Allison Architects to design two new buildings - a Preschool and an Administration and Performing Arts Complex - as well as a comprehensive master plan, one that would unite the elements of their existing facilities and that would meet the growth requirements of the New School for the next 40 years.  The Administration and Performing Arts building is designed as the signature building that the New School needed to develop an architectural and campus identity.  The main entry is a double-height space, sheltered under a large shed dormer.  Curtain wall glazing and glulam structure at the main entry help to create a welcoming and warm palette of materials.  The spaces for the performing arts programs include a 350-seat theater, a 1,500 square foot dance studio, dressing rooms, and scene shop.  The proposed design of the Preschool is composed of classroom “pods” sheltered under traditional hipped roofs.  A series of shed dormers with double-height windows punctuate the façade.  The Preschool is designed to read as a sequence of smaller volumes that reference the same architectural langue as the larger Administration and Performing Arts building, unifying the new addition to campus as a complete architectural solution.

Location:  Fayetteville, Arkansas

Year Completed:  2014

On the Project:  Sarah Goss

ASID Regional Bronze Award, 2014

Originally constructed in 1913, Peabody Hall has long been an icon of the University of Arkansas’ academic mission, housing the

College of Education and at various times a teacher training facility and elementary school. After nearly a century of continuous use, it was in need of a major renovation. Allison Architects and Schwartz/Silver Architects were contracted by the University of Arkansas to restore this important historic resource and renovate it in such a way that it could continue to serve as a hub for training future educators.

Project work included the restoration of the exterior of the building, including the removal of several layers of paint on the original masonry surfaces and new windows and doors that replicate the original appearance of the building. The interior was renovated to provide modern academic and office space to accommodate the current and future needs of the College of Education and Health Professions including: six general purpose classrooms, a computer lab, a technology education lab, and a seminar room; 43 faculty offices and departmental administrative offices; and a café for use by building occupants and the general campus. The previously dirt-floored basement was converted to a lobby and loading/unloading area. Building systems, such as HVAC, AV/IT, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection were also updated to modern standards. A new elevator makes the building completely accessible.

Location:  University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas

Year Completed:  2011

On the Project:  Chris Hartsfield

In Association with:  Schwartz/Silver Architects

Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce Award for Renovation, 2011

ASID Regional Silver Award, 2012

City of Fayetteville Best Preservation Practices Award, 2012

LEED Certified

Location:  University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas

Completed: 2018

In 1998, Allison Architects and Van Yahres Associates collaborated to produce a comprehensive master plan for the University of Central Arkansas located in Conway, Arkansas. Allison Architects developed an architectural code for all new construction as well as renovations. After developing the Master Plan in 1998, Allison Architects and Van Yahres were hired to take on a new challenge to plan for the phenomenal influx of students between 1998 to 2005 and on into the future. Specifically, UCA urgently needed a plan for the current 12,000 students (FTE) and eventually 15,000 (FTE). Questions about land acquisition had to be answered quickly and a direction established for the physical growth of the campus.

Location:  Conway, Arkansas

Year Completed:  1998

On the Project:  John Allison

In Association with:  Van Yahres Associates

Wakefield Elementary School has served an ethnically diverse neighborhood of Little Rock since 1959. As a cornerstone of the community, the school is a part-nered with Share America through the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. This volunteer program provides assistance to the children and families of Wakefield by furnishing school supplies, shoes, medical and dental screenings, and birth-day and Christmas gifts. An after-school Voyager program is maintained at the facility. A fire in 2002 destroyed all of the original facility except for the 5,500 square foot cafeteria, precipitating the school district to rebuild the complex with the district’s new school building safety guidelines, as well as expanding the facility. The new facility in¬cludes a computer lab, media center, an enclosed play area, and Future Smiles Dental Health Clinic. As the only in-school Dental Clinic in the state with a full time dentist, it serves Wakefield and five other elementary schools in the district.

To maximize physical and visual access to the space, the media center was placed at the intersection of the two nearby streets.  Large windows allow pedestrians to see into the high-tech space while perforated metal panels reduce glare.  Exterior materials consist of patterned brick in three muted colors and stucco on the parapet.  The subtle variation in brick tones allows for the articulation of building elements and breaks up the monolithic appearance of long walls.  Metal awnings were employed to control the sun so that all classrooms could benefit from natural light.

Location:  Little Rock, Arkansas

Year Completed:  2004

On the Project:  Chris Hartsfield

AIA Arknasas Merit Award, 2005

Completed in 2007, Willard J. Walker Hall provides for both current needs and future growth of the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.  The 78,000 square foot facility showcases state-of-the-art learning environments and provides student team rooms, project rooms for industry partnering, and a financial markets trading room.  Architects and clients collaborated to respond to the increasingly important relationship between business research and graduate education.  This was achieved by hosting the College’s Research Centers – the Center for Retailing Excellence and the Supply Chain Management Research Center.  Additionally, Walker Hall houses the graduate school of business, the career development center, a multi-purpose forum, a 150-seat auditorium, Students In Free Enterprise, a cyber-café, and four undergraduate classrooms.  The forum space and other community areas provide a supportive atmosphere that fosters the exchange of ideas and enhances networking and collaboration.  Sited along New Harmon road across from the recently completed UA parking deck, the five-story building takes advantage of the hillside terrain with major entries from the road and the plaza.  Allison Architects collaborated with Machado and Silvetti Associates of Boston for the project.

Location:  University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas

Year Completed:  2007

On the Project:  Chris Hartsfield

In Association with: Machado Silvetti

AIA Arkansas Honor Award, 2009

ASID Regional Silver Award, 2009

Location:  Walnut Ridge, Arkansas

Currenlty Under Construction

On the Project:  Chris Hartfield

Currently Under Construction