TCU is planning a new Interior Design and Merchandising building to provide students and professors with better resources and more space.
The current building is located off-campus and is becoming overcrowded, students said. As of right now, plans would locate the new facility behind Moudy Building North.
Junior fashion merchandising major Meredith Hudson said the building’s current location is inconvenient.
“Being all the way by the police station is a real hassle,” Hudson said.
Junior interior design major Brooke Wissenbach said the new building will make up for the current lack of resources and draw attention to the program.
“I think it’s great that there are plans for a new building,” Wissenbach said. “Our current building is practically off-campus and doesn’t provide all the resources we need.”
Not all students think a new building will bring in more first-year students, though some said a new building could provide a better experience for existing majors.
“I don’t think being closer to campus will bring more people to the program,” Hudson said. “With the new building being on campus, however, students will be able to network better and it will allow students better access to campus resources.”
Anne Helmreich, dean of the College of Fine Arts, said decision-makers are “still deep in planning meetings about the project.” There will be an official announcement sometime in the near future, she said.
The new building will be useful to more than just interior design and fashion merchandising majors.
Leo Munson, associate provost for academic support, said the new building will give the theatre department a place to store costume collections and construction equipment.
Senior theatre major Dana Cassling said the new storage space would be a benefit.
“We always need more storage,” Cassling said. “This would make it possible to have more of our stock closer and make it more accessible. It’ll just make student designers and props masters’ lives a little bit easier.”