{"id":7885,"date":"2018-01-25T15:26:44","date_gmt":"2018-01-25T21:26:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.maryville.edu\/mpress\/?p=7885"},"modified":"2018-01-25T15:26:44","modified_gmt":"2018-01-25T21:26:44","slug":"designing-dream-chinese-families","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.maryville.edu\/mpress\/designing-dream-chinese-families\/","title":{"rendered":"Designing a Dream for Chinese Families in St. Louis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Seeking a Spark<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople at our Chinese school had a dream that some day we would have our very own school,\u201d says Guodong Li, actuarial science instructor at Maryville. \u201cBut we needed a spark, something that would help others visualize our dream. That spark was Maryville.\u201d<\/p>\n

Founded in 1997 by a group of Chinese families, the St. Louis Modern Chinese School, as it was called then, rented classrooms in various schools for their Sunday afternoon classes in language and culture.<\/p>\n

In 2010, Li, who was chairman of the board for the nonprofit, volunteer organization at the time, attended an exhibit showcasing the capstone work of Maryville\u2019s interior design students. Impressed, the next day he contacted Darlene Davison, director of the interior design program.<\/p>\n

\u201c … We needed a spark, something that would help others visualize our dream. That spark was Maryville.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He had found the spark he needed in the students\u2019 work.<\/p>\n

In the intervening seven years, a community partnership has grown exponentially. Maryville students, alumni and their professors, along with one of the largest architecture firms in St. Louis, all stepped up to help realize the dream.<\/p>\n

As they celebrated their 20th<\/sup> anniversary this fall, they had a new name \u2014 the Chinese Education and Culture Center \u2014 and a new identity to give their very own building.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Designing a Dream<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cGuodong came to my classroom and told the students he needed a design proposal that would excite the Chinese school\u2019s membership about having their own building,\u201d says Davison. \u201cThe students formed teams, each with five weeks to create a design. It was a great experience for them to have a real client, a real proposal. They got to see how design works in every way possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

The student designs successfully inspired the school board. The following year, the group bought a three-story office building that allowed the center to expand services to include tea ceremonies, exhibits and performances.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started with 40 students,\u201d says says Yingwen Huang, president. \u201cToday there are 750 students.\u201d<\/p>\n

In anticipation of its 20th<\/sup> anniversary, the organization once again turned to Maryville for help. The board was looking for an adaptable design for the main floor to accommodate all the activities.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Alumni Expand the Project <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2015, the Lawrence Group decided to celebrate its 30th<\/sup> birthday,\u201d says Danielle Krueger, \u201912, an interior designer at the company. \u201cThey weren\u2019t going to throw a big party. Instead they would take on 30 different community design projects pro bono. I called Darlene to see if she had any projects that needed help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Krueger turned to five other Maryville alums at the Lawrence Group who took the Chinese school design project to the next step.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe came up with a realistic design that included a space plan, floor plan, the finished palate of color samples, fabrics, patterns, and wall coverings,\u201d says Krueger. \u201cOur manufacturing representatives offered discounts and donations of materials.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

New Name, New Identity<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once the new building opened, Maryville designers saw the need for an identity overhaul. This time, Caren Schlossberg-Wood, instructor of graphic design at Maryville, took on the challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy identity class formed teams to design a logo,\u201d she says. \u201cWe started with a deep dive into Chinese history and politics, culture, traditions, heritage, the meaning of symbols and colors.\u201d<\/p>\n

The board chose a design by seniors Courtney Ferguson and Casey McDonough, who used the distinctive China Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo as inspiration. The learning experience went far beyond creating a beautiful design.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew all about logo guidelines, but not about the visuals associated with China,\u201d says McDonough, who worked with the typography to complement the image. \u201cWe learned a lot about Chinese culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Next Steps to Growth<\/strong><\/p>\n

The list of the activities and classes now being offered at the new center is extensive: 40 different levels of Chinese language are taught, along with classes in martial arts, drawing, painting, yoga, SAT prep, ping pong, elementary and high school math competitions, income taxes, and dozens more.<\/p>\n

As the board of directors works on long-range funding goals, they are realistic about the progress, Huang says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are most thankful for all the help we have received from Maryville,\u201d says Huang. \u201cWe want to continue to improve this facility, but we know it\u2019s not going to happen in a year.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This feature was originally published in the Fall 2017 edition of Maryville Magazine.<\/em><\/p>\n

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