Springdale is the fourth largest city in the state located between Bentonville and Fayetteville in northwest Arkansas. Between 1990 and 2010, it experienced a 133% growth in population. Designed to meet the growth for the next 20 years, the new 122,481 square-foot municipal complex houses a state-of-the-art police facility and a district court and includes partial renovation of the existing city administration building.

Duvall Decker was selected to lead this project through the Walton Family Foundation’s Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program. The design aspires to meet the functional and growth needs of Springdale, in a new facility that is environmentally mature and that reflects their values. The project is sited to form a new northern gateway into downtown Springdale. The project location provides the opportunity for direct linkages to Turnbow Park, Shiloh Memorial Park, and the Razorback Greenway. The design establishes three public rooms, the council chamber, the district court, and the police training facility as the most important civic figures in the complex. These three public rooms are designed to accommodate many uses and are architecturally established as the figures overlooking the new public green. An internal agora/hall connects all three functions and allows for a single secure entrance under the council chamber.

The City of Springdale has limited and finite resources for building and maintenance of the project. The programming planned for and included space for 20 years of growth in the project. The design solution had to be economical and exhibit both long-term flexibility for office areas and durability for public use areas. The exterior combined brick and precast concrete skin. The precast panels are shaped to be an active light and shallow changing surface. The goal is to utilize an inexpensive material and achieve civic presence with a dynamic pattern of light and warm and cool shadows. Interior materials include ground-face concrete block walls, polished concrete floors, and exposed painted steel. The three civic rooms; the council chamber, the courtroom, and the police training room are each upgraded with natural light, a view of the park and city, and adorned with acoustic wood paneling and oak-trimmed steel trusses.

Duvall Decker was assisted by Hight Jackson Associates, Dewberry Architecture, Inc, Dewberry Engineering, Inc, Tatum Smith Welcher Engineers, Inc, Engineering Services, Inc, Springdale Acoustics Incorporated, WAS Design, and Woodridge Consulting Services.

Publications
Architect’s Newspaper, Studio Visit, 2023