UTA interior design students work to transform Loyd Park cabins | News

Editors Note: This story was updated with additional information on June 12.

UTA interior design students are bringing creativity to the shores of Joe Pool Lake, teaming up with the City of Grand Prairie to reimagine the interiors of Loyd Park’s cabins.

Loyd Park, a popular North Texas outdoor recreational destination, offers rental cabins for overnight visitors seeking a more comfortable and elevated camping experience. The cabins were due for a refresh to better reflect the area’s natural beauty.

The project is preparing to move into the renovation phase and work with the City of Grand Prairie to implement the design.

Hannah Lebovits, project manager and assistant director of the Institute of Urban Studies, met with the city months in advance to identify project goals, timeliness and ensure the project could be completed before being brought to the interior design department.

Barbara Marini, director of the interior design program, was later pitched the opportunity in a January leadership meeting for the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs.

The project was originally intended as a studio project, but high enrollment and a limited scope led to a change in direction.

A small, four-student team was assembled instead: one intern fulfilling graduation requirements, a student worker and two students volunteering through community service. Marini supervised the internship, while Hannah Lebovits, assistant director of the Institute of Urban Studies, served as the project manager.

Zainab Khan, interior design junior and resource room assistant, said the project was her first real-world design experience. She said the team designed eight cabins based on four distinct Texas regions — the East, West, Coastal and Great Plains — balancing unique themes with cohesive materials and color schemes.

“In terms of making those distinctions, things were definitely changed — whether it was from a certain material or how something works out with the rest,” Khan said. “Through the materials and colors, you’ll see some of them overlapping and intersecting, and again, that plays into that theory of cohesion.”

The students used Revit, a modeling software, to build floor plans and Lumion for 3D renderings, creating both one- and two-bedroom prototypes.

“It’s almost like playing ‘[The] Sims,’” Khan said.

Community engagement was also a key part of the project, allowing others to learn about the value of thoughtful design choices, Marini said.

She said the project also gave students a new perspective, as they were used to working on large-scale spaces, but had to adapt to a smaller, faster-paced project with many details and moving parts.

Marini said it took teamwork and organization, and the students had to be reminded that this wasn’t just a class assignment — it was a real project with real impact.

She said the client’s reaction was one of the most rewarding parts of the experience. Seeing how surprised and impressed they were validated all the work and time that went into it.

“We have great students with a great skill set,” Marini said. “We look forward to more opportunities like that, to be able to partner and promote not just our program, but UTA and the broader community.”

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