Bottleworks building’s model condo decorated by Laura Shuckman-Gluck
–by Liz Wardlow, Kirkwood Communique’
Interior design student Laura Shuckmann-Gluck’s final layout is showcased in a model condo at Bottleworks, 921 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids. Open houses are held from 2 to 4 p.m. Sundays.
Starting from a concrete shell, Kirkwood Community College interior design students competed to renovate an urban loft in downtown Cedar Rapids.
A layout by Laura Shuckmann-Gluck, a second-year interior design major, was selected as the winning entry out of 21 submitted. All floor plans for the Bottleworks project were presented to the owner of Point Builders and two other judges.
According to Sheryl Konen, an instructor in Kirkwood’s interior design program who worked on the Bottleworks project, Kirkwood received $5,000 from Point Builders to stage a model for the parade opening of Bottleworks in September.
Students started working on the project during a summer course this year. “It’s a complete student-run project,” said Konen. “The students found clients and chose which project would be their final one of the course.”
Deciding on Bottleworks, located at 921 Third St. SE in Cedar Rapids, close to New Bohemia and Czech Village, students in two classes worked on their own designs.
Each shell is two stories and about 1,100 square feet. Shuckmann-Gluck’s winning design had a different appeal: The living space was upstairs and the bedrooms were downstairs.
According to Konen, Shuckmann-Gluck lived in Europe, which influenced her floor plan. “It was interesting and definitely what Bottleworks was looking for,” said Deanna Berchenbrieter, an interior design major.
Bottleworks was looking for a sustainable design, which “means intelligent life-enhancing design,” said Konen.
[Copyright 2009 by Kirkwood Communique’, the student-operated newspaper of Kirkwood Community College. All rights reserved, used by permission.]