Designing beyond the classroom

By Don Sae Kang

Division of Communications and Marketing

Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026

What happens when students take their designs out of the classroom and into the community?

Real clients. Real projects. Real-world learning.

Landscape architecture and interior architecture students in K-State's College of Architecture, Planning & Design partnered with the Manhattan Arts Center to envision a new outdoor classroom and community space.

The project gave students the opportunity to work directly with community stakeholders and clients, identify project goals and develop designs for a real-world space. The goal was to transform an underutilized area at the Manhattan Arts Center into a beautiful, functional outdoor classroom for classes and public use.

For the students, the experience went beyond a hypothetical design exercise. They saw their ideas take shape in the real world while learning what it means to design for the community and the people who will use the space.

Through hands-on, community-engaged projects like this, K-State APDesign students gain experience solving real problems, collaborating with clients and creating spaces that can leave their communities better than they found them.