PAGE 14//WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29. 2012
Breathing life into Elon’s brick and mortar
University’s interior designer brings passion to every project
STYLE
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Caitlin O’Donnell
Editor-in-Chief
It’s the faces that tell all, according to
Holly Hodge, interior designer for Elon
University.
“Just to see people’s faces for the
first time when they’re walking through
when everything is in place — just to see
people’s gratitude — that’s what makes
what I do all worth it," she said.
Since arriving at Elon about a year
and a half ago, after spending eight
years working in architecture, Hodge
has been involved in the planning and
design for the spaces students, faculty
and staff visit everyday.
“One of the things about higher
(education) that 1 love, when you think
about it, is you’ve got everything in this
little bubble," she said. “If you look at
a student space, it has a different feel
from a professional office space. Each
space is different, which makes my job
exciting.”
Her first project included the
creation of a graphics package for the
Alumni Field House, which opened
in January 2011. Since then, she has
planned, among others, the new
Colonnades residential area, the Student
Professional Development Center, the
Gerald L. Francis Center and the Station
at Mill Point, slated to open In the fall.
And despite the experience she’s
gained, she said the job has not
necessarily gotten easier.
“Each project is different and a new
assignment,” she said. “Every day is
different for me."
For each project, Hodge follows a
specific process to complete a design,
working alongside a team of architects
and project managers from the
department of planning, design and
construction management.
It begins with programming, or
meeting with end users to determine
their vision and use of the space. She
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Holly Hodge, Elon’s interior designer, finds inspiration for campus projects from a room brimming with carpet, flooring and other material samples.
then transfers that idea to paper.
“(It’s) fun because it’s like a puzzle,”
she said. “I usually sketch things and
then transfer to the computer to see if it
fits in different areas. I like to visualize
how things are going to look in real life."
Next comes the selection of materials
for the space, including carpets, base
colors and the accents that “make it
come to life,” according to Hodge.
“That’s when you see a glimmer in
peoples’ eyes, like ‘This is for real,’” she
said. “(It's) the little details that come
into it — the art and signage that create
a brand for the space that make it a
bigger picture."
Finally, the project moves into
construction, which Hodge monitors
closely to ensure everything is built to
the correct standards.
While not all universities have an
interior designer, Hodge said she views
her position as a key one.
“We have a holistic approach to the
campus, so there’s some type of unity
and standards involved so it’s not just a
building,” she said. “We work to (achieve!
consistency. We know what works and
what doesn’t.”
Always a creative person, Hodge said
she’s sought a career that would allow
her to utilize that passion on a daih
basis.
“I’ve always been involved in design
and I can honestly say I love what 1 do,”
she said. “Not many people can sayttiat ’
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