North West Arkansas Community College

The Northwest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) Campus Master Plan reimagines the college as a future-ready, community-rooted institution. Developed with NWACC and the Walton Family Foundation, the plan addresses projected enrollment growth by transforming underused land into a walkable, landscape-driven academic village. Growth is guided by four pillars: academic expansion, student housing, athletics and arts, and campus-wide amenities. Inspired by the Ozark landscape, the plan integrates learning, living, and civic life through a civic park, mobility hub, bike trail, and green corridors. Built through inclusive engagement, it offers a flexible, actionable framework and positions NWACC as a national model of sustainable, equitable, design-driven higher education.

THE BIG IDEA

The Campus Framework

The campus design framework is built around six key ideas that shape open spaces, academic zones, and community connections while enhancing access and movement. A central Community Park serves as both a premier public space and an Outdoor Living Lab. Campus Quads create a network of courtyards that form the campus core and connect its ends. Specialty Areas feature plazas and corridors that enrich surrounding spaces. The Arkansas Missouri Trail links the campus to regional trails, supporting active transportation. A Main Campus Spine provides a clear pedestrian route across campus, and Distinct Entry Points offer memorable, welcoming campus access.

THE BIG IDEA

Land Use Framework

The land use framework defines five main areas for the campus layout. The Integrated Learning zone includes the main academic spaces, labs, training areas, community spaces, and student life facilities. The Housing area encompasses the student housing village, the mixed-use Eagle Neighborhood Center, and short-term faculty townhomes. Athletics, Recreation, and Arts features include the Rec and Wellness Center, Arts Complex, courts, stadium, and intramural fields. The Community Park serves as a premier park for the Bentonville, Rogers, and NWACC communities. Lastly, the Parking and Maintenance area includes parking garages and campus support facilities.

REGIONAL CONTEXT

Districts & Major Vehicular Corridors

NWACC’s 130-acre campus rivals the scale of major city districts, serving as more than an educational space—it’s a gateway and community hub. Positioned along 14th Street, 8th Street, and Water Tower Road, it links Bentonville and Rogers, playing a vital role in the region’s urban and cultural landscape.

REGIONAL CONTEXT

Access to Arkansas Missouri Trail

Bentonville and the surrounding region proudly brand themselves as the Mountain Biking Capital of the World, with an extensive network of cycling trails linking key districts and open spaces. The Arkansas Missouri Trail is a major east-west corridor, connecting Bentonville and Rogers while running directly through the NWACC campus. This trail is more than infrastructure—it’s a vital cultural artery for cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts alike.

NWACC’s campus consists of low-rise academic buildings set among surface parking, wooded areas, and open lawns. Most buildings feature red brick, tan stucco, and green metal roofs, while newer facilities, such as the Integrated Design Lab, incorporate more contemporary materials and styles. The landscape includes open lawns, art installations, hardscape plazas, stormwater areas, and a wooded pond known as the Outdoor Living Lab. Streets primarily accommodate vehicles, with limited pedestrian infrastructure and a mix of surface and structured parking. The campus remains functional and accessible, with opportunities for improved cohesion and ecological integration.

Process

Engagement Sessions

Informal pop-up booth on campus that invited students, faculty, staff, and broader college community to share written feedback, tag photos, and annotate maps.
Collaborative design session exploring campus framework ideas with key stakeholders.
Focus group breakout session analyzing various campus planning topics
Focus group presentations to Steering Committee during visioning workshop.
Open dialogue with students incorporating real-time polling and feedback tools.
CAMPUS VISION

Integrated Learning

The campus design framework is built around six key ideas that shape open spaces, academic zones, and community connections while enhancing access and movement. A central Community Park serves as both a premier public space and an Outdoor Living Lab. Campus Quads create a network of courtyards that form the campus core and connect its ends. Specialty Areas feature plazas and corridors that enrich surrounding spaces. The Arkansas Missouri Trail links the campus to regional trails, supporting active transportation. A Main Campus Spine provides a clear pedestrian route across campus, and Distinct Entry Points offer memorable, welcoming campus access.

CAMPUS VISION

Athletics & Arts

NWACC’s athletics program is expanding with plans to launch several new sports over the next five years and beyond. Upcoming facilities include a Recreation & Wellness Center, multi-purpose pavilion, outdoor rec fields, and tracks for athletic and intramural use. A stadium with seating, concessions, and support spaces will host NCAA, NJCAA, and other events. The arts program will also grow with a new Performing Arts Complex featuring a black box theater, pre-function space, and outdoor porch. These additions will support student life and academics while enriching community engagement and use.

CAMPUS VISION

Housing

Housing is a key focus for NWACC, aiming to create an affordable, vibrant campus experience for students, faculty, and staff. Plans include a student housing village with amenities and dining, as well as mixed-use housing with retail, restaurants, and a food hall to serve both campus and community. Short-term faculty townhomes and expanded campus dining further support flexibility and daily life, fostering a lively, inclusive campus environment.

CAMPUS VISION

Campus Amenities

NWACC’s academic, athletic, arts, and housing growth includes expanded student life amenities to create a vibrant civic hub for students, faculty, and the wider region. As a community college, NWACC seeks to serve Bentonville, Rogers, and beyond. Planned additions include parks, open spaces, new buildings, trails, and transit options. These spaces will support student life and host community events, cultural programs, and recreation—enhancing campus life and reinforcing NWACC’s role as a regional asset.

CAMPUS SYSTEMS

Vehicular & Roadways

The mobility framework improves safety and walkability by realigning NWACC Boulevard to create a car-free campus core and adding a new entrance at Water Tower Road. Bike lanes, wide sidewalks, shade trees, and traffic calming support safe, pedestrian-friendly streets. Vehicle access is limited in the core, with enhanced fire safety through added access points and standpipe-equipped buildings.

CAMPUS SYSTEMS

Mobility & Transit

The transit strategy boosts regional connectivity through Ozark Regional Transit services like the Bentonville-Rogers Connector, Route 490, and On-Demand options. A central Mobility Hub will serve both campus and community. Nearby support facilities include showers and lockers, while bus stops within a 5-minute walk will feature weather protection and accessibility. Future plans include an autonomous campus shuttle and improved wayfinding to encourage transit use.

CAMPUS SYSTEMS

Pedestrian Network

The plan creates a walkable campus with a central spine linking Burns Hall to Student Housing and connected east-west routes. Trails and shaded, tree-lined paths enhance comfort and access to nature. Streets feature wide sidewalks and safe crossings, supported by signage, universal design, and emergency access throughout campus.

CAMPUS SYSTEMS

Cycling & Trails

To promote walking and biking, the campus will offer direct pathways, bike parking, and safe, accessible infrastructure. The Arkansas Missouri Trail will enhance regional links, with a C-TEC-built showcase trail adding educational value. Incentives, events, and potential e-bikes will encourage active travel. Trail amenities will include seating, water stations, and repair tools, with bike parts sold on campus. Showers and lockers will support cyclists, and a dedicated staff member will lead mobility programs.

CAMPUS SYSTEMS

Parking

The parking strategy promotes a walkable campus by replacing surface lots with edge-located garages, preserving ADA access near buildings. Incentives like free garage and paid surface parking aim to shift behavior. Street parking will support key areas, with accessible paths linking garages to destinations. Garage facades may feature greenery or screens, with potential rooftop solar panels or courts. Future housing village parking will be developer-partnered and study-informed.

CAMPUS SYSTEMS

Landscape & Open Space

The landscape will showcase Northwest Arkansas’s natural beauty, enhancing NWACC’s identity and sense of place. The Outdoor Living Lab will become a Community Park with trails, bridges, and recreation. A village-style landscape with shaded paths will connect campus and community. Native plants, sustainable rainwater systems, and repurposed lawns and lots will create a more immersive and functional environment.

CAMPUS SYSTEMS

Utilties (Water & Sewer)

Campus utilities will support flexible development while preserving natural areas. Looping water mains ensure fire protection, and minor utility relocations are expected to have low cost and impact. Privatized water and sewer lines offer added flexibility, with a lift station required for Housing Village A. Gas lines will be demand-based, with some relocation near the rail line. A unified telecom network will replace isolated systems, and tree plantings must avoid the 55-foot utility easement on 14th Street.

SUSTAINABILITY

Microclimate, Noise Analysis, & Wind Analysis

The microclimate diagram illustrates existing campus conditions at NWACC, highlighting areas of significant heat exposure during peak summer months, where limited tree canopy and shade reduce outdoor thermal comfort.
The microclimate diagram illustrates proposed campus conditions at NWACC, showing how increased tree canopy, shaded pathways, and strategic building placement improve thermal comfort and reduce heat exposure during peak summer months.
The noise analysis diagram illustrates existing campus conditions at NWACC, estimating traffic-related sound levels based on road proximity and revealing higher decibel exposure in areas near major roads due to limited physical noise barriers.
The noise analysis diagram illustrates proposed campus conditions at NWACC, showing how strategically placed buildings act as buffers that reduce traffic-related sound levels and create quieter interior courtyards and outdoor gathering spaces.
The wind analysis diagram illustrates proposed campus conditions at NWACC, highlighting how the site’s open space orientation, dispersed building layout, and varied massing work together to channel prevailing southern summer breezes through campus, enhancing airflow and reinforcing natural wind patterns across key outdoor areas.
The wind comfort diagram illustrates proposed campus conditions at NWACC, demonstrating how building placement, open space orientation, and tree canopy work together to guide airflow and create shaded, breezy zones that enhance outdoor comfort for gathering, studying, and recreation.