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rare design
CREATIVE FIRMGIVES NEW LIFETO HISTORICHATTIESBURGBUILDING
I
TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAYLA ESSARY
In the mid-1990s, fresh out of college and working in a three-person design studio inHattiesburg, graphic designerRodney Richardson pitchedhimself to the Nike Corporationwithout a portfolio or extensiveexperience.Instead it was a singleresume that turned the heads of company executives.“I realized I needed to makemine stand out so I designed itin a way that was unique andcomposed the information in away that was unusual,” recalledRichardson.“They told methey’d never seen a resume likeit.”The company eventuallyoffered Richardson a job inPortland, Ore., immersing theyoung artist into the earlydesign phase of a professionalteam identity campaign.“One of the first projects Igot to be a part of was thedesign for the Denver Broncosorganization,” said Richardson.“It was the first time a profes-sional sporting organizationused a retail corporation forthat role. Being a part of thatprocess was clearly where myeducation in branding started. Ihad actually hated logo projects before and now the identitywork is the foundation foreverything I do.”In 1999, Richardson movedhis family back to Hattiesburgto launch Rare Design, a com-pany he conceptualized as asenior project in college.“I used my initials R-A-R forthe first three letters, and usedthe word ‘rare’ because thatword means raw but alsounique,” said Richardson,explaining how Rare Designhas fulfilled what he envisionedyears ago, as a forward think-ing, edgy creative venture. “Iwanted those qualities to bereflected in our logo and thatlogo I designed then is still thelogo we have today.”
BEHIND THE RED DOOR 
Rare Design doesn’t exactlyrely on foot traffic for business,so the fact that it’s tucked awayon the side of a 30,000 squarefoot building on BuschmanStreet in downtown Hattiesburgisn’t exactly surprising. But oneglimpse inside the business behind the scarlet red doorreveals interior design elementsthat are anything but ordinary.“We like being off the beatenpath, tucked away with our reddoor,” Richardson said. “Thenyou walk in and there’s thismassive, curved, corrugatedwall that sets a tone for thevision we are trying to project.The space is what we call mod-ern, urban, industrial living.”Because of the creativenature of their work, downtownseemed to be the best fit for thecompany.“There was never any ques-tion about it — our officewould be downtown. It’s a cre-ative agency, and with creativepeople you have to be able toget up from your desk andmove around and do different
 
things. I think other creativepeople thrive with a greatersense of community, and whereelse can you get out, go downthe street, and go to an eatery,go to a shop, go to a galleryand experience residential andcommercial blended together sowell?”Richardson said he lookedat this 30,000 square foot build-ing about a year afterHurricane Katrina, realizingthat it needed a lot of repairsalong with a new look and feel.“It had lots of damage,”Richardson said. “There wereliterally gaping holes in theceiling, but I immediately sawthe multi-use potential of the building. There’s a legacy of people already here in down-town doing wonderful thingswith the spaces here and wewanted to join in, to contributeto this community.”The Buschman Street build-ing is a part of what is nowdescribed as the Depot District.“Downtown Hattiesburg has begun to describe areas inregard to districts and theDepot District gets its name because of the proximity to thenewly renovated train depot,”said Betsy Rowell, director of the Historic HattiesburgDowntown Association. “It’swonderful to see this buildingand the entire district preserveits history, while at the sametime creating an exciting future by choosing this important cor-ridor in downtown.”“It’s an eclectic blend of lifehere,” Richardson said. “We areproud that we are a part of theinvestment going on in down-town.”And that investment nowcontinues with a currentremodeling effort involvingmore than 10,000 square feet of space, dedicated to creating anunparalleled event room.“By early next year, we hopeto be able to offer a uniquespace to local businesses andorganizations,” said TobyBarker, who serves on staff atRare Design and event spacefacilitator. “We know that thereis a demand for a space likethis and we are thrilled withthe chance to create a venuelike no other in this area of downtown.”
SECOND CHANCE
Faintly painted numbers lin-ing the lower quadrant of a brick wall are clear remindersof the building’s former life asa large scale commercial bak-ery; the old Smith Bakery mark-ings are left behind by design.Likewise Richardson is quickto remember the events in hislife that have made lastingimpressions.“It’s not always that picture-perfect business success story;there have been many strugglesand many defining momentsalong the way,” saidRichardson. “In my faith jour-ney, I’ve learned to rely on Godthrough every step of the way,through many ups and downs.”Richardson recalled the rock bottom coming while in college,enduring scholastic and disci-plinary suspensions atSouthern Miss, yet getting asecond chance at the field hewas pursuing.“A person with a key posi-tion at the university let meknow that they didn’t think Iwas a bad kid,” Richardsonsaid. “There was a studentdesign position that had become available. They knew Iwasn’t technically supposed to be eligible for this position, butthey thought I deserved anoth-er chance.”That second chance provedto be the big break Richardsonneeded.“When I think about thatnow, it was huge. I was justanother kid among thousandsand they made that effort tocall me back in and give me myfirst design job. You talk abouta light switch that flipped on. Idon’t even think I knew what
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