This multifaceted renovation has transformed the Spencer Museum, turning its dark and disorienting galleries into luminous exhibition spaces, equipping it with state-of-the art study centers, and creating new connections inside and out, establishing the museum as a hub for community engagement and international research.
SITE: The existing Spencer Museum of Art on Mississippi Street, with panoramic views of Marvin Grove, the Campanile and the Stadium
COMPONENTS: New two-story glass entrance wall, expanded lobby for visitor services, expanded and new object study areas and teaching galleries, new research stations, expanded storage for works on paper, completed in two phases
CLIENT :University of Kansas Endowment Association
The house is on the 400 block of Indiana Street in the Pinkney Neighborhood, one of the oldest in the City of Lawrence. The site was previously developed, but the building and its foundation had been removed and the lot was very overgrown. It is adjacent to the flood zone with a small portion encroaching on the building site. Studio 804 saw potential in the location despite the challenges. Because of the easement, there is no alley running behind the lot like there is in most of Lawrence. The flood zone becomes an extended, forested backyard that feels secluded for being in the heart of a neighborhood.
Photo Courtesy of Studio 804
The neighborhood is among many valuable living amenities. Just a few blocks away Downtown Lawrence pulses with vibrant shopping, dining, and cultural experiences. Also nearby is the Kansas River which is a National Water Trail with its waterfront parks that extend up to downtown. There is also access to the Lawrence Loop bike route that runs for 22 miles through and around town. As well as being a pedestrian friendly neighborhood, there is easy access to the city bus system which expands the possibilities of travel around Lawrence without a car.
The scale of the house and its gabled forms fits the neighborhood. On the main level, one enters an open living, kitchen, and dining area. A hallway to the backdoor, across from the garage, is lined with storage and houses a laundry, mechanical room, guest powder room as well as a mudroom. At the end of the hallway is a bedroom suite with a full bath and walk-in closet. The bedroom opens to the east to the quiet tree canopy behind the house. At the top of an open staircase from the living area is a second bedroom suite. A flexible space that adapts to the varying privacy needs of different living arrangements and the different stages of people’s lives. It has a full bath and a cozy loft ambience. There is a small self-sufficient accessory dwelling on the second floor above the detached one-car garage. It is accessed through a private exterior entry. This means even moreliving flexibility for the homeowner as well as the opportunity for rental income while supporting the effort to increase residential density in the heart of town which helps mitigate urban sprawl.
The house is expected to achieve LEED Platinum certification. The highest certification level possible under the U. S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) standards for sustainable practice.
Studio 804’s 2023 project aligns with the long-term mission of the City of Lawrence to support sustainable development as part of creating sustainable community for the future. Part of this effort is analyzing local economic and demographic trends and strategically adapting. In recent years, both the City of Lawrence and Studio 804 have recognized trends in the housing market of Douglas County. The population is growing at a high rate, while the average household size is dwindling and availability of property in the existing city limits is diminishing. Community engagement during city study found that residents are open to seeing smaller lots and houses as well as accessory dwellings that infill a neighborhood and address the housing shortages as well as reducing the need for the city to expand. Moving forward, the City of Lawrence plans to use this data to inform policies and goals in the updated Horizon 2040 plan
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
LEED PLATINUM
Beginning with the first residence in 1998, Studio 804 has an established track record of award-winning highly sustainable buildings that include 15 USGBC LEED Platinum certified projects, one gold and three Passive House institute US (PHIUS)certified buildings.
This house is expected to be the 16th LEED Platinum certified project.
EXTERIOR SKIN: The gabled forms are clad with a rainscreen ventilated facade.
The rainscreen design improve the thermal performance and water drainage of the high performance, highly insulated building envelope.
The cladding itself is recyclable, extending its use beyond the life of the building.
CONTROL LAYERS:
High quality air, vapor and water barriers contribute to the tight envelope design preventing undesirable water and vapor transmission.
The assembly also passed a blower door test to assure air tightness.
The insulation well exceeds the code requirements to further reduce the energy consumption of the building.
LIGHT EXPOSURE:The design of the south facade of the house allows access to natural daylight year-round.
Louvers mitigate direct solar heat gain in the summer but permit the winter sun to warm theconcrete floors.
On the roof, 16 solar panels will significantly offset the energy consumption.
WINDOWS & DOORS:
Energy efficient windows and doors contribute to the high R-value of the wall assembly and the overall performance of the building. Operable windows provide cross-ventilation, thereby lowering energy costs and increasing access to fresh air.
INTERIOR FINISHES:
All finishes are low VOC emitting.
ELECTRICAL & APPLIANCES:
The house is equipped with state-of-the-art interior lighting technology. Exterior lighting is planned to minimize light pollution. Furthermore, most appliances meet the highest standards for energy and water efficiency with Energy Star and Water Sense ratings.
ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT:The detached garage with an ADU above provides additional storage and rentable living space and promotes urban density.
ELECTRIC CAR CHARGER:The garage is wired for electric car charging.
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT:The driveway is paved with a permeable surface to minimize storm water runoff that can often overwhelm city systems and the river to which it drains and cause flooding. Instead, the water saturates the ground and replenishes the water table. On the eastern edge of the site, a rain garden will retain and absorb runoff from the roofs.
THE STUDENTS OF STUDIO 804’S CLASS OF 2023
Alexa Balkema
Austin Eikermann
Bryan Bencomo
Colin Dwyer
Drake Johnson
Emily Low
Ethan Witt
Grace Kramer
Holden Knudsen
Jack Heller
Jacob Lentin
Karina Sande
Katie Smithson
Kevin Tapp
Liz Putnam
Lydia Juengling
Maggie Roux
Mal Michel
Matt Gallentine
Matthew Schwartz
Piero Martinez
Rosalie Patrick
Santiago Patiño
Thomas Padgett
Tom Tabor
Tyler Koory
The remaining photography and graphic content are courtesy of Studio 804 Studio 804, Inc.
STUDIO 804
Studio 804 was founded in 1995 by Dan Rockhill, Studio 804 is a non-profit organization and a full-year design studio for graduate students that finds its momentum at the intersection of contemporary architecture’s most topical concerns: sustainability, affordability and education. The studio has produced 27 projects to date, including 15 buildings that have been certified LEED Platinum, one Gold and three that are Passive House-certified. These projects have gone on to become spaces for both private and public use and engagement; they are spaces for leisure and spaces for learning.
Contact:
Dan Rockhill
Founder + Executive Director, Studio 804, Inc.
JL Constant and ACSA Distinguished Professor
University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design
dan@rockhillandassociates.com
785-393-0747
Studio 804, Inc.
School of Architecture & Design
The University of Kansas
Lawrence Kansas 66045
www.studio804.com
The Yards is a 232 unit multi-family apartment building in the Stockyards District of Kansas City. Authenticity to the Stockyards past and creative present was the driving force behind the design.
Successful sustainable design requires analyzing and planning for local economic and demographic trends. In recent years, both Lawrence, Kansas and Studio 804 have recognized that while the county’s population is growing at a high rate the average household size is dwindling. Comprehensive Lawrence planning documents have anticipated these problems by projecting population growth. According to the city, we have seen medium to high population growth rates over the last two decades, and if this trend continues, we will need housing to accommodate a projected 30 to 60 thousand additional residents by the year 2040. These large population increases become even more significant when you factor in the average household size. As Lawrence wants to avoid outward sprawl, groups such as the nonprofit Community Housing Trust have put forward creative solutions for this countywide issue. They suggest creating “affordable housing by dividing lots in existing neighborhoods to accommodate two smaller homes.” Increasing urban density in established neighborhoods provides a sustainable way to accommodate a growing population by utilizing existing resources and infrastructure. We have taken the lead in this effort by purchasing one lot and creating a subdivision for the two sustainable houses.
This house is an example of Studio 804’s mission to build creative, sustainable housing in established but marginal urban neighborhoods. Many of which are being revitalized by the growing interest in housing with easy access to the public amenities that are part of a healthy, centralized community.
1220 E. 12th Street is convenient to the vibrant cultural district of downtown Lawrence and to the public transportation system and the bike trails that link the town. It is three blocks from the East Lawrence Recreation Center which offers a wide variety of services and adjacent to Brook Creek Park and its open green spaces, playgrounds and large mature trees.
The building was constructed on a surface parking lot at the intersection of 39th Street and Rainbow Boulevard, a prominent corner at the gateway to the University of Kansas Medical Center. As the campus continues to grow, the Health Education Building will emerge as the geographical center and interdisciplinary resource among the existing concentration of clinical, research, and educational buildings.
Program:
The new construction includes classrooms, simulation labs, clinical skills rooms, student life space, and a 250-foot-long bridge spanning adjacent to 39th Street. The program emphasizes emerging learning spaces that support inter-professional and team-based learning, from large-scale learning studios to state-of-the-art clinical skills and simulation laboratories. Responding to the growing importance of social learning outside of the classroom, a wide variety of study environments and community life spaces, as well as street-front retail, comprise a significant portion of the overall building program.
Health House was established in 2013 as the first dedicated rowing studio mixing rowing and strength training for a healthier community. The newest location amplifies that notion with an immersive experience catering to a bespoke lifestyle. Every design move from entry to personal interaction, crossing over the threshold from a social space into the transformative studio, to an innovative rowing experience engaging users in a dynamic video wall, to replenishing with natural supplements from t. Loft contributes to a holistic experience. KEM STUDIO, the architect and interior designer, collaborated with Dimensional Innovations who designed a seamless, game-changing rowing experience.
“APDesign is all about placing the students at the center of the experience. With a facility that emphasizes the tactility of design and creation, students can interact intimately with their budding role as the makers of our future.” – Tomas Rossant.
Tags: Kansas, USA Comments Off on Kansas State University – College of Architecture, Planning and Design in Manhattan, Kansas by Ennead Architects + BNIM
What benefits can a museum design bring to the fragmented, undistinguished and often criticized environment of new suburban sprawl? In addressing this challenge, this project uses architecture to package the latent social potential of the museum typology in a way that redefines the suburb. By symbolically embodying the story of the region, and emotionally engaging people with its architecture, the Museum is the vehicle to spiritually connect people to where they live, giving the suburban environment a sense of community.
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