The Forum was conceived in 2004 by John Gaunt, Dean the University of Kansas School of Architecture, Design & Planning from 1995 to 2015. Located off historic Jayhawk Boulevard, the addition to historic School of Architecture at Marvin Hall addresses the school’s critical need for an auditorium for lecture courses and guest speakers, while also providing a separate breakout jury space for student reviews and presentations. In this way, students of the School of Architecture will no longer be required to trek across campus to attend their classes, but rather, will attend classes in a building that exemplifies their studies on emerging technologies, passive design strategies, and energy-efficient mechanical systems.
As an active non-partisan think-tank organization dedicated to health and wellness, the Kansas Health Institute (KHI) plays host to a revolving door of meetings and seminars throughout the week. KHI engaged Hufft to renovate the first floor of their historic building to maximize the efficiency, hospitality and capacity of their conference center. The resulting design provides a collection of meeting spaces that accommodate a variety of group sizes and meeting styles. The rooms include several closed-door cubbies for individual work and quiet contemplation, small meeting rooms for collaborative brainstorming, and a sequence of larger spaces with flexible partitions that can expand to accommodate presentations for up to 170 people.
Located on a historic farmstead in Wabaunsee County, Kansas the Illinois Creek Ranch was designed for a family of five, their extended family, friends and guests. The goal was to forge an emotional bond between people and a unique landscape. Structures were purposefully straightforward in their vernacular appearance with a focus on innovative, nuanced detailing and contemporary material selection. The architect began by studying the site – history, topography, soil and hydrological conditions, seasonal wind and sun patterns. The positioning of the house was a response to these conditions. Parts of the home were positioned parallel to topography to accommodate single story program, other parts were turned perpendicular to allow multiple story programming. The structures strategically blocked wind to allow comfortable outdoor spaces while breezeway windows were positioned to allow passive cooling inside. The massing of the house was positioned to take full advantage of seasonal solar heat gain. Movement throughout the home was carefully choreographed to engage a range of landscape experiences.
Article source: The American Institute of Architects (AIA)
The renovation and expansion of this 1970s concrete library has transformed it into a 21st century civic place: from book repository to multimedia community hub. The design solution wrapped all sides of the existing library with a continuous reading room, emphasizing places of spontaneous gathering, reflection and learning. The addition also provides a high-performance thermal envelope engineered to harvest daylight and reduce energy usage. Openings at each corner reveal unique public amenities, including children’s’ cubbies, teen gaming zones, meeting spaces and a coffee bar. Within a few months of reopening, user visits increased 55%, with youth program attendance up 160%.
KEM STUDIO Boosts West Bottoms Revitalization with Luxury Apartments at Stockyards Place in Kansas City, MO, USA. $7 million project adds 11 apartments and retail space in this up-and-coming area
The new Stockyards Place apartment complex at 1515 Genessee Street, Kansas City, is now completed and the luxury apartments are available to rent. Designed by KEM STUDIO, a firm fusing architecture and industrial design, the Stockyards Place apartments offer contemporary living options and a first floor designed for commercial/retail space in this up-and-coming Stockyards District of the West Bottoms neighborhood.
LEED Gold 2014 AIA Kansas Excellence in Architecture Honor Award
Long-time client Karbank Real Estate approached RMTA to generate design schematics for this 1968 commercial office building they were considering purchasing. Attracted to the mid-century character of this particular building and it’s prime location in town, the client wanted to re-use the existing structure. The design team was charged with maintaining that character while completely renovating and modernizing the 32,000-square-foot building.
Following the devastating tornado that destroyed its town and schools, Unified School District (USD) 422 chose a bold strategy to combine its schools into a single K–12 facility that would retain a distinct identity for each school function: elementary, middle and high school. The design utilizes a highly flexible, sustainable approach that constantly maintains a student-centered focus.The design reinforces this rural community’s sustainable comprehensive master plan by placing the school’s front door along Main Street.
The opportunity to design a major new performing arts center was precipitated by two significant decisions: the selection of an extraordinary site crowning the escarpment overlooking the historic warehouse district and the new entertainment district, affording a 180° view of the horizon; and the decision to construct two dedicated halls for symphony, ballet, opera, and theater.
Accommodating 400,000 clinic visits a year, the new Medical Office Building at the University of Kansas Medical Center provides a complete range of ancillary testing and care to ambulatory adult and pediatric patients in a convenient, comfortable environment. The six-story, 214,000 sf building houses 10 outpatient specialty clinics and provides consolidated office space for more than 200 ambulatory-care physicians and 200 residents previously dispersed throughout the medical center’s campus.
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