Projects completed by 15 Kansas State University and University of Kansas students enrolled in the Kansas City Design Center during the 2007-2008 academic year are on display in the Chang Gallery of Seaton Hall.

The exhibition is open to the public without charge through September 13. Hours of the Chang Gallery are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays.

A graduate-level, interdisciplinary, inter-university urban design/research studio, the mission of the Kansas City Design Center (KCDC) is to be the agent of public discourse in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Located at 1018 Baltimore in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, the 2007-2008 studio was comprised of seven students majoring in architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture and product design, and regional and community planning from the K-State College of Architecture, Planning and Design and eight architecture students from the School of Architecture and Urban Design at the University of Kansas.

The studio exposed the students to a wide range of past, present and proposed urban development projects in Kansas City and reviewed a wide range of urban issues currently impacting the city’s future. The beneficial effect of well-designed public space on social interaction, public health and safety, and community aspirations was presented as an overarching theme for community enhancement.

The students undertook interdisciplinary investigations of five selected “districts” as well as explorations of the application of best practices of environmentally responsible urban design. They researched locally significant urban issues ranging from heat island effects and air quality mitigation to storm water retention and native landscaping. In interdisciplinary, inter-university teams, the students then developed urban design guidelines for a designated study area of metropolitan Kansas City and designed an illustrative plan of what the study area would look like in 20 years if their guidelines were followed. Then, each team member selected a project-a building or a park-within the study area to develop an individual design project within the constraints of the urban design guidelines. The regional and community planning student also acted as a city planning commission to hear and rule on appeals and variance requests from team members wishing to modify their respective urban design guidelines.

Projects included Riverfront development opportunities, a new public space connecting the live entertainment district to the Crossroads over the I-670 freeway as a major environmental initiative to mitigate CO2 pollution, a new convention center hotel incorporating emerging green technology and hotel management best practices, a public park linking new residential developments in the River Market area to the historic Columbus Park neighborhood, small parks to replace individual parking spaces to address storm water management imperatives and encourage social interaction on downtown streets, a downtown research and education campus, and higher density housing to reinforce existing urban conditions and enhance public use and social interaction.

The exhibit includes projects by:

- the Riverfront Group composed of Jonathan Corbett, K-State landscape architecture; Stephen Colin, K-State architecture; Katie Danner and Hugo Cabrera, KU architecture;

- the Loop Group composed of  Jayme Jones, K-State landscape architecture; Kimberly Kolkovich, K-State interior architecture and product design; Clark Griffiths, K-State regional and community planning; Christina Hoxie, Emily Moisan, Kimberly Bunting and Brandi Hamilton, KU architecture;

- the Deck Group composed of Emily Hagy, K-State architecture; Riley Anderson, K-State landscape architecture; and Kai Sun Luk, KU architecture; and

- the Crossroads by Kate Harding, KU architecture.

Participating students were selected by their academic departments and college-wide committees. Selection was honorific and competitive, with student participation regarded as a reward for outstanding academic achievement. Each student participant received a special scholarship to offset the expense of residing in Kansas City during the school year.

The K-State student participants received their degrees in May of 2008. Professor Richard Farnan, a faculty lecturer at KU who has practiced at HNTB, was studio instructor.

Funding for the KCDC is provided by the William T. Kemper Foundation and the Hall Family Foundation of Kansas City, as well as DST Realty, 360 Architecture, HOK Sport Venue Event, HNTB Architecture, Commerce Banks, the University of Kansas and K-State.

For more information, contact:
Wendy Ornelas, 785.532.5950
Diane Potts, 785.532.1090