KCDC wins 2016 AIA KC Design Excellence Award!

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We are thrilled to announce that we have received the 2016 AIA KC Design Excellence Concept Category Merit Award for last year's Downtown Kansas City Recycling System Vision Study! We are honored to receive this award for the second year in a row; it is certainly humbling to be acknowledged alongside the extremely talented and inspiring KC designers who also took awards home to their firms, and we would like to take this moment to congratulate them all for a job well done!

Check out our award submission and a video with jury comments here. 

Schematic Yet Democratic

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Check out our aerial video of the Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood

The ripping of trace paper, the wild strokes of pens, and the bing of mental light bulbs are all sounds that are common at the Kansas City Design Center lately. For the past month, students have been further investigating the existing situations and the design possibilities for the Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood in Northeast Kansas City. 

The students have met up with the Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood Association and other stakeholders to finalize their overall concept for the neighborhood. To do this, they identified six main goals that they want to achieve that would improve the neighborhood. 

students asked for stakeholder feedback by actually marking their comments on maps

In order to get a better grasp of the scope of their vision plan, KCDC students identified specific areas in the neighborhood that have the most issues and therefore the most potential. Before they can get down to the nitty-gritty of architecture design, they must first figure out their urban strategies. 

“To identify our urban strategies, we listed the problems and solutions that could solve the social, cultural, or physiographic issues of the neighborhood through architecture. ”
— Kylie Schwaller

URBAN NOISE IS THE COLLECTION OF INSTANCES OF DILAPIDATION, TRASH, OVERGROWN VEGETATION, CHAIN-LINK FENCES, "BEWARE OF DOG" SIGNS, ETC. 

This is just a small fraction of the numerous facets they're studying, all in order to give themselves constraints to start their schematic designing within. After conjuring up iterations of schematic designs for their chosen sites, the KCDC students will host another review with the Scarritt Renaissance stakeholders. Sparking a dialogue with the neighborhood will give the students valuable feedback to refine their design propositions. 

Among other happenings at the Kansas City Design Center include a public lecture by Tom Campanella. Titled "American Curves: Nature, Race, and the Origins of the Modern Highway," Campanella spoke about his research and findings on an incredibly influential man, Madison Grant, a leader in the conservation of nature whose efforts to conserve park space created the first parkway, which was the earliest concept of a highway that we know of today.  

Tom Campanella speaking of "American Curves: Nature, Race, and the Origins of the Modern Highway"

Look forward to hearing more on the students' work after their stakeholder meeting with the Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood Association, as well as more information as they start to delve into their newest project: Creative Placemaking in the West Bottoms. 

New Students and a New Vision for Scarritt Renaissance

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Overview of the Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood and Kessler Park.

Overview of the Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood and Kessler Park.

The fall semester is full of possibilities as a new set of students are settling into the KCDC studio. This time, nine architecture students and one landscape student are joining forces to develop a revitalization plan for the historic Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood. 

Scarritt Renaissance is home to the famous Kessler Park and Cliff Drive, which offer amazing panoramic views to the East Bottoms and ample green space for soccer, disc golf, and other activities. Among the greenery is the Concourse and Colonnade, a popular meeting ground for the neighborhood's families. Children enjoy running through the fountain or using the playground while their parents socialize. 

However, it's not all fun and games in the neighborhood. Many residents have concerns about the growing number of vacancies, crime, and homes in disrepair. The KCDC students are researching the neighborhood and developing a revitalization plan by working closely with residents, the Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood Association, the Kansas City Planning Department, and other organizations.  

To finish up the month of August, the KCDC students presented their preliminary findings on the neighborhood at the Kansas City Museum. They will take the feedback from the neighborhood association and continue to identify local assets and areas in need of improvement. 

Kylie Schwaller and Travis Snell present various maps and diagrams to explain the studio's data and discoveries about the Scarritt Renaissance neighborhood. 

Expect a great project from these eager and fresh students! To keep updated on their progress follow the Kansas City Design Center here, on Facebook, and on Instagram. 

KCDC Studio at the Kansas City Museum.
Left to Right: Jessica Carson, Courtney Minter, Travis Snell, Taylor Allen, Drew Lindsey, Connor Privett, Isaiah Naives, Julia Guerra, Eric Janes, Kylie Schwaller, Kevin Madera, Hannah Hackman, and Professor Vladimir Krstic.