AIA Kansas City architects are national leaders in architectural design. The Design Excellence Kansas City Awards Program is a celebration of great architecture in our area that is raising the bar both regionally and nationally. AIA Kansas City Member Firms, both large and small, established as well as up-and-coming, consistently deliver innovative projects, and the Best of 2015 are featured in this publication.
This year, the Design Excellence committee elected to move to a category system to accommodate entries that range from stadiums and urban master plans to single-family residences. It seemed most appropriate to categorize projects by scale. The categories are: Architecture | Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large; Interior Architecture; and Concept. It is our hope that this category approach will give each firm an opportunity to present their best work to be evaluated against similar projects from their peers.
This year, we are excited to have a distinguished jury from AIA Chicago. The jury included John Ronan, FAIA, of John Ronan Architects; Carol Ross Barney, FAIA, of Ross Barney Architects; Joe Valerio, FAIA, of Valerio Dewalt Train Associates; and Ralph Johnson, FAIA, of Perkins + Will. It is notable that each of these firms were part of the 2015 Architect 50: The Top 50 in Design
Since this year also included entries in Allied Arts and Craftsmanship, Amanda Williams, an artist with a background in architecture, joined the jury to evaluate entries in this category.
We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to our committee for their time, creativity and hard work to make this celebration of great architecture a success.
Ashley Sadowski, Assoc. AIA Assoc. Director (2015)
Samantha McCloud, Assoc. AIA Assoc. Director (2016)
Babette Macy Public Director
Alex Wendel Public Director
AIA KANSAS CITY STAFF
Dawn Taylor
Executive Director
Tiffany Shepherd, CAE
Deputy Director
Kristen DaMetz
Communications Director
Amy Tonyes
Member Relations
WITH ADDITIONAL THANKS TO
Alistair Tutton Photography, Videography
Annie Monfort, Graphic Design
ARC-Riot Color, Printing
LEAD SPONSORS
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
MEET OUR JURORS
RALPH JOHNSON is the Global Design Director of Perkins+Will. His career with the firm began in 1976, and in the past 10 years, his projects have been honored with more than 70 national and international design awards. He was elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects in 1995 and holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Illinois and a Master of Architecture from Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Ralph’s work has been exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Paris Biennale, and the São Paulo Biennale. He has lectured at numerous universities and was a visiting critic at the University of Illinois, the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, and the Illinois Institute of Technology.
RALPH JOHNSON, FAIA
JOHN RONAN is founding principal of John Ronan Architects in Chicago, founded in 1999. He holds a Master of Architecture degree with distinction from Harvard University Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Science degree from University of Michigan. His work has been exhibited in galleries throughout the U.S., including the Graham Foundation, the Art Institute of Chicago and The Architectural League of New York’s Urban Center, and his work has been featured in numerous international publications. A monograph on his work, entitled Explorations, published by Princeton Architectural Press, was released in 2010. John is currently Professor of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture, where he has taught since 1992.
CAROL ROSS BARNEY is founder and Design Principal of Ross Barney Architects. Responsible for the design excellence of all projects undertaken by the firm, she is dedicated to improving the built environment. Her work has an international reputation in design of institutional and public buildings and has been published in national and international journals, books and newspapers, and web media.
Ross Barney is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, one of the highest honors the Institute bestows upon its members. She is the recipient of the American Institute of Architects Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture. Her drawings have been widely exhibited and collected by the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Historical Society, The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and the National Building Museum.
Ross Barney is a graduate of the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. She currently teaches an advanced Design Studio at Illinois Institute of Technology and serves on their College Board of Overseers.
CAROL ROSS BARNEY, FAIA
JOHN RONAN, FAIA
JOSEPH VALERIO, a founding partner of VDTA, is an award-winning architect recognized for his creativity in project design. A tireless innovator with an enormous capacity for creation, he oversees the design development of all firm commissions Joseph’s portfolio, accumulated over a 40-year career, includes a wide variety of projects and numerous design awards.
AMANDA WILLIAMS, for the better part of 20 years, has been consumed with how combining art and architecture might help make all parts of the city thrive. Williams graduated from Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art & Planning and practiced in the Bay Area for a number of years. Color is a central preoccupation in her work, with an evolving palette that is largely derived from the urban landscapes she traversed as a child growing up in Auburn Gresham. Amanda is deeply invested in understanding the relationship of color, race and space. She uses vivid, culturally derived colors to paint foreclosed and abandoned houses on Chicago’s south side as a way to mark the pervasiveness of neglected and undervalued Black city space. She is a participant in the inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial, a 3Arts Foundation awardee, and recipient of a Joyce Foundation scholarship. Williams has exhibited and lectured throughout the US, including the Studio Museum in Harlem, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Syracuse University and the University of Michigan.
AMANDA WILLIAMS
JOSEPH VALERIO, FAIA
S 0 - 10,000 S.F.
M 10,001 - 50,000 S.F.
L 50,001 - 150,000 S.F.
XL 150,001+ S.F.
FIRM: el dorado inc.
PROJECT: Bhargava Residence
LOCATION: Kansas City, Missouri
OWNER: Neil Bhargava
CONTRACTOR: el dorado inc.
IMAGE CREDIT : Mike Sinclair
FIRM: el dorado inc.
PROJECT: Byers Residence
LOCATION: Lees Summit, Missouri
OWNER: Dave & Sharon Byers
CONTRACTOR: Dave Byers
IMAGE CREDIT : Mike Sinclair
FIRM: Gary Schuberth, AIA
PROJECT: De Los Árboles
LOCATION: Shawnee, Kansas
OWNER: Gary & Robin Schuberth
CONTRACTOR: Gary Schuberth AIA IMAGE CREDIT : Michael Spillers Photography
FIRM: KEM STUDIO
PROJECT: Carpenter Residence
LOCATION: Kansas City, Missouri
OWNER: Tad & Jessica Carpenter
CONTRACTOR: Chris George Homes
IMAGE CREDIT : Mike Sinclair
FIRM: DRAW Architecture + Urban Design
PROJECT: Fairmount Family Medical Care Clinic
LOCATION: Independence, Missouri
OWNER: Truman Medical Centers
CONTRACTOR: The Konrath Group
IMAGE CREDIT : Mike Sinclair
FIRM: el dorado inc.
PROJECT: Heartland Habitat for Humanity Prototype Housing
LOCATION: Kansas City, Kansas
OWNER: Heartland Habitat for Humanity
CONTRACTOR: Heartland Habitat for Humanity
IMAGE CREDIT : Mike Sinclair
FIRM: el dorado inc
PROJECT: Main Street Bridge Redux
LOCATION: Kansas City, Missouri
OWNER: City of Kansas City, Missouri, Public Works Department
CONTRACTOR: Pyramid Contractors
IMAGE CREDIT : Mike Sinclair
FIRM: SFS Architecture
PROJECT: St. Stephen Lutheran Church
LOCATION: Liberty, Missouri
OWNER: St. Stephen Lutheran Church
CONTRACTOR: Harmon Construction
IMAGE CREDIT : Aaron Dougherty Photography
FIRM: el dorado inc.
PROJECT: Volland General Store
LOCATION: Volland, Kansas
OWNER: Patty Reece
CONTRACTOR: Don Hendricks
IMAGE CREDIT : Mike Sinclair
FIRM: DLR Group
PROJECT: AC Westport Hotel Remodel
LOCATION: Kansas City, Missouri
OWNER: Noble Investment Group
CONTRACTOR: Centric Projects
IMAGE CREDIT : Michael Robinson Photography
FIRM: BNIM
PROJECT: American Enterprise Group Des Moines Headquarters Renovation
LOCATION: Des Moines, Iowa
OWNER: American Republic Insurance
CONTRACTOR: Ryan Companies US, Inc.
CREDIT : Hedrich Blessing Photographers
FIRM: HOK
PROJECT: Black & Veatch World Headquarters Rodman Innovation Pavilion
LOCATION: Overland Park, Kansas
OWNER: Black & Veatch
CONTRACTOR: JE Dunn Construction IMAGE CREDIT : Michael Robinson Photography
FIRM: International Architects Atelier
PROJECT: Centennial Hall
LOCATION: Kirksville, Missouri
OWNER: Truman State University
CONTRACTOR: River City Construction
IMAGE CREDIT : Assassi Productions
FIRM: BNIM
PROJECT: Crossroads Academy
LOCATION: Kansas City, Missouri
OWNER: Crossroads Academy
CONTRACTOR: McCownGordon Construction
IMAGE CREDIT : BNIM
FIRM: SFS Architecture
PROJECT: Grandview PPW Maintenance Facility
LOCATION: Grandview, Missouri
OWNER: City of Grandview, Missouri
CONTRACTOR: 2Point Construction
IMAGE CREDIT : Aaron Dougherty Photography
FIRM: BBN Architects, Inc.
PROJECT: Helzberg Penguin Plaza - Kansas City Zoo
LOCATION: Kansas City, Missouri
OWNER: Friends of the Kansas City Zoo and the KCMO Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners
CONTRACTOR: JE Dunn Construction
IMAGE CREDIT : Denny Medley
FIRM: DLR Group
PROJECT: Johnson County Community College Hospitality and Culinary Academy
LOCATION: Overland Park, Kansas
OWNER: Johnson County Community College
CONTRACTOR: JE Dunn Construction
IMAGE CREDIT : Alistair Tutton Photography
FIRM: Opus AE Group, LLC
PROJECT: Kansas Leadership Center & Kansas Health Foundation Conference Center
IMAGE CREDIT : Hollis + Miller Architects; Stantec
FIRM: Kansas City Design Center
PROJECT: Rediscovering: Kessler Park Water Reservoir Repurposing Vision Study
LOCATION: Kansas City, Missouri
OWNER: City of Kansas City, Missouri: Parks and Recreation
FIRM: Hollis + Miller Architects (Lead); SFS Architecture
PROJECT: St. Michael the Archangel High School
LOCATION: Lee’s Summit, Missouri
OWNER: The Catholic Diocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph
CONTRACTOR: McCownGordon Construction
IMAGE CREDIT : Hollis + Miller Architects; SFS Architecture
PROJECT: The Jacksonville Shipyards
LOCATION: Jacksonville, Florida
OWNER:
FIRM: Populous
Shahid Khan, Jacksonville Jaguars
PROJECT: The Reef
LOCATION: San Diego, California
IMAGE CREDIT : HOK
FIRM: HOK
FIRM: University of Kansas Architecture Students
PROJECT: Travis County Courthouse
LOCATION: Austin, Texas
IMAGE CREDIT : University of Kansas Architecture Students
FIRM: Kansas City Design Center
PROJECT: Washington Square Park Vision Study
LOCATION: Kansas City, Missouri
OWNER: City of Kansas City, Missouri: Parks and Recreation
ALLIED ARTS & CRAFTSMANSHIP
FIRM: SFS Architecture
ARTIST: Reilly Hoffman
CRAFTSMAN: A. Zahner Company
PROJECT: 9/11 Memorial
LOCATION: Overland Park, Kansas
OWNER: City of Overland Park, Kansas
CONTRACTOR: JE Dunn Construction
FIRM: HNTB
CRAFTSMAN: Architectural Components Group Inc; Bayside, Interiors, Inc
PROJECT: BNY Mellon Club at Levi’s Stadium
LOCATION: Santa Clara, California
OWNER: Santa Clara Stadium Authority
CONTRACTOR: Turner Devcon Joint Venture
IMAGE CREDIT : Alise O’Brien
FIRM: Helix Architecture + Design
CRAFTSMAN: JE Dunn Construction
PROJECT: Concrete Fabrication at KCPD Headquarters
LOCATION: Kansas City, Missouri
OWNER: Kansas City Police Department
CONTRACTOR: JE Dunn Construction
IMAGE CREDIT : Michael Robinson Photography
FIRM: HNTB
CRAFTSMAN: Ceilings Plus; Midwest Interior Systems
PROJECT: GSA’s National Security Campus for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Agency, Hexagonal Metal Wall/Ceiling
LOCATION: Kansas City, Missouri
OWNER: Centerpoint Zimmer LLC
CONTRACTOR: JE Dunn Construction
: Michael Robinson Photography
FIRM: DRAW Architecture + Urban Design
ARTIST: Miles Neidinger
PROJECT: InterDissection
LOCATION: Kansas City, Missouri
OWNER: DRAW Architecture + Urban Design
IMAGE CREDIT : DRAW Architecture + Urban Design
FIRM: International Architects Atelier
CRAFTSMAN: Carlos Setien; Contract Services Corporation
PROJECT: Johnston Hall Canopy
LOCATION: Columbia, Missouri
OWNER: University of Missouri
CONTRACTOR: K&S Associates
IMAGE CREDIT : International Architectus Atelier
FIRM: Hufft Projects
PROJECT: Mazuma Mezzanine
LOCATION: Kansas City, Kansas
OWNER: Mazuma Credit Union
CONTRACTOR: Grand Construction
IMAGE CREDIT : Hufft Projects
FIRM: HOK
CRAFTSMAN: C.S. Humphrey & Company
PROJECT: Polsinelli | Sculptural Stair
LOCATION: Kansas City, Missouri
OWNER: Polsinelli | EverWest Real Estate Partners
CONTRACTOR: JE Dunn Construction
IMAGE CREDIT : Michael Robinson Photography
FIRM: Hufft Projects
PROJECT: Showhouse
LOCATION: Kansas City, Missouri
OWNER: Jesse and Matthew Hufft
CONTRACTOR: Hufft Projects
IMAGE CREDIT : Mike Sinclair
FIRM: Helix Architecture + Design
CRAFTSMAN: 3 Axis Inc.
PROJECT: Trellis at The Brass on Baltimore
LOCATION: Kansas City, Missouri
OWNER: Mariner Real Estate
CONTRACTOR: JE Dunn Construction
IMAGE CREDIT : Michael Robinson Photography
CINETOPIA
THERE SHOULD BE A LAW AGAINST BEING THIS GOOD.
Look around. It’s hard to miss. Kansas City has a truly remarkable group of talented designers. They’re so good, in fact, that it might be just a little unfair to all the other cities.
Wallace Saunders’ Design Professionals Group congratulates this year’s AIA Kansas City Design Award nominees and winners.
Rod Richardson | Mike Brown | Mark McFarland Karl Kuckelman | Eric Van Beber | Nathan Dulle | Leilani Leighton.
