Kaw Point Kitchens

1403 Fairfax Trafficway, Kansas City, KS

Spring 2023

Arch 209 Shannon Criss

Wyandotte County* Routinely lands at or near the bottom of the state’s health rankings, largely due to the fact that residents’ most common food sources are convenience stores and fast food restaurants.

Only grocery store with access to fresh produce

*Ranked

Kaw Point Park is located at the convergence of the Kaw and Missori rivers, as well as right outside the heart of Kansas City, Kansas. This area of Kansas City is often neglected, leaving the residents with a lack of access to valuable resources.

In doing reserch about the history and the context of our site, I discovered that many residents in Wyandotte county are currently in a food desert, contributing to negative health factors. As a result of this, I decided to focus my project on adressing this food desert by programming in more spaces than just the environmental education aspect.

Start with L-shape to create courtyard for farmer’s market

Add second story to fit programming

Slant second story roof towards South to maximize sun exposure

Puncture with dogtrot to allow summer breezes to enter market

Built up Prarie Mounds that create an intimate experice for the visitor as well as diffuse noise coming from nearby Kaw Industy Park.

I chose timber as my main structure because my building is only two stories tall and it will bring in warmth into the interior space.

Using load bearing in combination with the timber was the best option becuase the depth of my building is not that deep, so in some places the beams can span from wall to wall. It also frees up the interior grid for storfront windows.

Load Bearing Walls