QUINDARO COMMUNITY CENTER

Prof. Farhan Karim Spring 2021

Our site for this project was located in northern Kansas City, KS in an area known as Quindaro in Wyandotte County. The location has rich historical significance, beginning as a booming town during the 19th century due to trade along the Missouri River. The site exists on the former location of Western University, which was the first black university west of the Mississippi river. Gradually the townsite was abandoned and the University shut down, and in the modern day the location is neglected, and the community is suffering from lack of infrastructure and high crime rate. Our proposed solution included a community center to provide a place for members of the community to gather and hold events or to use as a virtual office space during the COVID 19 pandemic.

When designing the community center my main challenges were working with the topography of the site as well as incorporating walking paths that flow naturally into the existing trails near to the site. My structure is designed around a central plaza space that allows for outdoor activities as well as providing a shaded outdoor seating space for the café. The rest of the structure guides the occupant through the plaza space to the entryway and through to the overlook structure beyond.

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