Portfolio
Morgan Siemers DESIGNING FOR CHANGE
EARTH, CITIES, COMMUNITIES
TABLE OF
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Studio 804
Crossroads Living Campus
The design and construction of a LEED Platinum 2000sqft home in Lawrence KS by graduate students at the University of Kansas
A sustainable nature discovery center in heart of Downtown Kansas City. Pursues the Living Building Challenge
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Redesigning Rovsingsgade
Urban Data + Design
A community action plan that transforms an industrial site to a thriving neighborhood in Copenhagen, Denmark
A series of projects that showcase the process of collecting data in cities and using it to inform design
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Museum for All
FOOD+
An investigation into the barriers of entry to US museums and a design that includes everyone in its experience
A community center that focuses on access to healthy food in a historically oppressed neighborhood in Kansas City
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Work in Community
Creative Endeavors
A series of local projects that tackle affordable housing, food justice, and environmental advocacy
Projects completed outside of studio. Features furniture making and graphic design for Betty Ultimate
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804 About Us Studio 804, Inc. is a not-forprofit 501(c)3 corporation commit t ed t o th e c o n t i n u e d research and development of sustainable and inventive building solutions. The University of Kansas Department of Architecture offers this comprehensive education opportunity for graduate students entering the final year of the Master of Architecture program, transfer students, or professionals — anyone who wants to be a better architect by having had the experience of
designing and constructing a sophisticated building in its entirety from the ground up. Students work on all aspects of the design and the construction process over the course of a nine month academic year. This includes all systems, construction documents, estimates, working with zoning and code officials, site layout, placing concrete, framing, roofing, siding, setting solar panels, landscape and more — there isn’t anything we don’t do ourselves.
Since the beginning, the work of Studio 804 has targeted energy efficient and sustainable design. Since the 5.4.7. Arts Center in Greensburg, Kansas, which was completed in 2008, each project has been LEED Platinum Certified and several of them have been Passive House US (PHIUS) Certified. All the houses have targeted net zero energy use over a calendar year.
LEED Certification
Structural Engineering
Fabrication
Tasked with managing the documentation and submittal of Studio 804’s seventeenth expected LEED Platinum project, I have kept a detailed record of our LEED credits, ensured proper documentation, and provided guidance on implementing sustainable strategies.
As part of the construction documents phase, I prepared the structural pages of the set to be submitted to an engineer for their approval. As part of the package, I provided structural load calculations for a series of interior and exterior columns, located shear walls, and ensured roof and floor joist spans were sufficient.
Along with my colleagues, I will have a part in fabricating a wide range of project features. So far, I have really enjoyed being a part of fabricating the roof assembly (tapered rigid insulation with a Thermoplastic Polyolefin, TPO, membrane). Additionally, I have framed walls, installed sheathing, nailbase insulation and the subfloor, wired lighting, and contributed to the foundation construction by tying rebar and distributing the concrete during the slab pour. I look forward to opportunities to contribute to interior and exterior finishes in the coming semester!
What has been most rewarding is getting to know the details of what makes a project sustainable, and documenting the sustainable strategies thoughoughly. It is exciting to think I’ll be able to share these strategies in a digestable manner with friends and family.
It was a great experience being able to consult with an engineer and learn the skills to verify structurally intuitive design. I enjoyed being able to collaborate with my colleagues during the deisign phase and the dialogue around maintaining our design intent while being realistic structurally.
Renderings by Jackson Bontty
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Top Left: Raising the first couple of walls Top Right: Prefabricating the walls Bottom Left: Preparing hand trowels for the concrete slab pour Bottom Right: Tying rebar in the foundation trench
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My Role: LEED Certification Documentation In order to receive LEED Platinum on our 2024 project, my colleague, Erica Pham, and I have prepared documentation to be submitted to our Green Rater and Energy Raters. It has been educational and exciting to learn the LEED Certification process and to be able to present our sustainable building practices!
Click to view
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Click to view
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EARTH
CROSSROADS LIVING CAMPUS In collaboration with Dylan Barber Studio: Steve Padget Term: Spring 2023
Crossroads Living Campus is a nature discovery center in the heart of Downtown Kansas City. Meeting the requirements of the Living Building Challenge, it showcases sustainable design while keeping nature at the forefront. The eco-spine that winds through the middle of the site ensures every built space has direct access to nature. Additionally, the living roof is at the same grade as the neighboring site -- creating a large urban park and wetland. Emphasizing principles of sustainable architecture and urban design, Crossroads Living Campus aims to invest in the education and promotion of nature as a catalyst for change.
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construc wetl
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NATURE IN DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY From above, the Crossroads Living Campus appears to be a large urban park. The wetland that forms the western site serves a dual purpose: a recreation space for Downtown Kansas City and a crucial part of the water treatment system. The urban park and wetland is entirely ADA accessible, emphasizing the importance of equitable access to nature in cities. With ample space to host events, the nature discovery center becomes a prime spot in downtown for farmer’s markets, community gardens, and public events. The solar array, located on the neighboring parking garage, is calculated to fully power the building, providing a sustainble energy solution as well as an educational opportunity for the nature center’s programming.
solar ar
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unity rden
accessible green roof
eco-spine
amphitheater
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stormwater harvest/reuse
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TREATING WASTEWATER: All water on site, including that from indoor fixtures as well as outdoor stormwater, is treated onsite and reused in the building. It goes through a series of treatments, all of which are seamlessly integrated into the design.
A LIVING BUILDING 16
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VIEW FROM THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE SITE Because the Eastern half of the site is elevated from the Western half of the site, as one experiences the public park/wetland, the can see the nature center quietly nestled into the natural landscape
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REDESIGNING
ROVSINGSGADE
Studio: Rasmus and Janette Frisk Term: Fall 2022
Located in Copenhagen, Denmark, this project aims to create a sustainable community plan for a formerly industrial site. Investigating topics of urban livability, environmental planning, and social equity, the semester began with intensive research and data collection. With that data in mind, the redesign of Rovsingsgade consists of a green/blue spine that snakes through the site, an extension of the local commuter bike path, and mixed-income multigenerational housing. The varied housing typology, walkable and bikeable infrastructure, and access to resources aims to make this community not only livable, but vibrant and thriving.
_Cuptur sum as
CITIES
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CITIES
data-driven
design Prioritizing Mixed-Income and Multi-Generational Housing
Accommodating All Traffic Types
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A Sloped Site Provides Views For all
Stakeholders Having a Say
Building to the Human Scale
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Getting the People’s Opinion
CITIES
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CITIES
SUSTAINABLE URBAN FABRIC What makes the new Rovsingsgade unique is its commitment to green infrastructure. The bioswale that winds through the community creates a greenspace for pocket parks to connect to. It also taps into the city-wide bicycle superhighway. The bioswale also reduces stormwater runoff when flooding occurs, an increasing threat to Copenhagen’s infrastructure. With green space as the primary connector throughout the community, the varied housing types all have equitable access to nature and necessities through mixed-use development.
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CITIES
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CITIES
RETHINKING URBAN SPACE BALDERS PLADS, COPENHAGEN
BICYCLE INFRASTRUCT COPENHAGEN
After collecting on-site data in an urban plaza in Copenhagen, I designed a public space that prioritized access to nature while maintaining flexible use of the urban plaza.
After studying cyclist’s beh intersection, I designed a r prioritized cyclists’ safety w flow of all traffic types.
Urban Data + Design 34
TURE
CREATIVE PLACEMAKING LAWRENCE KS
havior at a pesky round-about that while optimizing
After observing an under-utilized space in Downtown Lawrence, I created a pilot project to jumpstart change and promote necessary urban infrastructure.
For more about these projects and their finalized designs
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COMMUNITIES
Museum for All Studio: CJ Armstrong Term: Fall 2021
Tasked with creating a museum of an American experience, the Museum for All is an investigation of the barriers for entry into American museums and seeks to provide an inclusive and empowering environment for the unhoused population of Lawrence. The outreach center allows for transparent entry and features a variety of services to give vistors equitable access to education, technology, food, and private
counseling. As unhoused visitors build confidence, they are invited to the classrooms and art studio where they are empowered to create artwork to be featured in the gallery. The circulation around the perimeter provides intuitive navigation, increasing visitor comfort.
ARE MUSEUMS REALLY “FOR ALL?” After investigating Forbe’s Top 10 Museums in the US, I found the Getty Center in Los Angeles was an outlier in providing necessary accomodations for the unhoused population.
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A Space For The Public The large hanger doors creates an inviting entrance, reinforced by the transparent facade. The public space outside leads directly into the outreach center, providing easy navigation and transparency of resources for visitors.
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COMMUNITIES
FOOD+ Studio: Farhan Karim Term: Spring 2021
A small, isolated community, the Quindao Neighborhood in North Kansas City, KS, is a target for many of the inequities seen in cities across the US today, making it a great opportunity to equitably reinvest in a historically oppressed neighborhood. Quindaro, an impoverished area with low opportunity, is the result of a history of racial segregation, redlining, and disinvestment of BIPOC neighborhoods in Kansas City. The Food Education Center offers a great opportunity to reinvest where the effects of redlining have created a severe gap between residents and access to important resources. The development of the Food Education Center, featuring a community garden, farmers market, branch library, classrooms, community kitchen, and farm-fresh café, with its adjoining community development plan is an important step in the effort to break the
cycle of poverty in Quindaro. The goal of the project is to bring access to healthy food, jobs, and infrastructure to support active families. The use of equitable development strategies is critical to ensure the FOOD+ initiative acts as a catalyst for healthy economic growth and social justice, rather than a source of gentrification for the community. Though theorhetical in nature, I found myself very invested in providing this community with resources it needed to see positive change. By visiting Quindaro and holding meetings with community leaders as well as creating a community development plan, this project was a great look into the complexities of Urban design.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: As part of the project, a community develpment plan imagines the potential of Quindaro: a vibrant and connected neighborhood with access to greenspace and crucial resources
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Access to High-Quality Food The driving factor for FOOD+ is creating a space for the community of Quindaro to grow, cook, and share food. The project features a community garden, community kitchen, farm-fresh cafe, and farmer’s market.
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COMMUNITIES
AFFORDABLE HOUSING: LIMESTONE HOUSE
FOOD JUSTICE: URBAN STATION G
Partnering with Limestone Community School and Tenants to Homeowners, I lead the development of a permit set for an affordable house in Lawrence, Kansas. This home was designed by a group of elementry students, and will be rented out by the Summer of 2024.
Attached to a communit Kansas, I worked with a students to design and Serving a community tha fresh produce, the Urb is both a resource and
More About This Project
Work in the Community 40
GREENHOUSE
ty center in Kansas City a group of architecture d build a greenhouse. at has limited access to ban Station Greenhouse an educational tool.
ENVIRIONMENTAL ADVOCACY: ECHOES OF THE PRAIRIE Marvin Grove, a scenic park on the KU campus, was once a prairie, lively with sounds of indigenous plants and creatures. Echoes of the praire was a 1 month installation I created to return these sounds to their native space.
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CREATIVE ENDEAVORS
FURNITURE DESIGN As part of a furniture design class, I created this piece. Made of cherry hardwood with a walnut base, it holds my collection of vinyl records while providing a spot for a record player to sit. Inspired by “Dancing in the Moonlight” by King Harvest, the piece symbolizes the feeling of having a good time around the people you love. Its simple form contrasts the complexity of its construction. The curves are achieved by stack laminating cherry “bricks” that were then shaped into a uniform curve using a bandsaw, router, and sanding machine. Though complex, I enjoyed the meditative qualities of working with wood as a medium. So too, our lives, though complex, can be reduced to reflect the themes we cherish most: love, joy, and a sense of community.
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CREATIVE ENDEAVORS
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Competitive S
Betty Ultimate is KU’s Women’s Ultimate Frisbee Team and is affliated with KU Sports Clubs. Betty Ultimate travels regionally and competes as part of the USA Ultimate D-I college tournament series. A member of the team since my first semester at KU, I stepped into the leadership role of managing the team’s social media accounts, fundraising, and graphic design for jerseys, flyers, merchandise, and social media posts. This leadership position has given me great practice with the Adobe Creative Suite and the process of creating a brand.
Competitive S
Additionally, when designing jerseys, I have gained experience in collaboratively designing, communicating with manufacturers, and collecting and managing funds.
Competitive Se
Season Jersey 2022 (Dark)
Competitive Season Jersey 2023 (Light)
Season Jersey 2022 (Light)
Regionals Fundraiser Jersey 2021
eason Jersey 2023 (Dark)
Pride Fundraiser Jersey 2020
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thank you MORGAN SIEMERS siemersmorgan@gmail.com 605.929.6707.