Yes, we know that construction starts have bottomed out, and that banks aren’t lending any money. Yes, we know that the global economy is limping along like a three-legged dog on a waterbed. We understand all this, yet we remain optimistic: for spring has officially sprung and summer is around the corner. Flowers are blooming along the roadside, bunnies are hopping to and fro, the crackle of baseball on the radio fills the evening air—and we’re sticking by our rallying cry from 2008: Recession? What recession?

 

Every year the Kansas City Business Journal sponsors the Capstone Awards Program, honoring achievement in real estate and construction. This year we were honored with 2 of the 3 awards given in the Green Architecture category: the Botwin Building in Waldo, and the Vehicle Impound Facility in the Northeast Industrial District. We are grateful to our clients (Diane Botwin and the City of Kansas City, MO, respectively) for supporting sustainable design, and we look forward to future collaborations with them and other like-minded individuals and companies.

 

We’ve been expressing ourselves with some regularity in recent weeks: in San Diego (CEO’s for Cities Conference); in New Orleans* (Tulane University); and in St. Louis (Washington University). Future bloviations are scheduled in Tennessee and Montana (state AIA conventions) and Orlando (annual AIA meeting in September).

 

The eldo partners trekked on down to the Crescent City in early March, on the invite of the Tulane University School of Architecture, to participate in a design-build project for the schools "Architects Week" celebration. It was an impressive affair, with eighty students created eight “communal seating” (i.e. “bench”) prototypes for the Tulane campus. After a spirited TGIF in which the project was introduced, the students began their crash course in bench-making, aided and abetted by the eldos. Seven days, 200 Sazeracs** and one trip to the Emergency Room later, eight wildly different benches were juried, ranging from a floating bed of grass to an elaborately rigged super-hammock. We had a great time, and we thank Tulane for the invite.  For more info on Architects Week, visit the "perambulations" section on our website and check out "operation sazerac" under "capers."

 

Sazeracs are good, and you can make them at home. First, acquire a companion and commence telling a joke that has enough detail to last at least two minutes. Start the joke as you muddle two sugar cubes, a nice splash of water and a few dashes of bitters together. To this, add some ice and four jiggers of rye whiskey. Continue to tell the joke--and yes it’s ok if a little more than four jiggers goes into the mix. Now then, take two chilled single old-fashioned glasses (not double old-fashioned, ok? This isn’t the Cheesecake Factory) and swirl a bit of absinthe (or other anise-flavored liquor) in them. Toss the absinthe out (again with a flourish…but nothing too dainty).  Execute the punch line as you strain the booze into the glasses and then garnish with a wee lemon twist.

 

We’re hard at work on a comprehensive site development and apartment renovation project for a long-neglected block of Armour Boulevard in Kansas City. The project, which is utilizing state and federal historic tax credits, includes the renovation of six existing buildings and will feature numerous sustainable site features, including pervious pavement, rain gardens and a vegetative screen. The first of the six buildings--Park Central Apartments--is scheduled to wrap up by the end of the year and you can check out the progress in the projects section of our website, under "on the boards."

 

The 11-story renovation of the former Union Carbide building in Downtown Kansas City is proceeding nicely. The unique structure, which features a narrow L-shaped footprint and large windows, will house 25 condominium units. Special attention was given to acoustical separation on the project, which will provide a level of privacy uncommon in the local condominium market. Completion is scheduled for mid summer of 2009. For more info on the project, check it out in our "on the boards" section of "projects" on our website.

 

The VOC compliant paint is drying on the new home we designed for Spay Neuter Kansas City—an animal hospital facility at 59th and Troost in Midtown. SNKC is a non-profit organization that provides these critical procedures for no cost to those in financial need. The new facility will feature an administrative area, public outreach area and separate surgery facilities for dogs and cats. The exterior landscaping features dog-friendly trees and native grasses. Doors open to the public on May 12th.  For more info on the project, check it out in our "commercial" section of "projects" on our website.

 

We’re well into the semester for the design studio we’re teaching at KU. Led by Josh, the studio focuses on five iterative design cycles, each lasting three weeks. All of the cycles address the same exact project—a community center in Kansas City’s Westside neighborhood. Each of the 15 students enrolled in the studio are encouraged to explore a series of multi-disciplinary “influences” for each cycle, generating fresh approaches to the same program. The influences include a truly divergent array of individuals and ideas. Concentrating on how these influences might apply to a building program helps the students focus their conceptual thinking. We really love teaching--we’re learning as much from them as they are from us.

 

Utilizing a real-time cellular sports handicapping network, Dan successfully wrested the NCAA tournament pool funds this year (5.5 crisp Hamiltons) from the pallid, quivering hands of the collective, non-winning eldo horde. What this basically means is that Dan got on the phone with his brother Mike, who listens to sports radio on a regular basis and knows about such things. When informed of his victory, Dan was heard to have said “Oh really? Who did I have winning?” Last place went to Nancy Woodfill, who predicted a Kansas / Missouri Border Showdown in the final game.

 

The ribbon has been cut on the new Oak Garage wayfinding system in downtown Kansas City. A clever mnemonic system of colors, faces, names and numbers was utilized in the nine-story garage to assist users in remembering where they parked their cars. The selection of faces and names reflected the diversity of our urban community, and was conceived in collaboration with Willoughby Design Group. Check out the design in the projects section of our website, under “community.”