Design-build students working to enhance KU research facility

This semester, students in architecture professor Keith Van de Riet’s design-build studio are working to enhance the façade of the Interdisciplinary Ceramic Research Center (ICRC) facility at the University of Kansas. A composition of terra cotta tiles inspired by the local environment will add an aesthetically striking statement to the non-descript building through an interplay of materiality, light and shadow, and will as well inform passersby of the nature of work taking place within the ICRC research building.  

Beyond creating a lasting enhancement to the ICRC, this experiential design-build project is critical to the comprehensive architecture and design education provided at KU. For the successful completion of this project, the studio must raise all necessary funds and has been working hard to secure funding. With a generous donation of installation hardware provided by NBK, the remaining fabrication of a few hundred terracotta tiles is expected to cost approximately $6,000, largely made up by the cost of clay but also including other raw materials. Students are responsible for all labor associated with fabrication and installation. 

To raise the remaining funds, students are seeking donor support through the KU Endowment Association’s new crowdfunding platform, LaunchKU. Donations of any amount are appreciated and extremely helpful. 

To learn more and support this project, see the studio’s LaunchKU page.