Studio 804 receives Architect Magazine Residential Design Award
LAWRENCE — Studio 804’s 2019 project has earned recognition from Architect Magazine.
The University of Kansas students of the 2019 Studio 804 have been awarded a Residential Design Award by Architect Magazine, the official publication of the American Institute of Architects.
According to the magazine, “This year’s jury demanded an ‘it’ factor… each of the 13 winners furthers the expectation that housing can be transformative when design leads the way.”
Studio 804’s two houses on Oak Hill Avenue were awarded Honorable Mention in the Affordable Housing category.
The studio responded to Lawrence's changing demographics by designing the homes to be small and affordable without sacrificing sustainability, functionality or beauty.
Although the homes share what was once a single lot, they are offset from one another to maintain yard space and privacy. Their gabled forms fit in with the style of the other homes in the neighborhood, while the mixture of wood and Galvalume siding and the floor-to-ceiling windows modernize their exteriors, according to Architect Magazine.
The interiors of both homes feature a galley-kitchen and open living space. The larger, 900-square-foot house has two bedrooms, and the 600-square-foot house has one.
“To see someone say, ‘Our lots are too big, and we should make two smaller homes so that they are affordable,’ and to do it in a way that is expressed beautifully, is refreshing,” awards jury member Andrew Kline told Architect Magazine.
“The competition is a blind submission. Entrants must maintain anonymity in judging. No names of entrants or collaborating parties may appear on any submission materials,” said Dan Rockhill, J.L. Constant Distinguished Professor of Architecture at KU. “This is an international competition open to professionals from around the world. I doubt there are any student submissions that are received from nearly 600 participants.”
According to Rockhill, this is the third year in a row that the work of Studio 804 has been prominently featured in the magazine. The 2018 Studio won a Residential Design Award for their house on 12th Street, and in 2017, their Brook Street house was featured in Architect Magazine’s issue devoted to the Studio Prize.
“I have always felt that maintaining a standard of quality in all aspects of what we do in both design and building is on par, or exceeds, the work professional do,” Rockhill said. “This helps bolster that approach.”
Studio 804’s next project, located at 722 Ash St., is underway. Visit the Studio 804 website to stay up to date.