Proposal for women's football stadium among projects from The University of Kansas

Dezeen School Shows: a proposal for a football stadium exclusively for women’s games is among the projects from The University of Kansas.

Also featured is a school that prioritises the wellbeing of its students and a hospital designed to feel calming.

The University of Kansas

Institution: The University of Kansas
Courses: IA 309, ARCH 509, ARCH 609, ARCH 806, ARCH 804, ARCH 808, ARCH 814, and ARCH 812
School: School of Architecture and Design
Tutors: Abbey Ockinga, Casey Franklin, Chad Kraus, Sunny Milosevic, Amy Van de Riet, Francesco Carota, Kapila Silva, Gustavo Amaral, Dan Rockhill, Xiaobo Quan, Andrew Moddrell and Dan Finnell

School statement:

“Architecture studios at the University of Kansas immerse students in design-build, sports and leisure, urban design, health and wellness, housing, cultural projects, interior architecture and more.”

40×60 by Paul Masoner and Nana Amfo Sackey

“40×60 is a prefabricated mass‑timber housing system designed to activate underutilised urban lots common in American cities.

“Built around a fixed 40‑by‑60‑foot glulam and LVL structural frame with hybrid CLT‑concrete floors, each four‑story module allows flexible unit configurations within a constant structure.

“Removable partitions enable densities ranging from family‑sized units to compact studios based on market demand, aligning design decisions with financial performance.

“Modules stack or assemble laterally to adapt to varied sites, with ground floors accommodating parking, commercial, or residential uses.

“A Kansas City River Market prototype demonstrates scalability, transit‑ready density and repeatability across historic urban grids.”

Students: Paul Masoner and Nana Amfo Sackey
Course: ARCH 812
Tutor: Dan Finnell

Urban Water: Lake of the Ozarks by Anna Dority

“Urban Water reimagines the Lake of the Ozarks as a shared public resource through a network of floating boardwalks and ecological islands that expand access without relying on private ownership.

“The proposal integrates water filtration, habitat creation, and flexible circulation to respond to the lake’s dynamic conditions while supporting both human use and ecological performance.

“By blurring the boundary between land and water, the system creates a continuous public interface that adapts over time, allowing the lake to function as both infrastructure and environment.”

Student: Anna Dority
Course: ARCH 814
Tutor: Andrew Moddrell

Children’s Mercy Spring Hill – A Pediatric Micro-hospital by Seppo Hoijarvi and Allison Dewey

“Large hospital campuses, especially for pediatric patients and their families can be overwhelming and anxiety-inducing due to their scale, complex wayfinding, and the general stigma associated with hospital visits.

“This pediatric micro-hospital in a semi-rural suburban area addresses the problem by bringing pediatric healthcare close to home and creating environments that put patients and families at ease during their experiences.

“Iterations of evidence-based computer simulations lead to an optimised design that features simple compact building shape, efficient layout, daylight harvesting strategies, and child-friendly scale – all contributing to pleasant experiences for children, their families and healthcare workers.”

Students: Seppo Hoijarvi and Allison Dewey
Course: ARCH 808
Tutor: Xiaobo Quan

1144 E 12th Street by Studio 804 students

“Studio 804, one of the school’s several capstone fifth-year studio offerings, led by professor Dan Rockhill, continues to offer a one-of-a-kind design-build opportunity for students to gain firsthand experience in creating and producing LEED Platinum projects.

“These projects intend to combine extensive hands-on exposure to sustainable building practices in one brief academic year.

“In the most recent project, the studio re-purposed glulam beams donated by the firm Olson Kundig, as the primary structural system for a house that includes 16 solar panels.

“Each of these is rated at 550-Wp and is also built on the site of a former junk yard in Lawrence, Kansas.”

Students: Studio 804 students
Course: ARCH 804
Tutor: Dan Rockhill

Marina Modular Research Facility by Jackson Reusser and Nolyn Cunningham

“This modular system of interconnecting aquatic units preserves endangered ecosystems through an adaptable design.

“Proposed for St Kilda, Scotland, the project addresses the island’s urgent need for archaeological conservation, wildlife protection and sustainable tourism.

“Located on the water, the facility allows for scientific research and educational exploration without disturbing the delicate landscape.

“Each of these ellipsoid-shaped modules are one of three standardised sizes and utilise a self-supporting steel diagrid structure.

“Although contextually adapted to the island of St Kilda, this facility is designed as a system which can be moved and adapted to any site in need of eco-cultural preservation.”

Students: Jackson Reusser and Nolyn Cunningham
Course: ARCH 609
Tutor: Kapila Silva

Futura. Re-inventing the School of Tomorrow in Post-Industrial Turin by Meredith Horst and Micah Frank

“Located in the Aurora district of Turin, the Futura School reimagines the school as an open civic landscape that supports education, wellbeing and community life.

“Organised beneath a steel canopy inspired by Turin’s industrial halls and the structure of a forest, the project creates strong connections between architecture, landscape and pedagogy.

“Public programs activate the ground level, while classrooms and quieter learning spaces occupy the upper floor around green terraces and roof openings.

“Through daylight, vegetation, and flexible community spaces, the school becomes a healthy, inclusive and adaptable environment integrated within Aurora’s evolving urban fabric.”

Students: Meredith Horst and Micah Frank
Course: ARCH 609
Tutor: Francesco Carota

The Kansas City Con-Trail Private Hangar and Offices by Bianca Mojica and Sally Schaeffler

“This private hangar draws inspiration from the form and atmospheric qualities of aircraft condensation trails, translating their sense of direction, motion and progression into an architectural language.

“Developed in collaboration with Burns and McDonnell and sited at the Kansas City Downtown Airport private aviation campus, the project references the linear paths left behind by aircraft as they move toward their destinations, exploring movement as a defining spatial concept across both the exterior and interior environments.

“The expression of movement is articulated through the sweeping roof form, sculpted building, and fluid floor plans.

“Designed for a technology and navigation company, the proposal combines operational efficiency with a refined spatial experience.

“Internally, the hangar is defined by a luxurious material palette and an exposed space-frame roof structure that creates a dramatic sense of scale and openness.

“Responding carefully to the site and FAA regulations, the scheme integrates landscaped elements within the building, introducing moments of greenery that soften the workplace program and strengthen the relationship between architecture and environment.”

Students: Bianca Mojica and Sally Schaeffler
Course: ARCH 609
Tutors: Sunny Milosevic and Amy Van de Riet

Kaw House by ARCH 509 students

“Kaw House is a compact, high-performance hybrid mass timber supportive home. Developed in partnership with Tenants to Homeowners, it is the first project in Kansas to use mass plywood panel (MPP) construction.

“Prefabricated wall panels, integrated insulation, and an air-tight envelope reduce embodied carbon and accelerate construction timelines.

“Conceived as two bars sliding apart to create outdoor spaces, the interior is organised around a light-filled living space anchored by an exposed MPP ‘spine’ at the overlap of the two volumes.

“The home balances durability, warmth and efficiency, demonstrating that affordable housing can be beautiful, resilient and restorative.”

Students: Natalie Alferman, Adriana Baker, Mary Basily, Molly Braaten, Miguel Castro, Jackson Dines, Ella Dreiling, Helena Galeano Paiz, Luis Daniel Gastelum, Timothy Mcfarland, Kevin Miller, Ryah Moore, Gehrig Myrick, Sofia Pigneri, Angie Robledo, Tori Schmidt, Camryn Strope and Jack Sydnor
Course: ARCH 509
Tutor: Chad Kraus

Highter Education Library – KU Watson Library Renovation ‘Living Archive’ by Clare Wincentsen

“The Living Archive reimagines the third level of Watson Library at the University of Kansas, as an evolving academic environment that supports collaboration, research and restoration.

“Designed by Clare Wincentsen, the project preserves the library’s historic identity while introducing flexible study zones, a cafe, group study rooms, banquette pods, accessible circulation, wayfinding systems and a central staircase that acts a living atrium through the building.

“Guided by WELL principles, the design emphasises daylight, layered lighting, acoustic variety, restorative material, and spaces for collaboration, focus and reflection.

“Through organic textures and adaptable programming, the library becomes an active archive shaped by the students, resources and ideas it supports.”

Student: Clare Wincentsen
Course: IA 309
Tutors: Abbey Ockinga and Casey Franklin

Concept for Atlanta Women’s Soccer Stadium by Leslie Koffi and Melia Whitney

“Located at the vital intersection of Atlanta’s 22-mile Beltline and the Marta transit network, this proposed 25,000-seat stadium is designed exclusively for women’s soccer.

“Part of the Sports and Leisure program at the University of Kansas School of Architecture and Design, the proposal responds to decades of underinvestment through a layered urban strategy connecting transit, public space, and active pedestrian movement.

“The stadium establishes an identity distinct from existing men’s venues, reflecting the culture and growing prominence of the women’s game.

“Beyond match day, the district becomes an everyday destination for community gathering, mobility, wellness and long-term neighbourhood investment.”

Students: Leslie Koffi and Melia Whitney
Course: ARCH 806
Tutor: Gustavo Amaral

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and The University of Kansas. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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