By: Nigel F. Maynard
Project: 436 Indiana Street / Location: Lawrence, Kan. / Architect: Studio 804, Lawrence / Photos: Corey Gaffer
People who don’t follow architecture closely may be surprised to find out that Studio 804 in Lawrence, Kan., produces some of the most innovative residential work in America. What may surprise people even more, though, is that Studio 804 is not even an architecture firm–at least not technically speaking.
Run Dan Rockhill, the JL Constant Distinguished Professor of Architecture at the University of Kansas School of Architecture, Studio 804, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation whose participants are graduate students at the University of Kansas’s School of Architecture and Design. Each house is a comprehensive educational opportunity committed to the continued research and development of sustainable, modern and inventive building solutions, the group’s background information says.
What’s even more impressive about the 804 program is that students are responsible for every aspect of each home, which includes 17 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design–certified residential buildings and three Passive Institute-certified projects.
Rockhill confirms that the students do “everything but the HVAC, as I don’t want the call back if the AC isn’t working and the plumbing, which is good for the students to see go in. However, in both cases students figure everything out as it pertains to those areas and benefit by seeing the plumbers who are meticulous in their installation and the HVAC guys who rough-in with a chainsaw. I’m exaggerating but the point is to see plumbers who care about everything even though it all gets hidden, which introduces young people to the idea of craft vs the HVAC guys who don’t even own a level.”
[ Read More: A Utah Residence Uniquely Shaped by its Site ]
436 Indiana Street is part of the legacy of Studio 804. The students’ 2024 project, the house is part of the Pinkney neighborhood’s charming 400 block of Indiana Street in Lawrence, Kan. Adjacent to a canopy of mature trees, the house is in a unique setting for a single-family residence in the heart of the city, offering easy access to many valuable living amenities.
“Just a few blocks away is the Lawrence Memorial Hospital as well as downtown Lawrence which pulses with vibrant shopping, dining, and cultural experiences,” Studio documents say. “Also nearby is the Kansas River which is a National Water Trail with its waterfront parks that extends up to downtown. There is also nearby access to the recently completed Lawrence Loop bike route, an urban greenway that runs for 22 miles through and around town. As well as being pedestrian friendly, the Pinkney neighborhood is connected to the city bus system, which expands the possibilities of travel around Lawrence without a car.”
The house’s simple forms are a nice complement to 432 Indiana Street next door, a previous Studio 804 project. It’s clad in rusted Corten panels and Richlite composite rainscreen system, which gives the home a warm modern look that is low maintenance. The rainscreen also allows the house to dry out faster, greatly reducing the threat of mold growth.
[ Read More: KUBE Architects Gave This Burnt Out House a New Life ]
The upside down home features two bedrooms, a bathroom and office on the first level and an open-plan second floor with a primary bedroom suite, a powder room and a combination kitchen/dining/living room. For the interiors, the students chose a straightforward palette of drywall, black-framed triple-glazed windows and doors and matching black fronts for some of the kitchen cabinets. They used a light-colored wood veneer for the built ins, vanities and base cabinets and island in the kitchen.
Because energy efficiency and sustainability were important to the project, the students chose low VOC interior finishes, upgraded insulation, LED light fixtures and added sixteen solar panels, which generate enough electricity to significantly offset the home’s energy consumption.
“The driveway is paved with a permeable surface to minimize stormwater runoff that can often overwhelm city systems and the river to which it drains and cause flooding,” the project background says. “Instead, the water saturates the ground and replenishes the water table. On the eastern edge of the site, a rain garden will retain and absorb runoff from the roofs as well as perimeter drains surrounding the foundation and retaining wall.”
[ Read More: A Japanese House That Blends Beauty and Budget ]
Another part of the sustainable strategy includes the use of salvaged materials. The Studio says it has a large warehouse that enables them to store materials that have been salvaged from previous uses and donated to the program. Much of this material would have been destined for a landfill.
“All the fixed triple pane IGU’s were donated to Studio 804 after they were assembled to the wrong dimensions for their planned use,” the Studio says. “The Corten steel planters at the back patio use surplus material left over from siding the building. Every year Studio 804 saves its excess drywall and this year was able to use it to finish the interior of this house. A tile installation company had excess tile from a previous job that had been in storage for many years. They needed it out of their warehouse and Studio 804 took advantage of the opportunity to repurpose it for the tile work in the bathrooms. All of the concrete formwork material was repurposed as always.”
