TEAM PROJECT WITH STACY BEHLMANN, LINDSEY FISHER & BETH VALDIVIA 

GRADUATE DESIGN STUDIO, LED BY EL DORADO ARCHITECTS

SKETCHUP, ILLUSTRATOR, PHOTOSHOP

5 WEEKS

INCLUDED IN ‘UNDER.ON.GONE.’ GRADUATE DESIGN EXHIBITION, AWARDED AIA CENTRAL STATES AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MASTER PLANNING/URBAN DESIGN

When the interstate highway first cut through this area of Kansas City, the residential Westside neighborhood was both physically and psychologically separated from the more urban Crossroads District. In the decades since then, the differences between the two neighborhoods have
continued to increase. This project sought to find a way to repurpose the highway structure between the two in order to stitch the neighborhoods back together in harmony, as a stronger community,

This project began with a strong basis in research, which provided valuable insight into the multiple potential programmatic uses. Early studies showed how the highway surface could be repurposed to gather resources and reuse the durable surfaces in various ways, as well as how the surrounding urban areas provided few opportunities for pedestrians in regards to outdoor recreation and exercise.

The previous research led into this group master planning project, which focused on creating a viable solution to the previous issues in a design that would become a valuable amenity for the community. This plan involves repurposing the old highway structure into a mix of largescale parks and urban farmland, which would produce sustainable crops for the surrounding community. A series of pedestrian paths would interweave throughout this new landscape, catering
to walkers, cyclists and joggers.

The northern end of the site would house a new school of the arts and dance, to complement KC’s new Performing Arts Center, with the repurposed highway pathways running beneath it and branching out to different connection points among the nearby neighborhoods. A proposal for the southern end of the site was to repurpose an abandoned warehouse building into a large grocery store and urban market, providing a venue for the community to purchase fresh produce and learn proper farming techniques.

The master plan also calls for a series of multifamily housing complexes to fill the gaps within the current framework of the two neighborhoods, helping to restore a healthy sense of density in the neighborhoods. These housing facilities were carefully designed to maintain a proper sense of scale in relation to the existing buildings around them, providing a sense of cohesion between the old and new.

This project was included in a studio-wide public design exhibition called UNDER.ON.GONE., which presented research on the interstate and its effects to the affected community, along with a varied series of projects that sought to solve the problems as well as prompt conversation
on the issues at hand.

The exhibition was recently honored with the AIA Central States Region Award for Excellence in Master Planning and Urban Design, recognizing the extents of the research as well as the creativity of the design solutions.