KCAI Master Plan Verification and Conceptual Design

PREPARING FOR TOMORROW’S CREATORS Kansas City Art Institute Master Plan Verification and Conceptual Design May 28, 2014

Thank you to Work Group members for their tireless commitment to guiding this process (in alphabetical order by last name) : Bambi Burgard, KCAI VP for Academic Affairs Anne Canfield, KCAI VP for Communications Jacqueline Chanda, KCAI President Faye Davis, Board of Trustees Chair Larry Dickerson, KCAI VP and Chief Information Officer Patrick McCown, Board of Trustees Officer Steve Metzler, Board of Trustees Officer Daniel Musser, Board of Trustees Treasurer Nicolle Ratliff, KCAI VP for Advancement Rick Rieder, KCAI VP for Administration Larry Stuckey, KCAI Director of Facilities George Terbovich, Board of Trustees Member Steering Committee members for their role as representatives of the college and sounding board for the process (in alphabetical order by last name) :

John Baker, Animation faculty Chris Chapin, Foundation faculty Cary Esser, Chair of Ceramics Brittany Ficken, Student Tyler Galloway, Chair of Graphic Design Milton Katz, Liberal Arts faculty Tom Lewis, Chair of Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media Cass Lyons, Student Steve Mayse, Chair of Illustration Cyan Meeks, Filmmaking faculty

Hugh Merrill, Printmaking faculty Phyllis Moore, Chair of Liberal Arts Brett Reif, Chair of Foundation Miguel Rivera, Chair of Printmaking Warren Rosser, Chair of Painting Tabitha Schmidt, Chair of CPS Amber Thomas, Student Shanna Toback, Student Pauline Verbeek-Cowart, Chair of Fiber Michael Wickerson, Chair of Sculpture James Woodfill, Painting faculty

and the 240 KCAI students, faculty, administration, and staff who contributed ideas, time and energy to this process through the Mindmixer site, All-School meetings, Department Interviews, and Open House events at CafĂŠ Nerman.

Prepared for KCAI by BNIM, 106 W. 14th Street, Suite 200, Kansas City, MO 64105

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PAGE 1 INTRODUCTION AND APPROACH

PAGE 3

MASTER PLAN UPDATE PAGE 5 CONCEPTUAL DESIGN PAGE 11 NEXT STEPS PAGE 27 APPENDIX A: DEPARTMENT INTERVIEWS

PAGE 29

APPENDIX B: TECHNOLOGY REPORT

PAGE 41

APPENDIX C: STUDENT BATY HOUSE REPORT

PAGE 57

Aerial and perspective of the conceptual design for a new academic building for the Liberal Arts, Department neutral collaborative space, and the Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media Department.

Executive Summary

As KCAI considers their first big step in implementing their master plan, the school makes a bold gesture to welcome their community in new ways. This campus of renowned immersive study of the arts, is ready to break new ground. A campuswide interview process began in January 2014 to understand the pedagogical differences and trends for faculty and student attraction that have occurred since the last Master Planning process. Administration, Board of Trustee members, faculty, students, and staff were involved in the interview process to give their perspectives on changes, aspirations, challenges, and where the greatest needs lie on the KCAI campus. A transparent process of discovery, analysis, feedback, and decision-making was established to assure that the subtleties of each department’s educational environment was communicated and weighed.

As the puzzle of potential department shifts aligned through understanding neighboring department compatibility, impacts on the overall campus space use, compatibility with City priorities given the Mayor’s focus on technology and the arts as the engine of innovation and economic revitalization, and therefore fundraising feasibility, the program for a new academic building housing the Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media Department and the Liberal Arts Department emerged. The recent growth trajectory of the Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media programs balanced by the stable and constant flow of every student through Liberal Arts classes, creates the potential for a vibrant new hub of campus activity.

Another potential component of a new academic building that was highly valued by many was neutral space, or non-departmental space, that all students and faculty could feel free to use for collaboration. Many students expressed a desire to share work more widely with their Kansas City community and most do not currently have access to gallery space for curating shows of work.

The site for the new building is located at the south edge of the campus, providing a new highly visible gateway to the campus for pedestrians and vehicular traffic. Sensitive development of the conceptual design considered siting issues such as passive solar orientation, decreasing stormwater runoff, preservation of long-lived campus trees, creating safe and welcoming pathways and public spaces for students and visitors, and an approachable human scale of building for the neighborhood context, among others.

The conceptual design anchors the corner of Oak and 45th Streets while creating new connections south to the park, and west into the grove of trees and to Jannes Library. This composition and facility will not only serve to strengthen its departments, student and faculty body, but will also strengthen KCAI’s connection to its neighborhood, adjacent cultural institutions, and City through cultivating Tomorrow’s Creators.

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People

Landscape

Campus Facilities

Layers of an Integrated campus planning and design process

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Introduction and Approach

In January of 2014 BNIM was retained to 1) study the 2008 Master Plan and verify updates with current conditions and departmental changes; and 2) provide a conceptual design for the first new building of the Master Plan. This work was a direct response to what was learned in the fundraising feasibility study accomplished in fall 2013. The feasibility study found that a capital campaign must be strongly connected with the Master Plan, project a compelling vision for the future of KCAI, and demonstrate impact for the Kansas City community.

Primary goals for the Master Plan verification and conceptual design work were to: 1. Create a collaborative process for stakeholder input and ownership of solutions 2. Understand the major challenges and assets of each department 3. Determine appropriate recommendations for the program of a new building and renovations to existing buildings that increases potential for collaboration among departments while solving the most acute challenges for the greatest number of campus constituents 4. Illustrate the concept of a new state-of-the-art facility that welcomes the student body as well as the larger community to KCAI - the heart of Kansas City’s arts and culture district.

The first goal implied an approach to problem-solving that builds consensus and encourages a close knit campus culture. The process to accomplish the work of Master Plan verification and conceptual design was planned to model transparent decision-making and facilitated dialogue inorder to reinforce the value of multiple perspectives. Two dedicated groups of campus representatives were formed. The Steering Committee was the larger group and acted as a sounding board for the major milestones of the process. The Steering Committee included all department heads, faculty representatives, and student representatives in addition to the Work Group, which was the decision-making group comprised of school administrators and board members. This nested structure of dedicated participants heard each other’s major concerns and priorities and then worked together to determine criteria for making decisions. Other venues that were designed to increase campus-wide participation included: multiple all-school meetings and dialogue sessions; interviews with each department including the chair, faculty, and students; casual Open House events at the campus café to give progress updates and solicit input in one-on-one conversations between the design team and faculty, staff, and students; and a website forum – Mindmixer - designed to collect poll results, feedback on questions, and imagery of inspirational spaces from the entire campus population.

The feedback loop that informed the Master Plan verification process began with big picture questions about the state of the college and aspirations for its next achievements: • What makes KCAI distinctive?

• How can KCAI grow stronger?

• Which programs have the most potential for collaboration?

• How can this collaboration translate to increased influence of the arts in our urban environment? OR What are we doing to make the world a better place?

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The all-school gatherings to discuss these questions as well as the online forum brought to light some key areas of consensus. KCAI is perceived as distinctive because of its immersive arts education environment with strong liberal arts, highly successful practitioners, and a low student/teacher ratio. Its campus green is also a distinctive feature, compared with other art schools. The affordable while urbane environment and proximity to cultural anchors in the city and region were also seen as positive distinctions.

Input received on how KCAI can grow stronger included a need for equity of space and facilities among departments; providing neutral spaces to host visitors as well as hosting opportunities for collaboration among departments; establishment of a journal or annual publication to highlight faculty, alumni and student work; increased focus on research and partnerships with other institutions of higher learning nearby; and increased alumni involvement in career preparation and industry partnerships.

When asked about potential for collaboration, the resounding answer was that all departments have that potential to connect and collaborate, and in fact, already have processes embedded in their curricula and pedagogy that reinforce cross-department, or cross-media, work. Electives emerged as the key “connectors.�

Neutral spaces were suggested as collaborative vehicles for exhibits as well as serendipitous (and scheduled) encounters between staff, faculty and students from different departments.

The key points of agreement about how KCAI is making the world a better place focused on the outcomes of the educational process – KCAI is an incubator of thoughtful and creative problem-solvers. The Community Arts and Service Learning certificate program is also expanding the role that the arts play in community revitalization in our region and beyond. The campus challenges that were discussed most frequently were: an acute deficit of parking, safety concerns, and a lack of cultural diversity. Some opined that the college would be stronger with a Master of Fine Arts program.

These conversations framed the issues that were at the forefront of campuswide thinking, and set the stage to understand the difference in current pedagogy, department enrollment, and facility use compared to when the Master Plan was composed five years ago.

Big Question listening session, February 6, 2014

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Master Plan Update

The department interviews focused on specific pedagogical differentiators and similarities, as well as the assets and challenges of current facilities. These interviews helped to clarify the greatest needs on the campus as well as the current campus priorities compared to the priorities determined when the Master Plan was conceived.

Please see Appendix A for the major findings from each department interview. The common themes that came up in most, if not all, interviews were the following: • Many departments would like to have spaces dedicated to their curriculum (studios/classrooms/labs/shops).

• All work best with classroom/critique space separate from studio space.

• All would like to have exhibition space available for pedagogical use and also for sharing work with larger community.

• All would like gathering places to meet each other – faculty and students – and produce and show work together.

• Liberal Arts requires additional offices/private spaces to what they currently have on campus.

• For Liberal Arts and Printmaking, in particular, facilities are limiting their teaching and interaction with students.

• Digital media, Animation, and Game Design have great difficulty scheduling spaces they need to teach and produce work.

• The so-called applied arts do not desire to be separated from fine arts.

• There is an expressed need for better/safer pedestrian connections to all of the resources of the campus – Jannes, Art Space, Café Nerman.

• Parking and safety are major concerns for all.

• There is a perceived need for better coordinated communication between departments and between departments and administration.

• All see electives as the glue between departments.

• Many see value in increasing alumni program consistency and integration with internships, events, publications, and outreach.

Favorite spaces on campus, submitted by students, faculty and staff on Mindmixer site

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The fundamental differences between the Master Plan priorities and current priorities have to do with the number of students and how they populate the campus. While The Green is still a primary focus of campus life, it is no longer the geographical center of campus. With an Illustration Department located on 43rd Street that is attracting high numbers of students as well as a new facility for Fiber, just north of 43rd Street, and the Photography and Digital Filmmaking programs in the East Building, the critical mass of campus population is spreading north of The Green which insinuates an outward growing campus infrastructure and community impact, rather than one that focuses inward to the center as it did 5 years ago. Another primary difference between the Master Plan and current day is growth projections. The Master Plan projected nearly doubling the student population between 2008 and 2020, from 659 to 1240; and likewise increasing staff and faculty positions from 220 to 249. The period of time since the Master Plan has been one of economic downturn and subsequently lower enrollment. With some rebound on the horizon, and current enrollment at approximately the same place as 2008 numbers, the current goals are to stabilize the student population to between 750-800.

Based on the data collected from the campus walk-through, Work Group briefings, the Visioning Technology Workshop conducted by Sextant Group, and department interviews the design team defined four scenarios for a new building including renovation and reconfiguration of vacated space in existing buildings, shown on pages 6 - 8. The Steering Committee weighed in on the four options with a preference for the Scenario 1 (Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media + Liberal Arts + Neutral Space) and Scenario 3 (Foundation + Liberal Arts + Neutral Space). The group communicated a desire for neutral spaces that are specifically designed for their function, whether critique, gallery, meeting space, or classrooms, and agreed that generic flex space was inefficient and essentially unusable, or at least undesirable.

Scenario 1 Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media + Liberal Arts + Neutral Space Neutral Space proposed includes a Bookstore and space for all departments to use collaboratively

Scenario 1 Renovations A Foundation renovation (elect, lighting, storage) B Central Shop expansion C Printmaking expansion D Output center/Fab Lab expansion E Graphic Design expansion F Student Living Center renovation 6

Scenario 2 Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media + Neutral Space Neutral Space proposed includes a Bookstore and space for all departments to use collaboratively

Scenario 2 Renovations A Foundation renovation (elect, lighting, storage) B Central Shop expansion C Printmaking expansion D Liberal Arts move to East and Irving E Output center/Fab Lab expansion F Student Living Center renovation

Scenario 3 Foundation + Liberal Arts + Neutral Space Neutral Space proposed includes space for all departments to use collaboratively

Scenario 2 Renovations A parking structure on previous Foundation site KCAI MASTER PLAN UPDATE AND CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

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Scenario 4 Liberal Arts + Central Shop + Output Center + Neutral Space Neutral Space proposed includes a Bookstore and space for all departments to use collaboratively

Scenario 4 Renovations A Foundation renovation (elect, lighting, storage) B Printmaking expansion C Graphic design renovations D Media arts renovations E Student Living Center renovation

Steering Committee preferences were based on the desire to have the broadest impact for all departments and fix the most broken, especially those that have curriculum fragmented between several buildings. Of the departments currently working in space that has physical challenges, the Foundation department clearly has been struggling the longest. They have been housed in a temporary metal building for nearly 50 years, and while the building offers raw experimental space that is conducive to the pedagogy for the Foundation program, the facility is in bad condition. Continuing to repair the structure is not a wise investment. In weighing the many factors of selecting one scenario over another, the following criteria were established to guide decision-making on new and renovated space: Criteria from a teaching and learning perspective • Supports increased departmental equity • Supports immersive departmental pedagogy while providing structure for elective collaboration • Supports world connectivity and resource efficiency • Enables effective workflow transitions • Parking demand • Sense of community west of Warwick • Greatest impact on greatest number of student

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Criteria from a capital campaign perspective • Iconic building anchoring south edge of campus • Short-term and long-term affordability • Investing wisely (no more investment in current Foundation building) • Addressing remaining facility needs • Flexible enough to support collaboration today and tomorrow • State of the art – incorporating the latest technology used in other schools and the arts world, as well as modelling environmentally responsible principles • Supports growth of programs in demand • Supports attraction and retention of the best and brightest students and faculty • Transformative • Best prepares tomorrow’s creators to enter the local/national workforce.

The design team held an open house at Cafe Nerman to display progress and host questions one-on-one with the general campus community. Nearly 40 students, faculty, and staff came by to talk, leave comments and corrections to department information, and weigh in on the scenarios. Scenario 1 and 3 were the top choices in this setting as well. More attendees thought that the Liberal Arts Department and Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media Department would be good neighbors in a new building.

With the Liberal Arts and Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media programs emerging as the heart of a new building it will be critical to demonstrate how these departments, with neutral spaces, will impact Kansas City and our region. KCAI’s relevance lies in its ability to attract young, creative talent. With a brand new academic building and the latest technology, KCAI students will be prepared to find solutions that others couldn’t see – skills that are central to the artistic process and more needed than ever in our communities and businesses. KCAI creates Tomorrow’s Creators.

Open House conversation at Cafe Nerman, March 26, 2014

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VEGETATION

WATER FLOW

SETBACKS

UTILITIES

Site diagrams of existing conditions that inform the new building design

Conceptual Design

The Work Group decided to study preliminary square footage requirements for variations on both preferred scenarios to assure affordability prior to selecting one scenario. Meeting with each of the department heads about programming numbers, resulted in more specific draft programs that gave the Work Group greater confidence that a Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media and Liberal Arts scenario could be successfully achieved through shared program efficiencies.

The final scenario studies with preliminary programs and square footage were: 1. Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media and Liberal Arts with a large Black Box/Projection Room (seats 200) 46,400 gross square feet 2. Liberal Arts and Foundation with a large Black Box/Projection Room (seats 200) 44,100 gross square feet The overall preference from the Steering Committee, Work Group and informal Open House vote was for the Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media and Liberal Arts scenario based on: • Neighboring department compatibility, • Impact on the overall campus space use, • Compatibility with City priorities given the Mayor’s focus on technology and the arts as the engine of innovation and economic revitalization, and therefore • Fundraising feasibility The Work Group decided to focus on refining the Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media and Liberal Arts scenario for conceptual design, with the understanding that Foundation is in need of a new facility as soon as possible in implementing the campus master plan.

SCENARIOS STUDIED 1. Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media with Output Center and Graphic Design 49,181 square feet 2. Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media with Output Center and Neutral Space 46,590 square feet 3. Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media with Output Center and Liberal Arts 51,318 square feet 4. Liberal Arts, Neutral Space, and Foundation 49,181 square feet

44,100 square feet with focused interviews

5. Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media and Liberal Arts

46,400 square feet with focused interviews

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Design Workshop The design team facilitated a design workshop with Work Group members and Department Chairs to work through the major massing decisions, appropriate adjacent spaces, and possibilities for interdepartmentally shared spaces. The design team and members of school administration informed this conversation through sharing a number of studies, including: site and context considerations (such as topography, water drainage, infrastructure, pedestrian connections, setbacks, and architectural precedents of the campus and neighborhood), outcomes of the fundraising feasibility study, and potential technology options based on feedback from the technology workshop and classroom visits to provide for a collaborative and immersive experience for students and faculty (see Appendix B for Technology Report). The design team shared a number of ways that a building could occupy the site (see diagrams on page 13) and offered a few assumptions regarding campus and department priorities for the participants to discuss, outlined below in the questions and exercises.

The participants divided into two groups facilitated by design team members. Each group worked through the following questions and exercises and then reconvened to share observations.

1. Using the campus scale map, discuss which schemes or variations of schemes presented, align with the campus context and provide a strong first phase of campus improvements. Please consider: • Student flow from other campus buildings • Adjacencies • Frontage to right of way • In-between spaces to congregate and refresh • Topography and views • Vegetation conservation Discuss any other campus priorities that should inform the design process.

2. Review and discuss the program space attributes in your package (Daylight, Technology, Finishes, and Furniture) and verify or correct the assumptions.

3. Using the modelling blocks and site map provided, reference the Program Summary package to stack and organize the spaces with appropriate orientation for use. Work to achieve a 41,000 square foot building maximum. Consider any existing spaces on campus that may be used to fulfill program requirements for Media Arts and Liberal Arts. Consider shared spaces between programs. Work through at least three configurations and document each.

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Program blocks for Liberal Arts (blue) and Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media (red)

When the groups reconvened it was determined that the total square footage could be reduced by 3,710 square feet based on efficiencies discovered in sharing classrooms, using existing classroom spaces, and reducing the number of offices needed. This resulted in a new total square footage of 42,700. The Work Group agreed that this was a viable size given the budget established by the feasibility study. This budget includes the assumption that some renovation of existing buildings should be included along with the new construction.

One of the points of common interest between both groups was the design of a working courtyard space between the new building and the Painting Building. Reinforcing the pedestrian and visual connections to Jannes Library, the campus green, the park to the south, and the Nelson were also important to both groups. Using the sloping grade to embed the east end of the building seemed to provide logical opportunities to locate the Black Box theater and Gallery spaces which require a high degree of light control, access to a loading dock, and public accessibility on the east corner area.

Other workshop ideas that were developed further for the next Steering Committee meeting included creating visual access to process and work of KCAI, anchoring the corner as the first visitor experience of KCAI, creating a new level of public safety and recognition through visual connection, and addressing the water issue at this low spot on campus in a meaningful and productive way.

Steering Committee Meeting 2 The design team advanced the conceptual study of three schemes based on the Design Workshop outcomes and shared with the full Steering Committee. The criteria formulated to evaluate the design options were: • • • • • •

Anchoring the corner Campus connections Service access Transparency and interior circulation Public and private space Neutral space

These criteria were deemed to be equal in weight since each have both logistical and pedagogical implications. (i.e. service access also relates to a working courtyard or outdoor/informal workspace and collaboration spaces). The group participated in thoughtful dialogue about how the different schemes strengthen community connections through creating: gathering spaces, welcoming entries for students and public, and increased intentionality of pedestrian wayfinding and safety. On the following pages 14 - 16 the attributes of the three schemes are diagrammed.

Considerations for workshop: (top to bottom) Diagram of campus connections; Courtyard scheme; Gateway scheme; South plaza scheme

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Courtyard Conceptual Study

1. Extends into grove 2. Working courtyard 3. Anchors corner

Blue = Interior circulation and building transparency by level Green = Campus spaces

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Gateway Conceptual Study

1. Extends into grove 2. Service access 3. Corner setback

Blue = Interior circulation and building transparency by level Green = Campus spaces

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South Plaza Conceptual Study

1. Extends into grove 2. Service access 3. Corner setback/outdoor plaza/ outdoor screening

Blue = Interior circulation and building transparency by level Green = Campus spaces

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After the Steering Committee debated the merits and challenges of each scheme, the conversation focused on how best to engage the community, demonstrate the strength of KCAI’s programs and provide a new way to gather for students and visitors. Outdoor space on both the north and south sides of the building were deemed valuable for different groups and different activities. A working courtyard between the new academic building and the Painting Building provides neutral collaborative space for students as well as service access for loading and unloading for students, faculty, and facility management. A south plaza space provides a well-lit gathering space and a clear sense of entry for visitors arriving for a performance/show/screening/lecture at the theater space or gallery.

After an initial vote was taken on the three schemes there was a slight majority for the Courtyard scheme, but no resolution. Two additional schemes resulted from the conversation and were added to the vote. One was a diagonal scheme from the corner angling NW, holding the south lawn open as well as a triangle of working courtyard space opening widest at the entry along Oak. The other scheme was an open courtyard scheme extending into the grove on the west. Once these options were added to the vote, the open courtyard scheme won a decisive majority of favor both with the Steering Committee as sounding board, and with the Work Group as decision-making body.

The Work Group reinforced the need to consider safety principles, sight lines, and secure access to the building as well as pedestrian connections to the Jannes Library. This building should welcome the community to campus with an entrance on the west side to “catch” pedestrians on their way from the Kemper to the Nelson.

Water tends to collect in this low spot on campus, so designing an appropriate way to handle this water while encouraging better pedestrian connections is one of the key design challenges. It was also noted that this building should be clearly identified with KCAI signage for all pedestrians and drivers to see.

Open House 2 The second Open House event held at the Nerman Cafe on May 8, 2014 featured the studies of the Design Workshop and the outcomes of the Steering Committee Meeting. The design team welcomed faculty, staff and students to talk about their concerns and questions. One student held a concurrent session to ask the counterpoint, “What about saving Baty House?” She asked faculty, staff, and students to imagine the reuse of the campus building rather than its replacement with a new building. Her report on the history of the house, the family who bequeathed it, and argument for its importance to the campus may be found in Appendix C.

Proposed building organization (top to bottom): Department locations, Blue = Liberal Arts on the third floor, Red = Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media on the first and second floors; primary vertical circulation; primary anchor elements: Theater, Gallery, Media Center, Green Screen, Computer Labs

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The design team maintained that a new building will be a better use of resources to provide a high quality educational environment for the campus than restoring Baty House. However, the quaint and well-loved building has its charms, many of which can be carefully designed in a new home for Liberal Arts. The low teacher to student ratio is one of the key defining characteristics of KCAI, and intimate classrooms settings where meaningful dialogue can occur are a valuable part of that dynamic. The new academic building will have right-sized classrooms for Liberal Arts and Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media.

It will also have sound attentuated walls so that all rooms can be in use at the same time without sound interruptions between rooms. We heard from both departments that natural light is highly desirable in every classroom, though it is also necessary to be able to control the light so as to maintain high legibility of projection on a screen - both in Art History classes and in Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media classes.

Baty House modelled excellent indoor/outdoor transitional spaces with its summer and winter side porches and welcoming front porch. Likewise, the conceptual design for the new academic building follows the same principles of orientation on the site and connection to the wider community. The west end of the building cantilevers over a porch area. Louvers shade the west end of the building and enclose a balcony on the third floor that extends into the canopy of trees. On the ground plane, a boardwalk connects the campus paths to the new building entrance and leads the way south to the Library and east to the working courtyard. Native plants grow in the sculpted rain gardens that are planted beside the boardwalk and in front of the new building. Low stone walls that provide seating at the south plaza echo the feel and look of the surrounding landscape features of the park, museum, and neighborhood.

The following imagery tells the story of a day-in-the-life of the new academic building for Liberal Arts and Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media. The department specific spaces continue the tradition of immersive arts education, while the neutral spaces found in the Theater and Gallery as well as the outdoor spaces of the working courtyard and South Plaza, welcome students and faculty from all departments as well as visitors from all of Kansas City.

Site plan at Oak and 45th Street

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Existing aerial view

Aerial view with new academic building

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View of the new academic building from Warwick Boulevard at 45th Street looking northeast in the morning.

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Section perspective looking west and cutting through the east end of the building showing the theater and gallery on the ground floor, offices on the second floor and the Media Center and photography classroom on the third floor.

Section perspective looking west and cutting through the south plaza, main entrance, third floor south porch, main stair, and working courtyard.

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Section perspective looking west and cutting through the central space of the building, pin up critique spaces, primary circulation, casual meeting space, and the working courtyard.

Section perspective looking west and cutting through the west end of the building showing classroom spaces (red = Photography, Filmmaking, Animation, & Digital Media; blue = Liberal Arts), circulation, the rain garden, and the working courtyard.

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View of the new academic building from Oak Street at 45th Street looking northwest at dusk.

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Next Steps

McCown Gordon accomplished an estimate of probable cost for the conceptual design. The Board of Trustees and Facilities Committee will discuss the budget and next steps for fundraising. The fundraising team will utilize the data and imagery from this report and process to create collateral materials to inform potential donors.

A question for the KCAI Facilities Committee to explore is the level of sustainability certification that they would like to achieve with the new academic building. The conceptual design for the new building adheres to passive solar design principles for appropriate orientation and site design, so this design is already well suited to be developed to be a high performance building using simple technology and strategies. Some of the next steps are to determine KCAI’s drivers for sustainability choices and the rating system or target the KCAI would like to use for next phases of work. Drivers might be energy and water savings, an improved environment for human health and wellbeing, or it may be to attract and retain students who are concerned about climate protection and the stewardship of natural resources. Daylight, good indoor air quality, and control over thermal comfort have impact on the health of occupants, on cognitive development, on recruiting, retention and productivity of occupants, and on the critical visual acuity that impacts the work occurring in campus buildings.

In addition to sizing mechanical systems for maximum efficiency and optimizing the building’s thermal and daylight performance, KCAI’s master plan states an interest in developing opportunities to use solar and wind energy generation at each building as appropriate, and to design for reuse of heat from equipment or other sources of initial energy use. These practices can be incrementally employed on existing buildings as well as new. First loads and energy demands may be reduced, and then new technology may be used appropriately.

As a first step, the design team recommended that the campus utilize the Energy Star Target Finder program to help establish appropriate regional benchmarks for KCAI buildings, and then to enter annual utility data into the free and confidential Energy Star Portfolio Manager online tool. An architect and engineer could review the audit work KCAI has completed and conduct a walkthrough of facilities to discover low-cost and high impact changes that could improve performance and garner energy/water savings quickly. Using this process the Portfolio Manager Program can be used to gain an Energy Star Rating for buildings as they are updated to meet minimum energy standards. This program is a way for facilities staff to track ongoing improvements over time, to set improvement goals, and to receive an industry-recognized certification. This is a step to creating a clearer and more detailed case for sustainable campus practices and protocol in KCAI’s master plan and the capital campaign. Later steps could include developing a set of standards for building materials (interior and exterior) that do not off gas or absorb harmful chemicals, are durable, and have low embodied energy for maintenance and reusability. These standards can continue to guide renovation and redevelopment work on campus over time.

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APPENDIX A: Department Interviews

FOUNDATION

PAGE 30

LIBERAL ARTS PAGE 31 PRINTMAKING

PAGE 32

PHOTOGRAPHY/DIGITAL FILMMAKING/ANIMATION/DIGITAL MEDIA

PAGE 33

SCULPTURE PAGE 34 GRAPHIC DESIGN

PAGE 35

ILLUSTRATION PAGE 36 FIBER PAGE 37 CERAMICS PAGE 38 PAINTING PAGE 39 CONTINUING & PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

PAGE 40

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FOUNDATION

Brett Reif, Caleb Taylor, Noah Geiger 11 full time faculty, 7 tenured plus 1 director, 4 non-tenured 180-200 students per year (currently 153) 5 sections a.m. 5 sections p.m.

11,100 sf

What’s working • • •

Highly versatile large classrooms with no genre or media specificity.

The classes can enable 2D, 3D, Design, photo, computer or 4D genres.

The spaces are “well used” that do not scare the students from making their artwork

What’s not working • • • • • • • • •

Plumbing – too few sinks and bathrooms Lack of lighting control Temperature fluctuations Leaking and flooding issues Intermittent access to wi-fi and classrooms lacking technology Electrical problems – not enough outlets, and frequently trip circuit breaker Lacking storage for interdisciplinary curriculum Lacking meeting spaces for faculty and students The building doesn’t tell the story of an institution “on the cutting edge” or curriculum that emphasizes care and craft, quality and content

Opportunities • •

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Common gathering space and gallery Centralized output center

LIBERAL ARTS

Phyllis Moore, Michele Fricke, Ryan Shrum 31 faculty, 6 tenured, 5 tenure track, 20 part time Currently serving 678 students at all levels 9,700 sf

What’s working • • • •

Small classrooms (seating 20-30) Natural light and lighting control Proximity to slide library Charm, history, respect for environment

What’s not working • • • •

Availability of classrooms Acoustics Office space for 20 lecturers and meeting space Physical problems with Baty – brown recluse spiders, leaking, temperature, box elder insects

Opportunities • •

Dedicated place for three programs to meet and hold programs – opportunity for growth Acoustically pure projection room

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PRINTMAKING

Miguel Rivera, Laura Berman, Zophia 2.5 faculty 35 students – 8 soph, 17 juniors, 10 seniors 6,500 sf

What’s working • •

Talented motivated students and faculty “Printmaking is the synthesizer”

What’s not working • • • • •

Classroom and critique space –designed for 27, have 40+ Faculty offices Archive – teaching collection, needs space like ceramics Shared studio spaces Facility limits teaching and output; no room for large media format or 3-D work

Opportunities • • • • •

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Shared fabrication lab, and photo lab – proposal included Shared large gallery space for senior summit Shared space for performance art and music Collaboration with Ceramics, Fiber, Sculpture, Graphic Design and Liberal Arts – Papermaking home?

Printed catalogue of student work to share with larger community

PHOTOGRAPHY, FILMMAKING, ANIMATION, AND DIGITAL MEDIA

Tom Lewis, John Baker, Doug Hudson, Tori Meyers, Johanna Kelly, 13 faculty - Photo: 1.5 full time, 2 part time, Film: 4 full time; Animation: 4 full time, 1 part time; Digital Media: 0 Currently serving 62 Soph, 43 Juniors, 38 Seniors and 103 in electives 12,440 sf

What’s working • • •

Dedicated print and video/film editing are musts Educational lab Output center (with additional technicians)

What’s not working • • • • • •

Classroom scheduling Need dedicated studio space adjacent to production space Temperature and humidity No ADA access Noise attenuation Need production spaces adjacent to studio spaces: daylight studios, green screen, stop motion, sound isolation, projection mapping, modelling rooms with ventilation)

Opportunities • • • •

Black box theater – flex space Student gallery space Rooftop court Model sustainability

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SCULPTURE

Michael Wickerson, Jill Downen, Siara Berry, Janelle Ketcher, Michael Ingersoll 3 full time, 2 part time 37 students – 12 soph, 16 juniors, 9 seniors

What’s working •

Foundry – needs updates and enclosed protection

What’s not working • • • • • • •

Lack of critique and exhibit space Need dedicated studio space – in equity between departments Proper ventilation and climate control Obsolete dangerous equipment should be removed Maintenance and replacement of old equipment with high quality new equipment Outdoor space Access to video and performance spaces

Opportunities • • • • • •

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Shared digital production facilities (+ CNC and 3-d printing) Shared exhibition, critique, and meeting space Research and development 10% for arts – “bank” the work for new building High performance building Collaborative elective development

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Tyler Galloway, Michael Kidwell, Monica Roesner 4 full time faculty Currently serving 19 Soph, 11 Juniors, 13 Seniors 5,000 sf

What’s working • • •

Separate studio for each level with pinnable walls Production room for photo, letterpress, spray booth, cutting Community outreach

What’s not working • • • •

Separate area for presentation and critique Very separate from other departments – would like to increase diversity of feedback Integrated technology in all spaces On a 3-3-3 schedule, different from most departments

Opportunities • • • • •

Exhibit space Shared critique space Shared fabrication space Space for food preparation Common spaces for faculty

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ILLUSTRATION

Steve Mayse, John Ferry, Kate Dittmann - soph 5 full time faculty, 8-10 adjunct 30 – 35 students each level – 100 total 7,500 sf

What’s working • • • • • •

Flex space for large gatherings Common shared production space Office space Ventilated space Multidisciplinary pedagogy and rigor Visiting artists and internship/mentorship

What’s not working • • •

Classroom space and noise attenuation Departmental inequity in sharing space with CPS HVAC and lighting control

Opportunities • • • •

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Shared lecture space Digital labs and archive processes Demonstration spaces Additional activities off-campus and in the community

FIBER

Pauline Verbeek-Cowart, Kim, Maria, Megan 3 full time, 2 part time 40 students – 11 soph, 12 juniors, 17 seniors

What’s working • • •

Dedicated quiet space LCD screens in each classroom Stable wifi connection in each classroom for productive workflow

What’s not working • • • • •

Storage for equipment and supplies Reconfiguring classrooms each semester Require stable wifi connection in each classroom for productive workflow Security Distance from Library

Opportunities • • • • • •

Create videos for support material in order to focus classtime on one-on-one interactions Collaborative events and projects Papermaking (Printmaking and Illustration would like to use as well) Common computer lab and photo studio with a dedicated technicians Common student and faculty gathering spaces North facing classrooms in Irving – great light!

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CERAMICS

Cary Esser, George Timock, Christen Baker, Ross Redmon, Morgan Hageman, Melanie Sherman 3 full time, 1 tech, 2 adjuncts 42 students – 11 soph, 21 juniors, 10 seniors 21,000 sf

What’s working • • • • •

Dedicated studio space Focus and rigor in conceptual and formal development, research, and professionalism Equipment and facilities are adequate to excellent Electives bring other students in Internship and strong community support for students

What’s not working • • • •

Need flex space for critiques, exhibition, and digital instruction Old kiln room is unusable – need plaster lab, glaze equip, storage, media area, office Eco disposal of clay and glaze Space for critiques, presentations, informal and formal installation space

Opportunities • • •

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Integrated elective development between departments One location for all 3-D modelling and classes (Fab lab) Shared critique and exhibition space

PAINTING

Warren Rosser, Jonah Criswell, Fred 6 full time faculty 83 students 30,0000 sf

What’s working: • • • • •

Circulation from Baty Exhibition space Dedicated studio spaces Messy rooms for experimentation Form follows function

What’s not working: • •

There is not currently a focus on social practice – major shift in arts education Alumni involvement

Opportunities: • • • •

Shared digital shop Faculty space to come together Shared critique and exhibition spaces Journal to highlight accomplishments – alum, faculty, students

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CONTINUING & PROFESSIONAL STUDIES Tabitha Schmidt, Megan Hanna, Kelsey Pike, Wes Benson, Leila Hybl, Cambria Potter, Krystal Kuhn, Ari Fish, Sonya Garrett 200 + part time faculty 3200 + students per year (ages 6 – 100)

What’s working • • • •

Dedicated building for department (108 E. 43rd and in Riverside) Student teachers Pulling in 30% of full time student body regionally – need to track results Alumni teachers and staff (50%)

What’s not working • • • • •

Classroom access – formalize process to use spaces across school Parking Security for minors Ventilation for painting and other chemical classes Lighting control

Opportunities • • • • •

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Shared critique and large meeting spaces Community center Ambassador program Storefront Art Store – open summer hours Mobile teaching and science integration

APPENDIX B: Technology Report

INTRODUCTION

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PROGRAM STRATEGY

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AUDIOVISUAL REQUIREMENTS PAGE 44 PHYSICAL SECURITY

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APPENDIX B2: OPINION OF PROBABLE COST PAGE 53

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APPENDIX C: Student Baty House Report

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Introduction

The following research is a result of historical curiosity motivated by the potential destruction of the home at of 320 East 45th Street. Know as The Baty House by the Kansas City Art Institute community and as 320 to the immediate Baty family, this home’s history and importance to the surrounding community and Kansas City at large has not been recognized or explored by the Institute. This foundational research aims, first and foremost, to shed light on the history of a beloved piece of the KCAI campus. It also aims to raise questions amongst the students, faculty, and staff about what constitutes an important landmark and who is creating or enforcing those standards.

Due to minimal archiving and documentation of the Baty House, all source material within this research is from interviews and conversations conducted by myself and my collaborator, Haley Treadwell. The utter lack of archival information to be found, both within the institution and without, was startling to say the least. It is my hope that this document will plant seeds for both the future investigation and preservation of Baty House and its’ history.

Janelle Ketcher 2014

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Lee Baty and Kathryn McCormick’s wedding photo taken during WW1 KCAI MASTER PLAN UPDATE AND CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

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History of Ownership and Baty Family Biography

The following information was gathered from interviews and email correspondences between Mary Bridget Katofil and Judge John R O’Malley; Baty family members who grew up in the house as children.

The Baty House was purchased by Lee and Kathryn (Kate) Baty in 1935 from Mr. Snyder who built the home in 1921. They acquired the home cheaply during the depression because Mr. Snyder was an investor. The three-story home, in its present condition, is unique for its quality construction, high ceilings, large rooms, sleeping porches and location across the street from the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and its incorporation into the KCAI campus. It was purchased by the school in 1984 and has since been referred to as The Baty House by faculty and students. In its earlier days, the third floor of the home had a complete kitchen, living room and 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths. Mary Kathryn Baty O’Malley, daughter to Kate and Lee, lived there while her husband J.F. completed his residency at KU Med Center. During that time five of her seven children lived there as well. The house was said to be truly alive with the breath of friends and family of all ages.

Mrs. Baty always kept a staff around to help with the constant stream of visitors to the house. Two sisters, Verona and Lenora Savage, served as cooks and housekeepers and were long time friends of the Baty family. From time to time, numerous other individuals were said to have helped maintain the house and the grounds. The Batys employed many individuals over the years during lean times, regardless of race or background.

In the late 30’s and 40’s, many large parties were held at the home including a wedding in 1938 of Kate’s sister Beatrice. Both Kate and Lee were reared in Parsons, Kansas and moved to Kansas City when Lee at age 40 went to work for the Nelly Don dress factory owned by Kate’s aunt, Nell Donnelly Reed. Kate and Lee moved into the 45th street home with their four children (Ed, John, Mary Kathryn and Louise) then aged 19, 17, 15 and 13 respectively. Kate, a former silent film pianist, often played the grand piano in the living room while the main hallway rug was rolled up for dancing. The library that connected the living room was furnished with red leather furniture and was where the family usually gathered.

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During World War II, there were frequently boarders in need of temporary lodging who would pass through Southmoreland. These people were said to have been welcomed with open arms into the Baty House. All members of the Baty family consistently displayed this sort of generosity. Kate’s brother John at age 60 moved into the home in the late 50’s. Empathetic and compassionate to drifters and homeless people, he was know to dole out food and money to anyone down on their luck who knocked on the door. Mary Bridget, the daughter of Mary Kathryn, remembers riding her bike as a child on the KCAI campus and seeing the artists at work in their studio.

As times and culture changed, so too did the Baty house. As more and more people owned cars, the single-lane driveway became insufficient. With so many family members and visitors, a parking pad was added to the property to allow more space. This ensured that Lee had a place to park his car, despite the many guests passing through the long driveway entry running east to north.

An unwritten agreement was later formed with KCAI that allowed the Baty’s to use the KCAI parking lane at night.

In the 50’s and 60’s, the east screened-in porch was used for listening to ballgames, birdwatching and summer relaxation. The west porch was used in the spring for card playing and board games. The Batys belonged to St. Francis Xavier parish. Lee was a member of the Plaza Rotary Club and Kathryn belonged to several women’s groups including retired friends of Nelly Don. They were known for their generosity to employees, extended family, anyone in need. In their senior years, much of their time was spent with family that grew to include 16 grandchildren who always felt welcome to drop by for a visit if only briefly. Lee died in 1977 at the age of 85 and Kate died in 1982 at 90. An amazing couple who lived long, full lives, Kathryn and Lee Baty are buried in Calvary Cemetery at 68th & Troost in Kansas City, Missouri just to the right of the main gate.

Kratofil, Mary Bridget. Interview with Janelle Ketcher. Personal, May 2nd, 2014.

O’Malley, Judge John R. Interview with Janelle Ketcher. Personal, May 6th, 2014.

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Lee and Kathryn with their children outside of their home in the 1940s

Call and Response The following green quotations are sentiments and information pertaining to the Baty house and related topics from various students, faculty, and staff of the Kansas City Art Institute. The italicized statements in pink are my educated and observational responses.

“Home built as a triangle area, psychically active, and is close to The Nelson” These attributes are what attracted the architects to this location at 320 East 45th Street. For this reason, having a home at this location embraces the Institute’s connection to the community; a relationship we want to support within the traditional architecture of the neighborhood.

“What are the benefits of holding on to this building? We’d lose the history. We’ve torn down a lot of buildings. The Donaldson House was torn down. We are an art school with beautiful old architecture which we can work with. For example, the library” How a community connects to history is easily accessible through visual and tangible architecture. In what ways have we positively affected the neighborhood by preserving Mineral Hall and Vanderslice? As noted in the preface, no visible attempts have been made to find the history and importance of The Baty House, thus it becomes easy to shrug off. A main question asked by BNIM has been, “What makes KCAI unique?” which is simply answered by the fact that no other campus will have a Baty House.

Conservation of old architecture is a conservation of the history that makes KCAI grounded in the Southmoreland and KC community. The range of architecture on campus, not just modern structures, shows the diversity and range KCAI’s studio practices from traditional painting to new technologies like the CNC router.

“Money we don’t have” Might we consider what happened to Cooper Union who spent over 160 million on their 41 Cooper Academic Building, sold off all their rentable land, and now has tuition after years of being free for admitted students. Please see Felix Salmon’s Why Cooper Union Cannot Be Trusted article on how Cooper Union’s own Master Plan has dramatically and negatively affected their institution. When raising money, the attitudes toward a renovation of Baty House would encourage campus and neighborhood pride in preserving our unique qualities.

“Far from ideal but workable” It’s true, the Baty House does not offer all of the space the BNIM surveys tell us we need. It is also true that much of the space is not utilized, including some basement space and the porches. With the land surrounding the house, there are opportunities to expand. Thinking about the location as a connection between the 3 art institutions in Southmoreland, turning the building into a student union and gallery space with a more up-to-date coffee house would encourage the entire neighborhood to be apart of KCAI. KCAI MASTER PLAN UPDATE AND CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

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Now (Top-2014) and Then (Bottom-Undated)

“Classes need to be small, we bargain away our best feature if we make big classes” When we expand the scale of our class rooms we sacrifice the quality of learning. The small rooms of Baty House set limits for classrooms unlike the rooms under Vanderslice Hall; it would be valuable to survey student’s learning experiences in the different spaces. I believe that students would say the smaller rooms in Baty motivate conversation and create stronger relationships within the class than that of the larger classrooms.

“When we acquired property the Institute questioned: tear down or refurbish. Originally Baty was converted $300,000” What to do with the place has always been lofty therefore the Institute never seriously invested in renovation (rather than refurbish). I suspect construction on the Baty has always been bandages rather than refining the potential of the building.

“101 was going to be a seminar room but never became one because the scheduling and need for utility killed the idea. National union catalog in room 101 are useless and should be thrown out” By utilizing this space as it was originally intended, as a seminar or lounge, the bookshelves of 101 could be filled with the liberal arts’ book collection, there could be a book exchange, and writings from faculty and students would bring the Liberal Arts department together in a central, convenient, and welcoming space.

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Prepared for KCAI by BNIM, 106 W. 14th Street, Suite 200, Kansas City, MO 64105