Small Town Stewardship - Design for the Campestral by Marissa Miller

Small Town Stewardship: Design for the Campestral Department of Architecture College of Architecture, Planning, + Design Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS ÂŠ Small Town Studio. Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS All rights reserved. Image on following page by Wesley Gross.

Campestral kam - pes - truh

of or pertaining to fields or open country.

Preface

54 River Street

Small Town Studio

River Street Market

A Text for Study: Survival of Rural America

54Adams

SEED Conference

Marfa Case Study

Kansas City Conference

Studio Field Trip

Eureka

Fall River

Connectivity

Master Plan

Main Street Green Loop

Bike Building

Fall River Event Center

Cabins

102

Campground

Bike Lane

Greenwood County Courthouse Plaza

Identity, Connection, Affluence

110

Main Street

166

Jamestown

112

Comprehensive Plan

168

JUMP UP

Beautification and Economic Redevelopment

128

New Metropolitan Hotel

138

Founding Stone Townhomes

146

154 160

Pioneer Post Business Incubator

Farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Market, Tailwind Pole Vault Club

178

Blue Rapids

180

Urban Revival

186

Harmony House

196

Steps Forward

200

Reflections

204

Bibliography

Eureka Bench Project Gallery M

Walking Trail, Jamestown Pavilion,

Preface: A Basis for Work

The goal of the Small Town Studio of the Department of Architecture is to engage rural communities across Kansas with student-generated design and visualization services. Small rural towns are in general relatively underserved contexts for design services; architects, designers, and planners, however, are often integral to fostering community vitalization. It is in this gap between need and available service that the Small Town Studio operates. The Small Town Studio has provided design services to six Kansas communities. Last year, work was done with Cuba, Pittsburg and Colby. Jamestown and Blue Rapids are under study this academic year. Since its inception, the Studio has partnered prominently with the city of Eureka, where more than a dozen projects have been pursued.

Small Town Stewardship| Preface

The objectives of the Studio – immersion of students in a small town context, exposure of students to the realities of project definition and management, address of issues facing small towns, and the realization of both tangible and intangible outcomes for these towns – are high. A tripartite partnership was conceived to achieve these complex issues. Small towns, the first party in this arrangement, are eager for an infusion of new ideas. The towns the Studio has addressed to date have seen very little new planning, building design, or construction in decades. As the student research herein will attest, this lack of design is due to and also plays a part in a number of endemic issues, from health to depopulation. This doesn’t mean that these communities are merely recipients of the Studio’s efforts. Community partners provide a currency of knowledge and nuance that cannot be found in clinical research. Stakeholder groups in each town help students to frame their projects and provide a sounding board for student ideas, enhancing projects and allowing students a place to develop interactive skills that will be of immense help to nascent design professionals. Design students gain valuable experience in applying their design efforts in these contexts. Architecture students benefit from exposure to real-world dynamics such as community and client interaction, consensus building, and project management skills. K-State is an excellent resource for research, where students can apply focused study under faculty guidance. The Studio, situated in the interdisciplinary College of Architecture, Planning and Design, allows students to ratify design concepts with landscape architects, planners, and product designers. Architecture students have the time, energy, and motivation to take the lead on the “soft” front-end exercises that do not generally have fees attached (visualization, consensus-building, research, grant-seeking, etc) and in so doing can help to generate funded projects that working professionals can take on. The third group is the design profession itself. The aim of the Studio is not to be the sole agent in the prosecution of identified projects. The purpose of academic work in the field is experiential learning, and this setting does not lend itself well to many procedures involved in building construction projects. Architects, developers, and contractors, on the other hand, are experienced in and willing to deal with scheduling, budgeting, permitting, assuming liability, and finalizing projects. This model utilizes each type of organization to the best of its abilities and simultaneously maximizes benefits. The end result is a managed system of engagement, development, and execution of projects that forward the interests of the citizens of small town Kansas.

Preface | Small Town Stewardship

Small Town Studio “Real design for real people” The Small Town Studio is a graduate architecture design studio from Kansas State University focusing on the health and revitalization of rural towns in Kansas. The studio’s mission is to provide a unified vision for rural communities that facilitates economic and social development through design. As a studio, we have focused a great deal of our work on the concept of grassroots design (based on the ideas of public interest design and inspired by the SEED network), working together with community members and stakeholders, as well as professors and professional organizations, in order to create designs that accurately reflect the needs and wants of each community we interact with. It is the belief of our studio that design, implemented on a small scale and closely tied to the wants and needs of the population that it serves, can act to reverse the trend of population decrease in rural America. The Small Town Studio began as an experiment by Professor Todd Gabbard in the Fall of 2012 with a group of 5th year graduate students. In this inaugural year, the studio focused primarily on the city of Eureka, KS, but also spread its influence into the small towns of Cuba, Colby, and Pittsburg, all three also in Kansas. At this time, the Eureka Studio was formed as a subset of the

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Eureka Foundation in order to work more closely with the town and receive assistance implementing designs. At the end of that academic year, three graduates of the studio made the decision to carry on with their work in the city of Eureka and formed the design firm, the Rural Design Mob. In the time that they have been there, they have expanded the influence of the Eureka Studio and have set it up for nonprofit status under the umbrella of the Eureka Studio. In this, its second year, the Small Town Studio works with the Eureka Studio and Foundation, which act as facilitators in the town for student design and research.

The 2013-2014 Small Town Studio. From left to right: R Todd Gabbard, Jamie Michel, Wesley Gross, Tonya Stock, Anthony Winkelmann, Marissa Miller, Joh McLaughlin, Allison Parr, Bryce Cummings, Christy Phelps, and Ramin Mahmoudian. Image courtesy of Meredith Dabney

Mission In this second year as a design studio, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done our best to continue the mission of our founding, to: 1) foster sustainable community growth, involvement, and education through planning and design; 2) improve the overall health, social function and civic pride of communities; 3) build community vision, identity, and branding that citizens, visitors, and new residents can relate to; 4) repurpose and enhance existing infrastructure in order to maintain a communities historical identity and instill a new perspective on its future and potential; 5) introduce pedestrian-level connectivity throughout a community, including improved sidewalk networks and dedicated bicycle zones. This year, we have focused on all scales of design in three different rural towns, be it overall community planning, adaptive re-use of existing structures, or new construction in Eureka, Blue Rapids, or Jamestown. 21 Projects were completed during the 2013-2014 academic year and will be discussed further in this book. These projects include:

Eureka Projects Eureka Connectivity Bike Lanes Main Street Green Loop Greenwood Courthouse Plaza River Street Development Master Plan River Street Market Trade School Housing Fall River Redevelopment Master Plan Treedecks Amphitheater Paul Jones Event Space Bike Shop Cabins Campground Main Street Economic Revitalization Comprehensive Plan New Metropolitan Hotel Founding Stone Townhomes Pioneer Post Business Incubator Eureka Bench Project Gallery M Marshall Outdoor Learning Jamestown Projects Walking Trail Jamestown Pavilion Tailwind Pole Vault Club Blue Rapids Projects Connectivity Affordable Housing

Preface | Small Town Stewardship

A Text for Study: Survival of Rural America One of Small Town Studio’s first steps in their research endeavors was to read Survival of Rural America: Small Victories and Bitter Harvests by Richard E. Wood. The book is an excellent resource that describes the rise, fall, and future of rural communities in the United States. Using statistics, studies, diagrams, and examples, Wood outlines how rural populations have steadily declined since the early 1900s, strategies for revival, and potential policy options to encourage growth. Focusing on Kansas, the book was a perfect tool to introduce the studio to the concerns in the bucolic areas in which they engaged their skills as emerging professionals. Many of the problems Small Town Studio addressed are mentioned in the book, with two major goals being growth and economic revitalization through attracting visitors and new community members. Case studies of towns throughout Kansas show the strategies rural communities have used to meet their specific needs and their varying levels of success or failure.

Economic Catalysts Economic development is a common issue addressed by Small Town Studio’s designs and is mentioned throughout Wood’s text. One strategy he mentions

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is the creation of economic development funds in order to implement programs to attract businesses. “Top-down” approaches to attract big businesses typically fail, while “bottom-up” strategies succeed by targeting small businesses and those owned by families with small children. Incentives employed by these programs often include access to loans, tax deductions, opportunities for debt reduction, and free land. Many of the case studies in Survival of Rural America use these strategies, as do Small Town Studio projects through master and economic planning. Since the focus of the studio is on architectural design, economic development ideas are transferred into the creation of buildings and amenities that could spring from the implementation of these programs. The structures proposed by the studio can house businesses and activities that catalyze economic growth (Wood). One case study features Plainville, a town which depends heavily on a thriving furniture business, DessinFournir, for economic support and as a career attraction for young people. In Eureka, the Invena Corporation, a company that designs and fabricates equipment, fills this role. The owners of both of these businesses grew up in the towns they’ve chosen as their headquarters in hopes to bring talent and financial support to their communities (Wood). Relationships between successful business people and rural towns are beneficial for both parties, as

The DessinFournir headquarters in Plainville, Kansas is an example of a business that provides economic vitality to a rural community. Image by Hope Hamashige.

The Invena Corporation in Eureka, Kansas is housed in an old train station. Image by www.eurekakansas.com.

Dinsmoor’s Garden of Eden in Lucas, Kansas started the town’s appreciation for grassroots art. Image by midwesternmantra.com.

described by Chuck Comeau, owner of DessinFournir, “People thought I was crazy, but it turned out to be the best thing that could have happened” (Wood). While bringing economic vitality to these towns, the businesses enjoy lower costs for labor, rent, and taxes, as well as access to employees with a good work ethic and desire to stay with the company on a long-term basis. Small towns typically have fewer business regulations than urban areas, which makes operating on a daily basis easier (Wood). Stories such as those of DessinFournir and Invena present examples of how a single person or business can have a great impact toward shaping the future of a town by curbing or even reversing the pattern of decay.

Purple Cows A theory that many Small Town Studio members integrated into their work is that of the “purple cow.” In his book Purple Cow, Seth Godin claims that people are likely to overlook something ordinary like a brown cow, while their attention is drawn to something astonishing, like a purple cow (Wood). Transferred to small town revitalization, the idea is that there needs to be something special in a community in order for it to survive. When describing this theory’s use in rural Kansas, Comeau says, “These places need something special to attract some attention and give people a reason to take a look at them.” A purple cow can be anything from art, landscapes, ethnic

heritage, and rare attractions (Wood ). Lucas is an example of a town that embodies the purple cow theory as a haven for grassroots art. Also known as folk art, the genre denotes any type of art made by those who have never had any formal training. The tradition in Lucas was started by Samuel P. Dinsmoor who created the “Garden of Eden,” a collection of reinforced concrete structures around his house depicting stories in the Bible. Dinsmoor’s works attracted other grassroots artists and the town established the Grassroots Art Center which houses pieces by many artists. A big part of Lucas’ identity is drawn from the grassroots art craze, which has sparked growth in other ways, such as the revival of the Isis theater and the desire to reopen the old Lucas Hotel (Wood 112-119). Purple cows come in countless forms and Lucas is just one of many towns employing this strategy.

Inspiration While Small Town Studio researched rural communities in a myriad of ways, Survival of Rural America provided a necessary foundation for their activities. The themes and case studies in the book were used as insight for design solutions in the studio’s projects, both directly and subconsciously. With this background reading, the studio was able to better appreciate the condition of the rural areas they worked in and were inspired to influence the heart of small town America through design.

Preface | Small Town Stewardship

SEED Conference On September 18th, the Public Interest Design Institute (PIDI) visited Kansas City, MO through the collaboration of Design Corps and the SEED Network for a two-day conference. Public interest designer and founder of Design Corps Bryan Bell was the academic leader of the session, and offered participants SEED instruction and certifications during the conference. “The SEED Network is a collective of practitioners, activists, and theorists devoted to collaborative, communitybased design… a ‘more holistic ethic for building.’” (AIA Newsletter, Spring 2007) Public interest design addresses architectural needs beyond the building envelope to consider social, economic, and environmental decisions within the design process, with an emphasis on client and community engagement. Thanks to the endorsement of Dean Tim deNoble of Kansas State University’s College of Architecture, Planning, and Design, the Small Town Studio was able to attend the PIDI to supplement their collaboration with rural communities throughout Kansas. Designers such as bcWORKSHOP, Jill Kurtz, BNIM, and Gail Vittori discussed the challenges and opportunities discovered when working on a public interest design projects of varying scales, allowing participants to examine real examples of social, economic, and environmental design. The Small Town Studio particularly enjoyed the Congo Street Initiative 12

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project presented by Benje Feehan of bcWORKSHOP in Dallas, Texas. The project highlighted the interaction between the designers and community, illustrating how direct communication with the users could lead to a more successful design solution. Concepts of residency and community pride directed bcWORKSHOP’s design solutions to include a “holding house” that provided temporary housing for Congo Street residents while their individual homes were under construction.

“The SEED Network is a collective of practitioners, activists, and theorists devoted to collaborative, community-based design… a ‘more holistic ethic for building.’” -AIA Newsletter

Small Town Studio professor Todd Gabbard listening thoughtfully as BNIM Architects present the Bancroft School Redevelopment Project. Image by PIDI.

The SEED Network logo graphically communicates the commitment to social, economic, and environmental impacts of design projects. Image by The SEED Network.

The Small Town Studio was able to draw inspiration from the Public Interest Design Institute conference through the people and projects presented in order to implement social, economic, and environmental design solutions into their academic projects. At the conclusion of the conference, the members of Small Town Studio participated and received SEED Certification to reinforce the value of sensitive designs, and to offer some authority on the subject for the future.

As students, the Studio will implement these considerations into academic designs early in the design process, but also in oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career as a design professional.

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Marfa, Texas For many, the trip to Marfa is a type of pilgrimage. The destination is validated by the cruelty of the journey. After 14 hours of driving, through the mesquite and rust of west Texas, the Small Town Studio arrived in the small, dusty town. 50 miles north of the Mexican border, the town of 1800 could easily be overlooked on a regional map. So why do wealthy and cultured patrons travel thousands of miles, across deserts and oceans, to visit Marfa, Texas? For the first 90 years of existence, Marfa served as a watering stop for the railroad and subsequently an army base, though it was closed after World War 2. In the early 1970’s, Donald Judd, a successful minimalist sculptor fed up with the pretensions of the New York City art scene, moved to the town and bought several disused hangar buildings in the smaller adjacent community of Chinati. He would later fill the buildings with his iconic milled aluminum sculptures, polished to capture the light and landscape through the bay windows. Eventually Judd bought the entire DA Russell Army base and made it his home, studio, and perpetual exhibit (Sides, NPR). Texas offered what New York could not: an immense, desert canvas, free of preconceived ideas, upon which Judd could present his work. In many ways Marfa is an oasis, not just of water and vegetation, but of culture; the two foundations devoted to Judd’s work and the scattering of galleries around town are accompanied 14

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by bookstores and coffeeshops, food trucks and farmers markets. The town and its surrounding landscape has served as a set for several movies, James Dean’s Giant, the Coen brother’s No Country for Old Men, and Paul Anderson’s There Will Be Blood, as well as a host for an annual week long film festival (Burnett, NPR). We experienced a vibrant nightlife that rivaled large cities, with warehouse dance parties, cozy beer gardens, and 3AM grilled cheese sandwiches out of the Museum of Electric Wonders. Marfa has carved a distinct identity out of the surrounding desert and is able to maintain an economic stability unlike most other towns its size. For the Small Town Studio, Marfa serves as an excellent case study.

Marfa’s Main Street, terminating in the courthouse of Presidio County. Image by Wikimedia The quonset military sheds provide a vernacular, utilitarian backdrop house much more of Judd’s work. Image by Wesley Gross Three different groups of strangers come together under a teepee for beer and conversation. Image by Marissa Miller

“clean lines, rough textures, and raw materials” Our group’s experiences in Marfa were brief (our time in the town was hardly much more than our time in transit) but poignant. We spent a day walking around Main Street and the center of town. We admired the stately county seat, the most prominent building in town sitting in the middle of a square at the terminus of Main Street, as well as the humble, contemporary houses in the surrounding neighborhoods. Architectural design in Marfa is guided by a simple mantra: “clean lines, rough textures, and raw materials”; an aesthetic that finds a balance between Judd’s pure forms and the grit of the Chihuahuan desert (PureMarfa). In reinforcing the identity of the place, newly built contemporary architecture makes use of vernacular forms and materials - courtyards for ventilation and the adobe and concrete that can hold heat through the cool desert nights. On the second day, our studio explored the Chinati Foundation, which fills the husk of the military base, and the Judd Foundation, a museum that has adopted Judd’s home and studio space in Marfa. While the Chinati Foundation opens out the the landscape, featuring work that must be appreciated against the light and terrain, the Judd Foundation is far Small Town Stewardship | Preface

more insular. The buildings read more like a compound, featuring tall adobe walls, the mortar jutting out of the eroded mud brick. Pools of water provide evaporative cooling to the sun drenched courtyards, and the buildings themselves feature operable windows wherever possible. While the milled aluminum pieces of the Chinati Foundation are certainly his most iconic, there is a plethora of minimalist sculpture to be found in and around the town. For all of the intrigue that this cultural oasis offers, there is an uncomfortable reality that is often ignored. Judd came to Marfa and imposed his vision on the town. The town has certainly benefitted from his vision, but it did little to acknowledge, service, or include the local population. 16

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Through conversations with a number residents in a local thrift shop, I learned that there is a distinct, and sometimes bitter, divide between the art economy and the native, hispanic economy, with the main interface being in the service industry - bars, restaurants, and hotels. On the edges of town, out of sight of the museums and galleries, one sees the affects of poverty: dilapidated trailer homes, crumbling buildings, and the detritus of forgotten industry. It begs the question: did Juddâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intervention raise the bottom line and invigorate a town that would surely be subsumed by the tumbleweeds, or did he create a gentrifying force that would forever divide Marfa into two separate populations? Probably both.

At the Cinati Foundation, Juddâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concrete sculpture sit in the middle of the vast desert landscape. The military shed in the background houses the milled aluminum works. Image by Wesley Gross

Juxtaposed against the refined designs of the art community, the symptoms of poverty become more apparent towards the edges of town. Image by Wesley Gross

Unlinke Chinati, the buildings of the Judd Foundation exist in the town of Marfa. This building currently houses the work of John Chamberlain. Image by Wesley Gross

For better and for worse, Marfa, Texas showed us the immense power of one manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision and investment in a small town. It showed us the importance of forming a unique identity and a cohesive aesthetic to accompany it. Marfa also showed us the unfortunate and unanticipated consequences of direct intervention. These are all lessons that we took back to our work in small town Kansas. We certainly canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t provide the cultural clout of someone like Donald Judd, nor would it be appropriate in a towns like Eureka, Jamestown, or Blue Rapids. But we can raise the bottom line and create a comprehensive vision for a healthier and more beautiful Kansas.

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Small Town Stewardship | Eureka

Eureka

In the past, Eureka thrived on oil field production and services, however in recent years these businesses have moved out of town and Eurekaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy and population has suffered. Since 2000, there has been a 12.9% decrease in population, leaving 2,537 residents (47.9% male and 52.1% female) in Eureka with a median age of 43.2 years and a median estimated annual household income of $31,322 (Eureka, Kansas).Today, Eurekaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commercial districts, deteriorated by population decrease and economic realities, are located along Highway 54 and Main Street. These districts house sporadically located amenities that individuals cannot easily walk between, and contain numerous empty buildings that are no longer used as storefronts. The few remaining businesses cannot economically sustain the city. Neighboring cities further challenge the city by providing one stop shopping experiences that make daily shopping out of town more convenient. This pulls economic activity away from local businesses, and makes it harder for them to thrive. Small towns require large corporations to provide careers for many members of the community. A major employer in Eureka is Invena Cooperation, owned by Matt Wilson. If Eureka could draw more large companies like, Invena Corporation, their economy would stabilize and amenities would improve around town. Current amenities are intermingled with insufficient infrastructure and a patch work of vacant, deteriorated, and up-kept properties. According to research done by Small Town Studio 2012, three quarters of the buildings in Eureka are below average quality (Small Town Studio, 18). These locations are eye sores; however, the occupied, but unmaintained properties also decrease the overall appearance of the town. Many of these unkempt spaces are old commercial buildings that could better serve the community if they were returned to public use. A portion of the properties in town have been kept up and cared for through the years and stand as examples that other properties should aspire to. This would improve the overall city aesthetic. The students of Small Town Studio are looking to address some of these issues through design solutions. With a few updates, the city of Eureka can be revitalized into a thriving rural community, and Small Town Studio is excited to be a part of that transformation. Eureka | Small Town Stewardship

Small Town Studio | Section Name

Connectivity Eureka, Kansas 2014

Ramin Mahmoudian

This photo shows a portion of the third street corridors multiuse pedestrian path that will link residents with the rest of the town. Image by Ramin Mahmoudian

Eureka| Small Town Stewardship

Context Eureka has many amenities including schools, a historic Main Street district, Eureka City Park, Eureka Springs Park, Lyons Park, the historic Greenwood Hotel, several open fields for sports and playground equipment, several churches, a historic train station, a library, a great place to fish(the weir), and a hospital. The city is small enough that people could potentially never need a car within the town, but Eurekaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing infrastructure for pedestrian movement is in need of serious repair. There are no designated bike lanes in town. Sidewalks are damaged by frost upheaval and over growth, there are hardly any curb cuts, and there is no system for pedestrians to get around town safely. It is hard enough for an able bodied person to get around, so it is nearly impossible for a handicapped person to achieve the same amount of access around town. Research showed that many community members have to walk in the street because of the conditions of the existing infrastructure. Creating a holistic linkage system to connect all these amenities will invite pedestrians within Eureka to walk, run, and bike more. (Gehl)

Thesis The goal of the project is to encourage the city of Eureka to provide a safe, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing way for people to get around town. This will be accomplished by providing the city with a master plan for a new linkage 22

Small Town Stewardship | Eureka

system. Improving pedestrian oriented infrastructure will increase the beauty and vitality of linkages and the new system will increase the health of the town holistically. If you want someone to do something, you have to invite them to do so (Gehl). If Eureka wants to improve the health and vitality of the city, they need to invite people to use alternative modes of transportation that connect

The photos above show the current condition of the majority of the pedestrian infrastructure within Eureka. Image by Ramin Mahmoudian

In Bogota, Columbia pedestrian travel is encouraged by the city by providing the infrastructure needed for these activities. Image by Google Image Search

If you want someone to do something, you have to invite them to do so.

to places within the town. They can accomplish this by adding curb cuts, constructing bike lanes, improving existing sidewalks and replacing others with multi-use pedestrian paths. Today most links are designed with considerations for automobiles but with no care for the pedestrian.

Eureka | Small Town Stewardship

Design Proposal There is a clear correlation between the design of city spaces and the use of those spaces. (Gehl). If a town wants people to walk or run more, they have to provide quality spaces to partake in such activities. Ewing defined “links” or “linkage” as a “physical or visual connection” (Pedestrian and Transit Oriented Design). This project proposes that the city improve linkages within the town through design. From the map shown, it is evident the new network will be less than a quarter mile from any place in town, ensuring equal accessibility for the whole community. Kevin Lynch defines nodes as “major centers or focal points, the peaks of density, special activity, or access such as shopping centers and major terminals” (Lynch). The new linkage system will unite the nodes of the city, such as the schools with the library, or historic Main Street with the residential neighborhoods bordering it. This type of destination oriented pedestrian travel can provide the best opportunities to incorporate good urban planning. The linkage system will not only provide the community with a beautiful place to walk and exercise, but it can be used to reach a destination within the town. Designed paths for pedestrians can actually make a trip seem shorter and more enjoyable just by providing some external stimuli (Gehl). The amount of external stimuli needed depends mainly on the speed of the user. For instance we would need less 24

Small Town Stewardship | Eureka

Paths designed for pedestrians can actually make a trip seem shorter and more enjoyable just by providing some external stimuli. stimuli if we were biking than if we were walking. Examples of such stimuli are trees, shrubs, native grasses, flowers, path materials, planters, places to sit, and sensory stimulating plants like lavender. These elements provide our attention with something to focus on as we move through spaces (Gehl). The new linkage system will make the city feel more interconnected and provide pedestrians with an option

Elements shown in the photos above can be used to enhance the experience of pedestrian travel. Images by Google image search and Breedon Aggregates UK An aerial image of Eureka with a holistic linkage network overlay. Image by Google Maps and Ramin Mahmoudian

Nodes

Multi-Use Paths

Bike Lanes

Highway 54

Main Street

Eureka | Small Town Stewardship

other than the street. It is a large scale proposal which makes phasing necessary. The first main phase will be to construct bike lanes with separate walking paths on both 7th and Jefferson Street. 7th street used to be a highway but is just a main street within Eureka now. Both 7th and Jefferson Street are extremely wide and are out of scale compared to their surroundings. The width of a bike lane along with a median could be subtracted and still leave enough room for traffic. These bike lanes will link several nodes within the town to the schools. They also provide students with a route to reach school safely, energized, and ready to learn (www.saferoutesinfo.org). 7th Street connects the schools, Invena (the historic train station), the library, and a recreational lot, providing access to the rest of Eureka via its cross links. Jefferson Street connects the schools, Eureka Downs, and provides a place to cross Hwy 54. At the intersection of Jefferson and 7th Street, a new crosswalk will allow students to only have to cross the street once. Currently, students must cross 7th Street and then a drive that leads up to the school. By moving the existing crosswalk to the east, the need to cross two roads will be eliminated. The Jefferson Street bike lane will also provide a safe place to cross Hwy 54. At the intersection of the two roads, new solar powered crosswalk hardware, along with some new curb cuts, will re-link the southern portion of Eureka with the rest of the town. 26

Small Town Stewardship | Eureka

7th Street Before and After Images by Ramin Mahmoudian Jefferson Street Bike Lane: The width of Jefferson is extremely large and out of scale with its surroundings. The bike lane on Jefferson St. will separate bicycle and automobile traffic and will include a separate walking path. Along side both paths there will be native vegetation to help soften the street-scape visually. Images by Ramin Mahmoudian

1st Street Corridor: Research showed that 1st street is used a lot by the community to move east and west through the town. Improving the link on this street by adding pedestrian infrastructure will reinforce the use of this corridor and strengthen the connection between the nodes it unites. Images by Ramin Mahmoudian 3rd Street Corridor: 3rd Street connects a lot of major nodes throughout Eureka with the residential neighborhoods. Improving the infrastructure on this corridor will help unite the east and west sides of Eureka. Images by Ramin Mahmoudian

1st Street and 3rd Street will be the second phase to be constructed. These streets move more through the residential fabric of Eureka than the bike lanes. The link on 1st and 3rd Street will be a ten-foot wide multi-use path on one side of the street that will allow people to walk, jog, run, and bike. The paths replace some of the existing sidewalks which are no longer serving the community. The links reunite the areas adjacent to them and provide residents with a nice way to get around town. The 3rd Street corridor connects Eureka Downs, a recreational lot, the historic Main Street District, the Arts District, Gallery M, the courthouse and new courthouse plaza, the Greenwood Hotel, a church, and on the west side it provides access to the weir via Poplar Street. The 1st Street corridor links Eureka Downs, Eureka Springs Park, a bank, and provides access to the weir via Poplar St. These two links provide access to residential neighborhoods and reunite the East and West sides of Eureka. The third phase of the project will be to reconstruct Main Street and Highway 54, and to add a multi-use path to Poplar Street. The new Main Street will be a more aesthetically pleasing pedestrian oriented street. Main Street will connect City Park, the Greenwood Hotel, the Courthouse, the library, and the hospital. Main Street is the heart of the town where most tourists will go first. Adding a bike lane on Main Street between 54 and 7th will allow cyclists to get up and down the street more easily. Eureka | Small Town Stewardship

This bike lane will connect to the bike lane on 7th, which adds continuity to that part of the linkage system. Also, planting a more trees can help give the street a sense of enclosure. This is especially important since the road doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have anything to terminate its axis. Main Street will connect all the cross linkages, providing access to the rest of Eureka. Highway 54 acts as a business district in Eureka and is being looked at by Wesley Gross. Its redesign will continue the idea of giving priority back to the pedestrian, along with beautifying the area for travelers. Poplar is on the western part of Eureka. It is the termination point of the paths on 1st, 3rd, and 7th, and it connects to the weir and the country club. The fourth phase of the project incorporates the linkage system with some of the tertiary streets in Eureka. These paths make certain that all residents have equal access to the system by being no more than a quarter mile from any place in town. They also connect the remaining nodes in town, making the linkage system more holistic.

Linkage Types Four different types of links are proposed for Eureka in this project. The first are the multi-use paths. The second are the bike lanes. The third is Main Street. The fourth is Highway 54. Each link type has its own characteristic and performs differently for pedestrians. Proposals for Main Street and Highway 54 were created by Tonya Stock and

Small Town Stewardship | Eureka

Wesley Gross respectively. Information on these projects can be found in the Main Street and River Street sections of this book. The multi-use paths will be mainly constructed of self-binding aggregate paths. Self-binding aggregate paths are constructed essentially out of gravel and crushed stone. This type of path has a softer look and feel than concrete. A six inch layer of gravel is used as a base and then two inches of finely crushed stone make up the top layer. Each layer is compressed by rolling and on the finish layer a wet rolling process is used. Wet rolling allows the finest granules of stone to be pulled to the surface. In between the two layers a permeable membrane will prevent weed growth and allow water to drain through the path. Self-binding aggregate is permeable which can help reduce surface runoff. In this proposal a piece of steel will be used for edging to create a clean transition and reduce maintenance. The edging will reduce infiltration by weeds and keep the fine top layer in place. The bike lanes are 10 feet wide and will be constructed of an asphalt overlay system. This system takes advantage of the existing infrastructure and significantly reduces the cost of the project when compared to a traditional asphalt system. A 3 feet wide median constructed of concrete will separate the bike lane from automobile traffic. In the center of the median native grasses and trees will be planted. A 5 feet wide walking path will accompany each bike lane. The walking path will also be

The details on this page illustrate the construction of the bike lanes and the multiuse paths. Images by Ramin Mahmoudian

5’ Wide Self Binding Aggregate Path1”= 1”=4’ 5’ Wide Self Binding Aggregate Walking Path 4’

10’ 4’ 10’Wide WideSelf SelfBinding BindingAggregate AggregateMuti-Use Multi-UsePath Path1”= 1”=4’

BidirectionalBike BikeLane Lanewith witha aSeparate SeparateWalking WalkingPath Path1”= 1”=4’ Bidirectional 4’

Eureka | Small Town Stewardship

made of self-binding aggregate. This will strengthen the unity of the linkage system.

Accessibility This project has to be accessible for it to be successful. The entire new linkage system will have 163 new curb cuts. These curb cuts are necessary so that the whole community will have access to the network. The project also has two new crosswalks. At the intersection of 7th and Jefferson Street and at the intersection of Jefferson Street and Highway 54. The two new crosswalks will be equipped with solar powered crosswalk hardware that will be activated by a push button. The crosswalk at Highway 54 and Jefferson Street will ensure that north and south Eureka are linked and that people can cross the highway safely. The crosswalk at 7th and Jefferson Street will allow students to cross onto the school’s campus more safely. Both intersections happen along major roads so having this hardware in place will ensure the safety of pedestrians crossing at these places.

Conclusion Providing this network of linkages for pedestrians in Eureka will help improve the health of the city. Walking is a relaxing activity that reduces stress and keeps people healthy (Harvard Health Publications). New links will not only create physical connections, but also be an armature for strong 30

Small Town Stewardship | Eureka

Ramp Plan 1”=4’

social connections. Increasing the opportunities for both physical activity and social interactions encourages the community to be more interwoven, which will create an environment that fosters an increase in the population. As people walk, run, and bike more, it will eventually become a natural part of their daily lives (Gehl). This system will not only improve the lives of the people using it, but it will reduce the amount of vehicular and healthcare infrastructure needed within the town. There are so many benefits to encouraging physical activity as Jan Gehl says, “there is much more to walking than walking.”

The plan and section above show the details of a standard ramp and curb cut. This project calls for 163 new ramps to be constructed. Image by Ramin Mahmoudian

This image shows a community that walks to and from school together. This community is reinforcing good habits in their kids by doing this. Image by Google Image Search

Ramp Section 1â&#x20AC;?=4â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

The hardware shown to the right is a TS40 solar powered crosswalk sign with accessories. The signs LEDs flash when a pedestrian is present. This increases the safety of the crossing by only alerting automobiles when the crosswalk is occupied. Images by Traffic Safety Corp.

Wireless Remote

Push Button

Solar TS40 Crosswalk Sign

Eureka | Small Town Stewardship

Small Town Stewardship | Eureka

Main Street Green Loop Eureka, Kansas 2014

Jamie Michel

Shelter in the Greenwood County Courthouse Plaza. Image by Jamie Michel.

Eureka | Small Town Stewardship

Thesis Having identified needs in the city of Eureka, the Main Street Green Loop and Greenwood County Courthouse seek specifically to address health, aesthetics, economics, and a lack of third places (locations to spend free time). These needs are addressed by improving existing infrastructure through the addition of new vegetation, landscape features, and other design elements to encourage Eurekans to spend more time outdoors and to attract visitors to the town. Successful designs require an understanding of the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s context and the nuances that contribute to the issues in the community. The issues that this project seeks to alleviate were identified through interviewing citizens and researching recently gathered data.

Health In 2002, the East Central Kansas Public Health Coalition was formed to assist local health departments in providing essential public health services to communities in Chase, Coffey, Franklin, Greenwood, Lyon, Morris, Osage, and Wabaunsee counties. The Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan were created by the Coalition and the Kansas Health Institute in 2012 to understand health needs in the region and to establish goals to meet those needs (East Central Kansas 4). Since Eureka is the largest city in Greenwood County, the county health assessment results are an 34

Small Town Stewardship | Eureka

accurate indication of health in the city. The study found that the county has an older population compared to the region, so health issues related to aging such as arthritis and loss of hearing are common (Community Quality of Life 1). Greenwood County also had the highest adult obesity rates at 49.3%, which is an issue closely related to having the lowest percentage of physically active adults at 37.7% (Summary Findings 3).

This graph shows that Greenwood County has the lowest percentage of adults participating in recommended amounts of physical activity. Image by Kansas Health Institute. Another graph examining poverty rates shows that Greenwood County has a high poverty rate compared to the rest of the counties in the region. Image by Kansas Health Institute.

This graph, taken from the East Central Kansas Public Health Coalitionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health assessment study in 2012, shows alarming data related to the percentage of overweight and obese adults in Greenwood County. Image by Kansas Health Institute.

Evidence that Greenwood County has the lowest median household income in the east central Kansas region is embodied in this graph. Image by Kansas Health Institute.

These factors are especially alarming for implications to health because being overweight increases the risk for secondary illnesses including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. When the rate of overweight adults (33.6) is added to the obesity rate of 49.3%, the total rises to 83% of the population of Greenwood County (Core Indicators Profile 29-30). These data show major health issues within Greenwood County and Eureka as they relate to habits in diet and exercise.

Aesthetics & Economics Taking a trip to Eureka makes the need for beautification immediately apparent. Throughout the city, there are abandoned, run down, and poorly maintained buildings which drastically affect the overall aesthetic quality. Some of the worst areas are Highway 54, Main Street, and unkempt parks and open lots. Eureka Springs Park has fallen into disarray due to lack of preservation and use. Part of the reason for this may be because of Eurekaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic status. Of the east central Kansas region, Greenwood County residents have consistently earned the lowest median incomes from 2006-2010. Poverty rates in the county have risen from under 14% to 17%, coming in second or tying with Chase County for the highest poverty rates since 2006. Because of lower incomes and higher poverty rates, Eureka and Greenwood County have issues with welfare dependence. Community members see this as a major problem, which is reflected in the Kansas Health Instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evaluation of the 2010 health assessment study when examining the high rates of individuals participating in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) voucher program (Core Indicators Profile 10-13). As previously mentioned, when economic issues are a problem in a community, aesthetics become a low priority for both existing and new buildings, infrastructure, and parks, which is the case in Eureka.

Eureka | Small Town Stewardship

Third Places One of the obvious differences that set rural areas apart from urban areas is the type and amount of available amenities. The fewer amenities that exist, the less involved the citizenry is likely to be since their primary destinations will be their home and their place of work. While people are likely to know their neighbors in rural towns, access to fewer amenities means there are fewer opportunities for people to meet and connect with others in the community. Eureka isn’t totally devoid of amenities; it has a surprising number of churches, which shows a strong religious connection among the residents. The grocery store, A&W Foods, and the restaurant, Benny’s, are other places where Eurekans can interact with one another. However, other places are not conducive to creating and sustaining relationships, such as drive through fast food restaurants, which also contribute to the issue of poor health. To summarize the issue of a lack of places to spend time and socialize with others, it can be said that Eureka lacks options for ‘third places.’ The term ‘third place’ can refer to those places where “one temporarily feels at home, that are emotionally so powerful they allow their visitors to recharge themselves with emotion“ as Christian Mikunda put it in his book Brand lands, hot spots, and cool places: welcome to the third place and the total marketing experience (Mikunda 2). The purpose of Mikunda’s book is to use the creation of a third place as a marketing 36

Small Town Stewardship | Eureka

strategy. In Eureka, this strategy would solve the need for third places, as well as some of the economic issues like unemployment. Inherent in the idea of a third place is the aspect of recreation. When someone seeks a third place they are looking for leisure, relaxation, and an opportunity to socialize and enjoy themselves like they were at home, but in a public setting.

Design Proposal: Main Street Green Loop This project seeks to provide design solutions to the issues in Eureka as previously described: health, beautification, economics, and the need for third places, and has been deemed the Main Street Green Loop (MSGL). The concept is to create a green infrastructure system on the scale of a city master plan with smaller areas of focus on the level of the city block and on individual designed green spaces. Multiple functions and benefits will be addressed by the MSGL, with green infrastructure incorporating strategies to encourage residents to spend more time outdoors, which would address Eureka’s need for more third places and increased amounts of physical activity in order to improve health (Bunster-Ossa, Rouse 1; 14). The green infrastructure system also aims to solve the need for beautification, specifically with the addition of new vegetation (trees,

Legend New benches Main Street BeautiďŹ cation Plan Trail routeNew sidewalks Trail routeExisting sidewalks Connection to Fall River Project Existing trees New trees Trail markers

The MSGL is two loops in which users can choose the distance and route they wish to walk. This diagram identifies key areas such as the Greenwood County Courthouse Plaza and other Small Town Studio projects that it connects to. Image by Jamie Michel.

Aerial rending of the Greenwood County Courthouse and Plaza from the southeast. Image by Jamie Michel.

shrubs, and flowers), benches, signage, and the possibility for the incorporation of art. Visual and physical connections between green spaces will be established by a walking path around the heart of the town that people can use for exercise and enjoyment, without having to venture to the outskirts of the city in order to use trails. The specific location of the Green Loop is on the west side of Main Street beginning on 7th street and extending south past Highway 54 to City Park. Cutting through the City Park, the loop continues back up to Highway 54 through Eureka Springs Park to Elm Street and extends north to connect back up to 7th street, creating a continuous 1.8 mile loop. There is no designated starting or ending point to the MSGL; it can be entered at any location. The planter and bench combination described above will also serve as trail markers located at every intersection, informing users how far they have walked since the last trail marker.

Greenwood County Courthouse Plaza Specific plans for green spaces include connections to Eureka Springs Park, City Park, green spaces on Elm Street, and a new plaza space in front of the courthouse. The Courthouse Plaza design considers and accommodates all current uses of the space in a way that enhances these functions and incentivizes spontaneous and increased use of the space. The MSGL is brought into the Courthouse Plaza through a colonnade which celebrates the civic nature of the courthouse and encourages passersby to enter and use the space. A covered area of the colonnade takes the place of an existing gazebo which will be moved to the back western portion of the courthouse to serve a more private function for the employees. This new shelter provides a consistent civic aesthetic compared to the existing residential style gazebo. In order to avoid two parallel routes for pedestrian traffic, the existing sidewalk to the east of the plaza will be converted into a parking and bike lane system as proposed in the Main Street Beautification project, so that pedestrian traffic is directed through the plaza. The central area of the plaza is designed as a meeting place by the inclusion of four benches at each corner of the existing patch of grass, which is unique compared to the rest of the plaza design in order to call out the entrance of the building. This square also considers

Eureka | Small Town Stewardship

current uses with the addition of pavers where patrons of the plaza currently walk. Since Eurekaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Main Street does not have an element that draws visitors north from Highway 54, the Courthouse Plaza seeks to fill this role. This could be enhanced by incorporating public art (perhaps by local artists) with the proposed combination planter, bench, and signage elements. Overall, the design strategies used in the Courthouse Plaza are intended to address the issues of health, beautification, and the lack third places.

Small Town Stewardship | Eureka

Denoting the entrance to the courthouse, the central square provides pavers in the existing pedestrian path, along with benches for a place to rest. Image by Jamie Michel. View under the northern colonnade, looking south. Image by Jamie Michel. Looking northwest from the intersection of 3rd and Main, both the colonnade entrances and the planter and bench combination are visible. Signage on the planter directs visitors to important amenities in Eureka. Image by Jamie Michel.

Small Town Studio Project Connections The Main Street Green Loop ties in closely with other projects on and around Main Street that seek to beautify building facades, examine walkability, create bike lanes, place benches, and plant vegetation. A cohesive design strategy and aesthetic is employed between the projects in a way that the people of Eureka can relate to. Connectivity is a secondary issue that is addressed by this collaboration, and all projects directly address the needs targeted by the MSGL.

Project Impact The MSGL and Greenwood County Courthouse Plaza design were received positively by the citizens of Eureka. Through their encouragement and help from the Eureka Studio, the plaza is on its way to becoming a reality. For

ease of fundraising and construction, it was decided that the project should be separated into three phases. Phase one includes the central square, while phases two and three are the southern and northern sections of the colonnade, respectively. A proposal to construct phase one was presented to the Greenwood County Commission, which was approved, and funding was secured through donations from Eurekans. The goal is for construction drawings and plans to be completed by the summer of 2014 so that construction can be finished by the fall. Hopefully, the project can be a catalyst for further development in Eureka, rural Kansas, and rural communities around the country. Aside from direct impacts in Eureka, the Main Street Green Loop design is also intended to be used as a prototype for restorative design in rural communities. Within Small Town Studio, the Eureka walking trail case study is applied to another project in Jamestown, Kansas. Eureka | Small Town Stewardship

Small Town Stewardship | 54River Street

54 River Street Both for travellers passing through and residents getting around, River Street/Highway 54 plays an essential role in the vehicular circulation of Eureka. Despite its prominence, the street is marred by inconsistent planning, vacant properties, and unconstrained parking lots. A strip designed for cars, not people. Through large scale analysis and focused intervention, the 54R redevelopment project seeks to identify and provide solutions to some of the widespread problems surrounding the street. Comprehensive planning guidelines can influence and direct development, while projects like the River Street Market and the 54Adams apartments set a precedent for commercial and residential development along the strip. The goal is to provide the framework for a street as friendly to the pedestrian as the car. River Street, the in-town section of Highway 54, can be broken down into a series of “zones”, primarily defined by their dominant building use. Each zone has different primary objectives, but crumbling pedestrian infrastructure and a lack of aesthetic care are persistent throughout. The River Street Market, a case study for potential development, addresses Eureka’s woeful food options by providing a daily farmer’s market. Additionally, the 54Adams housing project, two blocks west of the market, introduces a contemporary apartment option to the current stock of residential houses. These two case studies aim to demonstrate what healthy, designed development can look like along the 54R corridor.

54River Street | Small Town Stewardship

The Commercial Strip The history of the United States is defined by expansion. From manifest destiny to the suburban flight of the 1950â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, the US has rarely, if ever, needed to retract into itself. Only within the past two decades has the public conscience begin to question and doubt the placemaking patterns of development that have dominated since World War 2. The post-war demand for suburban development, coupled with Eisenhowerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interstate highway system, set the stage for the commercial strip. Misplaced government subsidies, local zoning policy, and reform in the tax code, which allowed owners to depreciate new buildings in a mere seven years compared to the previous forty, solidified the conditions for a three decade long boom in cheap commercial strip development. (EPA, 2) While commercial zoning along transportational strips was conceived with good intentions, businesses with sole access from the highway have congested traffic and defeated the notion of the highway as a high-speed conduit (Barnett, 72). The result of these developmental conditions is the deteriorating, low density commercial strip that is ubiquitous along the edges of every American city. As Highway 54 cuts an east/west swath through southern Kansas, it runs through the town of Eureka. For travellers passing through, the in-town commercial strip along Highway 54, 42

Small Town Stewardship | 54 River Street

known as River Street (and hereafter referred to as 54R), is the first and often only impression Eureka gets to make. 54R presents the outward identity of the town, from which drivers may decide to explore Main Street or keep driving; and in itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current state, 54R does not present an enticing facade of the town. The issues plaguing the strip are not unique to Eureka: crumbling pedestrian infrastructure, unmaintained and abandoned businesses separated by treeless fields of brown grass. While such issues are apparently aesthetic, it is supremely important to understand the connection they have to the physical and economic health of the town and townspeople.

E River Street is characterized by vast expanses of undeveloped fields and parking lots. Even the most pleasant of days cannot rectify the inhuman scale of this stretch. Image by Wesley Gross

Cracked pavement and rusting signs are the prominent physical features along 54R. Image by Wesley Gross

Sonic and Pizza Hut constitute the dining options on the east side of town. Advertisements, signs, and siding comprise the range of visual interest. Image by Wesley Gross

In a study of physical health in southeastern Kansas, The Kansas Health Institute found that the residents of Greenwood county are the most obese and undertake the least amount of physical activity of all the surrounding counties (ECK Public Health Coalition, 12). While there are innumerable factors that contribute to this statistic, it is hard to look at the deteriorating state of the sidewalks and not draw comparisons to public health. Shaded, maintained, and consistent sidewalks create an environment where walking can be an enjoyable activity, and townspeople may reconsider getting in their car to drive the several blocks to their destination. An essential part of enticing people into physical activity is providing a compelling visual environment. The Dutch urbanist Jan Gehl speaks about the problem of the vehicular scale of cities: spaces to be experienced at 30+ miles per hour. The businesses and buildings along River Street are so spaced out that they create a visually uninteresting and hostile environment to pedestrians (Gehl, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cities for Peopleâ&#x20AC;?). Public health is directly tied to physical activity, and pleasant pedestrian experiences are what compel people towards physical activity. 54 River Street | Small Town Stewardship

54R Analysis, Goals, & Design Guidelines To understand the state of Highway 54 as it passes through town, it is helpful to fracture the strip into a number of “zones”. Each zone is characterized by homogenous land use, defining the boundaries between residential and commercial, or a consistent state of disrepair, unified by a common need for particular redevelopment strategies. Through the urban scale analysis, a set of goals were composed to address the significant issues facing 54R. Eastern Gateway On the eastern edge of town, Eureka fades into existence. Highway 54 sits above the fields, which like most of the surrounding area are used for grazing rather than agriculture. At Miracle Street, fields give way to two houses to the north and an empty lot to the south. Initial development in the southern lot can create a sharper visual edge to the town; development should service travelers, as the site is too far removed to service townspeople. Eventually the residences to the north can be razed and the site rezoned. Eastern Suburbs The residential development that lies to the south of E River Street consists of 60 individual houses, built in relatively high density. The development can only be accessed through three low-traffic streets off of 54/ River: Marriott Drive, Mission Road, and Village Lane. Due to it’s close proximity 44

Small Town Stewardship | 54 River Street

MAIN STREET

AMBIGUOUS BLOCKS

WESTERN GATEWAY

to 54R, residents can easily walk to 54R’s amenities. Dense development renders sidewalks impractical, however without any through traffic and each residence featuring a garage, streets can be narrowed to create a distinct pedestrian realm. Commercial Strip Just within the threshold of Eureka, motorists are met with a stretch of 54R dominated by a wide variety of satellite businesses. Manufacturing and car dealerships offer little to the daily life of a townsperson, but the Dollar Store, restaurants, and the River Street Market (proposed) encourage regular traffic. Irregular use and specialized businesses (hardware store, retirement home) also exist on 54R. Frequency of use can be a regulating feature, and high frequency business should be weighted towards the residential zones towards the center of

RESIDENTIAL SWATH

town and the southern side of the street, while low frequency business should exist towards the edge of town and on the north side of 54R. Parking lots in the commercial strip are extremely problematic, characterized by large expanses of gravel or dirt with no defined boundaries. Parking regulation and the creation of landscaped buffers will be effective in creating an aesthetically pleasing and pedestrian oriented environment. Residential Swath The residential areas that dominate either side of 54R between Main and Jefferson Street come to border and mingle with commerce along the strip. Currently, the sidewalks that lead to and along 54R are inconsistent and in woeful disrepair. The primary objective in this zone is to renew and build upon pedestrian infrastructure. Particularly

COMMERCIAL STRIP

Highway 54/River Street. Image by Wesley Gross

for the sidewalks along 54R, trees, lighting, and landscaping can provide an essential buffer zone between street traffic and sidewalk traffic. In addition to creating a zone of physical barriers between the vehicle and pedestrian, the city can employ strategies for reducing the speed of traffic on 54R. A stop light at the intersection of Jefferson Street, as dictated by Ramin Mahmoudianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eureka connectivity study, would slow drivers and signal entrance into a residential area, while also providing a safer means for residents north of 54R to access Lionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Park in the southeast edge of town. Further strategies include installing a landscaped median, reducing traffic to one lane in either direction. It would also provide an opportunity for landscaped swales, assisting in drainage along 54R. Main Street Intersection Like

EASTERN SUBURBS

many small towns, Eureka has a dense, commercial Main Street well suited as a walkable shopping district. Unfortunately, it begins one block north from the intersection of 54R and Main. The four corners of the intersection are characterized by a huge empty parking lot, a seedy motel which makes no formal recognition of Main St, a car dealership whose parking lot fronts the street, and a small, abandoned business, which appears to be a vestige of the once-dense downtown environment. Ideally, the dense urban environment that characterizes Main Street between 1st Street and 3rd St can extend south to the 54R intersection, enticing travelers to stop and mingle in the town. The Rural Design Mob has been commissioned to design a gateway feature that bridges Main Street, and the Main Street Redevelopment group of the Small Town Studio has

EASTERN GATEWAY

developed a comprehensive plan to guide development along Main. The intersection at 54R and Main Street is the commercial and circulatory nexus of the two primary axes of the town. The built environment should reflect that significance. Ambiguous Blocks At the western edge of town, an evening recreational district is being formed. With a short walk, daytime activity on Main Street can migrate to the west for food, drink, and entertainment. Between these two defined districts are three blocks, with both residential and commercial fronting the street. The primary goal in this interstitial area is to clarify the zoning and create a strong pedestrian connection between the adjacent districts. Most of the businesses west of Main Street exist on the southern side of 54R, and rightfully so. Drivers entering 54 River Street | Small Town Stewardship

town will more likely be in need of gas or rest than those leaving, and right turns are always preferable, particularly where a highway becomes a city street. Within these three blocks, the developed pedestrian route should cross 54R at the Main St stoplight, then run along the southern edge of the street to the Western Gateway district. Western Gateway Defining the southwestern edge of town, the Fall River offers recreational opportunities, a sense of identity, and a physical threshold to the town of Eureka. The Fall River Redevelopment group has proposed hiking paths and fishing spots, cabins and campgrounds, and the redevelopment of the Paul Jones building into a reception venue, effectively solidifying the idea of a recreational district. A large lookout tower to the south of the bridge will serve as a gateway icon, marking the entrance to town from the west. Pedestrian connection through the Ambiguous Blocks should be continued through the Western Gateway district to Bennyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, from which the recreational development is accessible. The site north of the curve offers a visible opportunity for an automobile-centric business.

Small Town Stewardship | 54 River Street

Goals for 54R Development Promote architectural clusters along the strip that have similar form, scale, and program. Create architecture that is aesthetically pleasing at a pedestrian scale and pace. Encourage quality design and construction, and incentivize the replacement of marginalized buildings. Control the expanse and quality of parking areas and encourage landscaping that will minimize parkingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visual impact. Reduce undeveloped land and unoccupied buildings. Improve pedestrian conditions and create pedestrian connections between land use zones. Create gateway features that reflect a communal Eureka identity.

These goals prompted a set of design guidelines to influence future development. Modeled after the Bowman Bowman and Novick plan for downtown development in Manhattan, Kansas, the guidelines are intended to be implemented at the organic pace of development. Eureka currently doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the financial ability to make large scale redevelopments, and if they did, Main Street would be the likely candidate for such a project. Progress must then come at the pace of natural development. The guidelines aim to impose minimal costs to the property owner, though with time, site improvements will coalesce into a coherent vision for 54R. The commercial strip is an unfortunate necessity for small towns, and while the cheap, low density development is inevitable, the design guidelines can aim towards a unified vision at a low expense to the business owners.

Case Studies

Two architectural projects aim to demonstrate the implementation of the design guidelines; to demonstrate what development along the 54R corridor can look like. Both the River Street Market and the 54Adams housing project are sited at the critical juncture between the commercial strip and the residential swath, an area that is particularly blighted by bad development.

TRADE SCHOOL HOUSING

RIVER STREET MARKET

Current conditions at the junction between the Commercial Strip and the Residential Swath. The sites for both case study projects are called out in orange. Image by Wesley Gross

A projection showing the implementation of design guidelines by all businesses along the stretch. Image by Wesley Gross

54 River Street | Small Town Stewardship

Small Town Stewardship | 54 River Street

River Street Market Eureka, Kansas 2014

Wesley Gross

Body Text The River Street Market, as viewed from the parking lot fronting 54R. Image by Wesley Gross

54 River Street | Small Town Stewardship

River Street Market Eureka sits on rich, fertile ground, surrounded by farm and ranch land; yet there is little opportunity for residents to buy the product of the land. The River Street Market, a project proposed by Larry and Susan Cook, seeks to remedy this problem. The market aims to confront public conceptions of food and health, educate the community to the benefits of local food and local economies, and through the implementation of design guidelines, address the visual blight of the commercial zone surrounding the site. The River Street Market will most directly address issues of health and local economy in Eureka and the surrounding community. While Eureka itself has adequate access to a supermarket, much of Greenwood County qualifies as a food desert according to USDA standards. In such an agriculturally rich area, this is unacceptable. There are direct benefits to eating local food: it is fresher, healthier, and money goes directly to the farmer, staying within the community. However, these benefits are not immediately apparent, particularly in a community used to only shopping at a single grocery store. As a result, education must play an important role in the development of the project. The marketing and promotion of the market must exalt these benefits. The configuration and graphics within the building must be designed to educate.

Small Town Stewardship | 54 River Street

Fortunately the social framework is in place to accept these values. Eureka is proud and supportive of its community, and exhibiting the economic and health benefits of living locally could easily prove the value of a local market to the townspeople. The River Street Market will provide a healthy alternative to shopping at a grocery store. According to statistics compiled and by The Land Connection, an Illinois based group promoting local food, the nutritional capacity of produce is drastically decreased within several days of being picked. The average produce from a grocery store has travelled 1500 miles and thirteen days before it reaches shelves. By the time it is available to the people of Eureka,

The River Street Market is designed around the CMU structure of a dilapidated gas station along the commercial strip of 54R. Image by Wesley Gross In order to remove the connotation of a gas station, the fueling canopy would be removed. Image byWesley Gross

it has lost up to 45% of its nutritional content. The USDA Economic Research Service states that for every dollar spent on produce at a grocery store, a mere fifteen cents make it back to the farmer. The remainder pays for distribution and marketing, very little of which stays within the Eureka community. Alternately, a local market has less overhead and very little transportation, so a larger percentage of every dollar goes to a farmer within the community. In turn, farmers are able to live more comfortably and reinvest in local businesses. Buying and eating locally is not just an individual physical investment, but an economic investment in the wellbeing of the community as a whole. The River Street Market has the potential to serve as a visual and economic anchor point on the east side of town. Aesthetically, it can stand out from the other buildings and businesses, providing the first landmark on the east side of Eureka. A close engagement with the street in addition to landscaping and beautification will make the project stand out along the River Street strip, and provide an impetus for drivers to stop. Economically, a market would be unique among the businesses on that side of town. Neighboring the site is a motel, a car dealership, and a manufacturing plant, none of which are able to serve the townspeople of Eureka on a regular basis. A local market relies on a regular set of clientele visiting, if not everyday, several times a week. This would significantly shift the way people interact with the eastern side of River Street, and could begin to promote a 54 River Street | Small Town Stewardship

pedestrian friendly development. The second phase of the River Street Market, the incorporation of a cafe and an exterior seating area, would establish a radical shift in usage: east River street can be a hospitable place for pedestrians. The cafe space, programmed to the west of the market and south of the secondary garage, will have to find a balance between introversion and connection to the street. Landscaping and permeable boundaries can provide insulation from the sounds and smells of the traffic, while also allowing glimpses into the space from the street. Such a balance may create architecture that cannot be appreciated at a vehicular pace. The River Street Market can, through its design, promote human scale interaction and pedestrian engagement along the highway. Sitting amidst a blighted region, the River Street Market faces a difficult question: open itself up to the surrounding context in an ambitious attempt to spawn similar design, or turn into itself, providing a designed oasis among unbounded horizontal space. The design must shelter visitors from the unpleasant surroundings, but should not create a trend of introverted development. A low wall surrounding the pedestrian areas of the site finds a middle ground. At 3â&#x20AC;&#x2122;6â&#x20AC;?, the wall is low enough to be seen over when standing, but tall enough to block the parking lot and street when patrons are sitting in the cafe space. The wall must break to provide a physical 52

Small Town Stewardship | 54 River Street

Rendered view from the parking lot. Image by Wesley Gross

entrance and allow sightlines into the site, change material and opacity to the west of the exterior dining space, and have earth piled against it to create a grade and a vertical element to the landscaping. The wall defines a boundary: the flat, unattended sprawl stops at its edges, and everything within is carefully designed. Within the defined boundaries, there are several primary components to the design: a new facade to the existing structure, a “front porch” shade structure in front of the market, and the trusses that provide shade to the cafe’s patio. These components are relatively autonomous, and can be developed at different stages, provided the facade is constructed first. In it’s current state, the building is very recognizable as a gas station. The facade is composed of steel panels with rounded edges, painted to a white and blue color scheme. The first stage of development will be to remove the panels, reducing the building to its CMU structure, and putting up a simple, slatted wood facade. Several issues determined this design: first and foremost, it must redefine the structure as a market rather than a filling station. There is something unsettling about buying fresh food from a gas station, and initial construction must absolve the business from those concerns. The facade must be cheap. The client isn’t looking for a large investment until the business demonstrates that it is self-sustaining. 54 River Street | Small Town Stewardship

Weathered barn wood is easy and inexpensive to acquire in the Flint Hills and, with a layer of sealant and insulation, can serve this purpose well. The final consideration concerns the client’s aesthetic: “rustic” and “clean industrial”. Both the material and slanted roof plane speaks to the vernacular aesthetic of Flint Hills agricultural structures. The initial stage of development is simple and cheap, providing the bare necessities to establish the market as a new and exciting business to the Eureka community. The second stage of design, a shade structure in front of the market, speaks to the rustic aesthetic while also providing a performative benefit. The

Small Town Stewardship | 54 River Street

“front porch” is an integral part of rural architecture. It defines a liminal social space that is neither interior nor exterior - a meeting space for people coming and going to the market. The structure alternates between opaque corrugated metal in front of the large mechanic bay doors and translucent corrugated plastic in the interstitial areas. The structure is designed in a way to block direct sunlight from penetrating the glazing during the summer, while allowing light and heat into the space during the winter. The porch is supported by a number of columns, in between which a trellis provides structure for plants and vines to creep up. The Cooks expressed

Southern elevation facing 54R. Image by Wesley Gross

an interest in a layering of texture and material, and the front porch provides a diverse element to the facade. Once the market has established itself as a viable business, the building will incorporate its social component: a hospitable patio space for the cafe. The patio is defined by the cafe to the north, the facade of the market to the east, graded landscaping to the south, a plane of vined trellises to the west, and finally, trusses, fitted with translucent corrugated plastic overhead. The trusses are designed in such a way to diffuse sunlight coming down into the space, while still illuminating the structure.

At an interval of four feet, they also provide the structure for potential photovoltaics, further removing the project from energy dependence, a concept in line with the ethos of the clients. The design is modest and unobtrusive, while providing the necessities for patrons and the potential for the clients. The River Street Market, through its design and goods, has the potential to transform Eureka, providing nutritious food, a local investment, and good placemaking to the community.

54 River Street | Small Town Stewardship

Small Town Stewardship | 54 River Street

54Adams Eureka, Kansas 2014

Wesley Gross

Interior rendering of one of the five 54Adams units. Image by Wesley Gross

54 River Street | Small Town Stewardship

54Adams Housing The 54Adams housing project is designed to introduce a new type to the existing housing stock in Eureka. As the town attempts to entice younger people to move and work in town, smaller contemporary housing options can offer an alternative, communal quality of life. In many small towns, when young men and women leave for college, there is little to entice them to come back. A lack of amenities and social and economic opportunities expunge the appeal of small town life. Colloquially this is referred to as the “brain drain”. The resulting population is polarized in age, and the problem repeats itself. Countering this phenomenon is a significant task for small towns. Investment in recreational and job opportunities may bring some talent back to the town, but a lack of housing options may scare some from committing to renting or buying a family house. By providing a new housing option, community oriented apartments designed for the transitionary period between school and settling down, Eureka will raise its appeal among the young and educated. Sited at the corner of N Adams Street and 54R, the apartments are situated between a liquor store and the Lomar Drive-in. They are within a short walk to the proposed trade school, the commercial strip, and while a bit further, within walking distance of Main Street and the Fall River recreational area. Carport parking on the east edge 58

Small Town Stewardship | 54 River Street

of the site allows the units to front the street, setting a precedent for street edge development along 54R. While the carport provides adequate parking, street parking on Adams St can directly service the two units on the western edge of the site. The apartment units work with four core tenets: a communal, courtyard orientation, a non-confrontational form based on the archetypical “housing” form (square + pediment), an interior armature that provides necessary shelving and furniture, and a single, lofted interior volume.

54ADAMS housing seen from the corner of 54River and Adams St. Image by Wesley Gross A single unit, exploded, shows the individual pieces that comprise the whole. Image by Wesley Gross

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54 River Street | Small Town Stewardship

Communal Courtyard Even with the proposed redevelopments along 54R, the street is a conduit for large trucks and fast traffic. The River Street Market uses low concrete walls to shelter patrons, while retaining sightlines from the strip. A housing complex, however, has no need for streetside advertising, and as a result, 54Adams turns in on itself. While the street facades feature several small windows, the units open to the courtyard with an eight foot curtain wall. The courtyard provides a space for recreation, socializing, and barbecuing against a wooded backdrop. With five individual units, the community of 54Adams is small, and with a pleasant common area, can be tight-knit. The courtyard invites residents to come together, and the inner, partially glazed facades forces a certain level of intimacy and mutual trust among the residents. Formal/Material Architecture must be rooted in place. In several conversations, residents of Eureka have spat the word contemporary, envisioning stainless steel against sterile white walls. Drawing from the materials and forms of the rural Kansas vernacular, contemporary architecture can feel at home in town. While the market spoke to the vernacular primarily through its materials, 54Adams employs the archetypical housing form to slight its perceived newness. A common design language links it to the market and the proposed design guidelines for other businesses along the 54R corridor. 60

Small Town Stewardship | 54 River Street

(Top) The interior courtyard provides a space for communal socializing. The glazed curtain walls, which can be closed with curtains, create a mutual sense of intimacy. Image by Wesley Gross

The site plan shows the five separate units clustered around a shady courtyard. Image by Wesley Gross

Interior Volume To entice younger people who may be wary of buying or renting a family style residence, the 54Adams units provide a contemporary, “urban” lofted space. In a relatively tight plan, the double height “living room” creates a sense of grandeur and space and allows the residents to see their entire space. The bedroom in the loft is sufficiently obscured from other residents walking from the carport, and negligible pedestrian traffic along 54R and Adams St allows for a large window into the loft. The only enclosed room in the unit is the bathroom, but the other “rooms” are well defined by the system of shelving and furniture that makes up the interior armature.

Interior Armature For many young people, the idea of buying a dining room table or an armoire is as restrictive and tethering as buying a house. In a tight apartment plan, even modestly sized furniture can feel overwhelming. An armature of built in shelving, a desk, and a dining table eases this dilemma. Beyond providing the necessary furniture and program elements, the shelving is able to spatially separate the kitchen from the dining and living space while retaining sight lines and the feeling of continuous space. While the exterior of the units is kept relatively plain, the wood interior armature serves as the visual interest and compelling parti of the project.

54 River Street | Small Town Stewardship

Small Town Stewardship | Fall River

Fall River

The Fall River Development Teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s area of focus involves 25 acres of privately owned forested land, riverfront, and highway property in the southwest corner of the city. A master plan implements lowimpact design solutions site that connect programmatic elements throughout the development. At a smaller scale, the Team focused on economic opportunities within the site through building design and infrastructure for a bike building, event center, cabins, and a campground. The bike building and plaza provide a public amenity that fronts the entire Fall River Development and engages with the city. It retains the urban fabric while showcasing the overall aesthetic. The building demands attention from visitors while it expands on a growing cycling market that currently passes through Eureka and provides an outdoor community public space. The community venue and event center offers a large scale gathering space for Eureka that operates uniquely to the amenities already available in the town. With access to the trails proposed by the Fall River Development comprehensive plan, this venue space connects to nature and offers a beer garden atmosphere that transcends the conventional model for an event center that confines users to the indoors. The siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s immediate access to River Street provides the building with a high level of visibility, giving it the potential to maximize economic viability of Eureka. The cabins are located along the upper trail proposed by the Fall River Development comprehensive plan between the campsites and event center. These dwellings will be used to connect the community of Eureka and its visitors to the existing natural environment of the Fall River area. The success of these structures lies in a design that makes them functional and accessible for visiting cyclists, families, and seasonal hunters year round. The campground is in collaboration with cabins and an event space in an economic endeavor to facilitate an outdoor lifestyle with modern amenities as proposed by the Fall River Development comprehensive plan. With campsites along the upper trail adjacent to City Park, it strives to appeal to visitors while maximizing privacy. At its southeastern location of the development, the campground also provides a public eatery for families at City Park or at the outdoor amphitheatre. The campground and adjacent amenities are meant to instill residents and visitors with a deeper appreciation for the surrounding environment. Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

Small Town Stewardship | Fall River

Master Plan Eureka, Kansas 2014

John McLaughlin Marissa Miller Anthony Winkelmann

The master plan encompasses twenty-five acres of forested land that consists of identity towers, trails, and an economic venture. Image by Marissa Miller.

Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

Master Plan While the Fall River Development team’s area of focus is owned Matt Wilson, there are additional individuals that have an impact on the design. Other stakeholders include, but are not limited to, the City of Eureka, the owner of Benny’s Grill and Pub, the local veterinarian Duane Droge, and other property owners of land included in the development site. The development extends from the Fall River weir, traveling southeast under the Highway 54 bridge, continues to wrap along Fall River, and ends at the southern edge of City Park. The site serves as one of the first opportunities for the City of Eureka to invite and excite residents and visitors, and provides an opportunity to create a western “gateway” into the town. The majority of the site is in a flood plain, heavily canopied by large trees and overgrown brush. Much of the site is inaccessible due to flooding, natural barriers, and a lack of public easement and infrastructure. The area is already routinely used for informal recreation, and some existing foot and vehicle trails wind their way through the development. The community has an existing desire to occupy the area of interest. The Fall River Development is a community-based design proposal that implements public interest design principles. Public interest design is a design process that expresses the importance of everyone having role in design (Bell 52). Design should not be limited to those who can afford design 66

Small Town Stewardship | Fall River

services, but made accessible to all types of individuals. In a survey conducted by Bryan Bell, founder of Design Corps, 75% of registered architects agree that “every person should be able to live in a socially, economically, and environmentally healthy community” (Bell 52).

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Forrested Flood Plain Public Green Place Matt Wilson’s Property

There are difficulities and benefits to the adjacent amentities within the existing site conditions. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

The community input was analyzed and ranked per their importance with the site. Image by Marissa Miller.

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Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

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He goes on to describe the Design Corps’ principles: “Advocate with those who have limited voice in public life. Build structures for inclusion that engage stakeholders and allow community members to make decisions. Promote social equality through discourse that reflects a range of values and social identifies. Generate ideas that grow form place and build local capacity. Design to help conserve resources and minimize waste” (Bell 52). The Fall River Development used these principles to propel the project forward. The studio held a workshop that surveyed various community members, beyond the stakeholders, and assessed the project site’s current and potential usage. The community was able to express their ideas for programmatic elements and aesthetics through comments on images of existing conditions and precedent ideas. The team analyzed the community’s responses and determined the specific goals the community wanted them to pursue. Thesis. The Fall River Development creates spontaneous interaction for the community of Eureka by improving the viability and accessibility of existing amenities through low-impact design solutions that maintain the integrity of the natural environment.

Small Town Stewardship | Fall River

Identity The Fall River Gateway Development intends to create a strong sense of identity through large-scale design strategies and unique experiences. Adequate signage is proposed to reconnect the community to the surrounding cities and encourage travelers to become visitors as they stop off and experience the city. Despite having the ability to slow down vehicles and possibly stop them completely at an integral location, the city fails to entice tourism through signage or marking city limits. A new identity would invigorate the city and eliminate this issue. This identity evoke a sense of place that is desirable, unique, and appeals to both locals and tourists through its character and distinct culture. The most successful way to manifest these concepts is through art. In this case, art is applied to more than stereotypical physical installations in the form of sculptures or murals; it is describing the architecture and design as a cohesive development. Design is an art form that represents internal functions while showcasing the unique personalities of its users. The Fall River Development portrays an overall aesthetic that individuals can associate with Eureka while minimally disturbing the natural landscape. The team has developed a system for proposing art installations as architectural elements. Vertical elements note entrances to Eureka, the Fall River Development, and specific elements within the site while

Each of the tree decks have a particular function that benefits its adjacent areas. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

horizontal elements reflect Eurekan culture, lifestyle, and history. Vertical Elements. The Highway 54 bridge on the west side of the town crosses over Fall River and acts as a threshold into Eureka. Since the development uses the Fall River bank, the team chose to design a monumental tower to make an impression on visitors. The tower, termed a â&#x20AC;&#x153;tree deck,â&#x20AC;? becomes an identifiable piece of architecture that is replicated throughout the development. The verticality of the tree decks accentuates the entrance while the horizontal supports to tell a story through art. Standing nearly forty feet tall with an elevated viewing platform, the Gateway tree deck would be difficult to overlook. Horizontal Elements. A built-up trail parallel to Highway 54, beginning at Bennyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, would travel down to the viewing deck, facing a large scale mural designed to illustrate the history and culture of the city. This deck would be joined with wheelchair ramp, connecting visitors to the trail below. They could then follow the lower trail to access Fall River or to continue farther into the trees to end up south of the Paul Jones building at the central tree deck location. The event center tree deck is centrally located in the development and acts as a nexus for surrounding trails. Visitors have the choice to use the spiral stair within the tree deck tower, which would connect to the viewing platform and the event center and is elevated above trails leading to City Park and Fall River. The southern tree deck near City 70

Small Town Stewardship | Fall River

Park engages with the community by connecting with nature, and serves as an amphitheater for community events. All three tree decks have similar aesthetics, using the same materials and vernacular throughout the development. The tree decks represent the natural elements within the site using strips of wood to create a screen that encloses the interior spiral stair.

Connection While the establishment of identity occurs over a long period of time, the notion of connections can have an immediate impact. Despite Eureka being small in scale, it is not internally well-connected. Issues plaguing the town include a lack of walkability, community division, health, and scattered amenities, all of which are difficult to overcome without serious consideration of infrastructure. In a literal sense, the city lacks cohesiveness. It is difficult to travel other than by vehicle due to inadequate pedestrian infrastructure and circulation. Despite the city being located in a rural landscape, there is little opportunity to successfully interact with nature. Since the city of Eureka is struggling with connections, the Fall River Development implements various strategies to help improve the city by connecting with the Main Street Green Loop (Michel) and Inner-City Connectivity (Mahmoudian) design proposals. The Fall River Development will use the landscape to create an intimate experience where one can connect to nature.

The most noticeable tree deck is a destination point and gateway into Eureka. Before image by Marissa Miller. After image by John McLauglin.

The central tree deck serves as an additional gathering spot for Bennyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and the adjacent event center. Before image by Marisssa Miller. After image by Anthony Winkelmann.

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After Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

The City Park tree deck is an amphitheater for outdoor performances. Before image by Marissa Miller. After image by John McLaughlin.

Third places have the opportunity to create a nexus of community interaction (Oldenburg). The project will make a point of creating spaces and opportunities that support the local economy and encourage town prosperity. By implementing low-impact design solutions, the Fall River Development team proposes to rectify these issues for Eureka. The proposed master plan incorporates two types of trails in three locations. The first is a built-up,

Small Town Stewardship | Fall River

structured trail at the top of the bank along the tree line. This built-up trail becomes a connecting spine for the entire development. It ties the three tree decks together, as well as guides users through various buildings. The built-up trail strategically connects the northern portion of the development to the southern area and the existing city park. While the structured trail cuts through the center of the bank for a more direct route through the development, a more dynamic trail interweaves with the built-

The trails run through the entire Fall River Development, connect all the various components, and are integral to the overall success. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

The trails are located on existing paths and are designed to withstand floods. Before image by Marissa Miller. After image by Anthony Winkelmann.

Before

up trail and navigates along the riverfront and bank. Its simply ground covering creates a more intimate experience. The project takes the initiative to convert a neglected town asset of forested riverfront by designing an environment that will be a resource for enhancing health and happiness for Eureka. The various trails promote a healthy lifestyle, while the connection with nature encourages a positive mental well-being. Since the built-up trail is raised off the ground, it can be utilized during wet conditions. When weather permits, the combination of the organic and built-up trails make a continuous loop for constant exercise while providing numerous stopping points to rest and appreciate nature. The design connects the various architectural elements with nature. Through concepts of health, nature, and recreation, connections will be established throughout the area while attracting individuals from Highway 54 bridge, City Park, and surrounding economic areas.

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Nature as a Third Place Designing and developing the Fall River site will create special places within Eureka that residents can explore, pathways that allow residents to move safely around town, and nature trails to promote health. These connections create relationships between man and nature that support the ideals of a rural lifestyle: where one can “get away” and relax. A third place is a social location outside of the home and workplace, and helps define a sense of place for a community (Oldenburg). Developments for “third places” such as Main Street and City Park are emerging within Eureka, but a few of them offer the expansive opportunity to connect with nature. Affiliation with nature is considered a basic human need, and has shown to reduce stress, anger, aggression, and anxiety (Passmore). Combining this need with the opportunity to promote safety and community interaction will improve Eureka’s culture and psychosocial health. “[As] psychologists we have heard but little about gardens, about foliage, about forests and farmland… Perhaps this resource for enhancing health, happiness, and wholeness has been neglected long enough.” (Kaplan & Kaplan 189).

Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

Affluence Rural communities often face economic struggles due to limited access to amenities coupled with a small population. Eureka’s existing infrastructure has little in the way of attractions to draw new citizens and businesses to the region. This results in the town being stuck in a consistent state of economic torpor, with little opportunity for growth and improvement. Eureka craves developments through “third places” that both support social development and are economically sustainable. Third places have the opportunity to create a nexus of community interaction. (Oldenburg) Eureka will be more successful in generating prosperity if provided amenities are both lively and attractive. These spaces must accommodate a vast range of users, creating a wide variety of stakeholders in the community that did not exist before. These invested men and women will promote the community to develop a greater sense of pride and be more considerate of the quality of the town’s businesses. The Fall River project will make a point of creating spaces and opportunities within Eureka that support the local economy and encourage town prosperity through recreation and art. The economic facilities are the transition components that attract users to the development and encourage them to use the various trails. As they improve economic activity, they are necessary for the development to grow. The various economic programmatic components set the environmental tone 74

Small Town Stewardship | Fall River

for the entire Fall River Development by creating natural interstitial spaces. The plaza, beer garden, and the community campgrounds create the transition from the built environment to the natural environment.

Economic Elements The Fall River Development proposes that all architectural elements function as a cohesive business venture. Each building is strategically located to be a face of the development and facilitate natural progression onto the trails. Additionally, the buildings are designed to complement their adjacent tree decks in order to integrate successfully in the master plan. Four distinct program elements have been developed. The most northern element along Highway 54 is a bike facility and plaza which introduce the entire development. The second is a large venue space with both interior and exterior gathering spaces. An important exterior space is the beer garden to the south of the venue building, which transitions users from the building through landscape while directing them to the central tree deck and down to the recreation trails along the flood plain. The third component is lodging. Since Eureka is a popular site for hunters and cyclists, the Fall River Development increases the number of rooms and camp spaces available. Cabins are placed along the ridge and are designed to experience the surrounding landscape. Campsites

The proposed elements improved the economic opportunities within the development. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

Existing Affluence Proposed Affluence

Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

are located along the south east edge of the development, in close proximity to the existing city park as well as the outdoor amphitheater. The campground includes a pavilion for gathering and bathing. The pavilion has facilities for cooking and can host a food truck that would service the development as a whole. While all the buildings provide a different opportunity, they work cohesively with each other and the rest of the development to provide a unified experience. By providing economic activity, the Fall River Development encourages economic growth throughout the city. The business venture promotes the development by attracting residents and visitors to a unique experience in the landscape. The Fall River Development strives to create architecture, which complements the surrounding natural environment, producing a cohesive design that individuals of all backgrounds and ages can experience.

Phasing The Fall River Development is designed to facilitate a progression of construction and economic feasibility; each of the areas is developed to build upon each other through similar materials and aesthetics and strengthen each other’s goals. Each of the three areas are designed with a community need as its concept and developed to sustain itself until the subsequent areas are completed. Since the development has a large amount of components, it 76

Small Town Stewardship | Fall River

needs to be strategically constructed. It is crucial to gain community support before pursuing additional components. The first phase focuses on highlighting the connections from the city to nature to drum up community support. The tree deck behind the event center and Benny’s will be the first area of construction, drawing users from the restaurant and raising awareness of the development’s intentions. Once further funding and support have been raised, the tree deck structure next to the Highway 54 Bridge will be constructed. This second major component develops Eureka’s identity through art and architecture as community support continues to grow. This construction phase will be combined with logistics concerning art implementation. It will work in collaboration with the southern tree deck connecting to City Park, as well as the nearby outdoor eatery. The third phase of construction will be the economic components beginning with the bike facility and plaza. Upon completion of these first elements, the event space and beer garden will be implemented. This offers flexible revenue while attracting the community and new visitors. The cabins and campgrounds will provide lodging for the influx of visitors. Following the third phase, the development is near completion. Each of the phases builds off the others to promote an overall experience. Once all three phases are constructed, the trails and infrastructure will be built to

The entire Fall River Development uses the same materials to portray and cohesive designa and experience. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

connect all the components. The trails establish a natural progression through the entire development. They facilitate various uses as they interweave with the landscape and built environment. They are the pieces that connect all phases and maximize the site’s potential. The trails were derived from existing deer and foot paths in order to not disrupt the natural environment. Because the majority of the development is located below the Fall River bank, users can easily immerse themselves in nature. The Fall River team strives to have the built environment coexist with the natural environment. The built components are designed to celebrate nature rather than overcome it. While they are the last component to be constructed, the trails are the most crucial to the Fall River Development.

Wood

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Deliverables The work proposed by the Fall River Gateway Development group over the course of the academic year is most significantly a visioning session for the town of Eureka and more specifically, for stakeholders such as Matt Wilson. By addressing the issues of identity, connections, and affluence, the group’s low-impact proposals will reinvigorate Eureka culturally, socially, and economically. The deliverables for this year will analyze and propose improved infrastructure in the Fall River walking area, including conceptual design and design development from the master plan scale to the specific scale of the tree decks. Furthermore, the architectural elements addressing the issues of affluence including the bike building, the campgrounds, the Fall River Event Center, and the private cabins are pursued through design development to give the town an example of the economic opportunities that are available. Overarching all design proposals by the Fall River Development Group is the consideration of how the project connects to the overall vision of Eureka’s City Plan. By connecting to other proposals within Small Town Studio, such as the Highway 54 Economic Plan and the Main Street Green Loop projects, the Fall River Development group’s proposal highlights the priorities of designing Eureka as a whole. The proposals completed by the team will guide future designers and stakeholders in Eureka toward a common conversation that will best improve the city. Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

Small Town Stewardship | Fall River

Bike Building Eureka, Kansas 2014

Anthony Winkelmann

The bike building showcases the stored bicycles while drawing visitors to the outdoor plaza. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

Goal The bike building and the adjacent plaza establish the design tone for all the components within the Fall River Development and becomes the promotional experience. Through strategic design, architecture and landscape collaboratively work to create a unique experience that relates to the structured city context and organic natural environment. It strives to connect with River Street and hold the urban edge while portraying the same image as the entire Fall River Development: design can be nature sensitive and successful if the landscape and building are composed cohesively.

Public Space The plaza signifies a sense of community by providing a central location for individuals to gather. It rises in elevation from the street emphasizing the importance of the event center’s size and program. While it functionally serves as a public space, it also becomes an extension of the event center and bike building. William Whyte, the writer of The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, describes various amenities a plaza should include to maximize its potential and usage. The Fall River Development team incorporated numerous items from Whyte’s research, including seating (fixed and moveable), access to natural elements (sun, trees, and water), food provisions, and a street relationship (Whyte).

Small Town Stewardship | Fall River

The plaza has three distinct zones that start the transition for individuals from the city fabric to the natural environment. By using all three zones, it begins to frame an image of community activity and architecture through elevation changes and landscape. The relationship between the plaza and sidewalk ultimately determines the success or failure of the public space (Whyte 57). Therefore, the zone adjacent to the public sidewalk is an ordered hardscape that mirrors the path of the highway. The main goal for this zone is to attract users into the plaza and use the plaza and sidewalk junction to “[stimulate] impulse use” (Whyte 57). It immediately attracts users by

The plaza is broken into three zones. Each one helps users transition from the city to the natural environment. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

The plaza takes cues from the bike building and event center to establish an overall order. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

providing a dining option. Whyte mentions how food is a method to promote public activity and goes onto to describe, “[food] vendors have become the caterers of the city’s outdoor life” (Whyte 50). The food truck promotes local business and establishes the plaza as a destination. Upon entering the central zone, the landscape introduces a band of green space. The individual planters bring the inaccessible bike building green roof to a tangible, human level. The green roof and planter occur next to one another; therefore, it gives the illusion that the building rises of the ground. The interstitial space provides ample room for various moveable tables and chairs for pre- or post-event gatherings. The importance of this space is to provide a location for individuals to eat and

Small Town Stewardship | Fall River

interact. The crucial key to the success of this zone is the moveable seating. Whyte continues to state the importance of moveable seating, “chairs enlarge choice: to move into the sun, out of it, to make room for groups, move away from them” (Whyte 35). Non-fixed program facilitates the possibility of choice and creates a unique personal experience. As users occupy the space within, the green spaces establish a datum of natural vegetation that provides a picture of scenery. The goal is to have the hardscape plaza not combat the surrounding natural environment but portrays the importance of landscape in design. The last zone introduces additional elements that emphasize the floor and overhead plans through natural elements. Water is a unique feature within the plaza. People enjoy access to

The plaza provides various experiences to attract passerbys from the east. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

it because they enjoy the look, feel, and sound of it (Whyte 47-48). Therefore, the Fall River Development team introduced a band of water, symbolizing the Fall River. It runs along the event center and becomes a way finding object through the event center to the beer garden. Required for their success, benches are used for multiple uses (Whyte 34). Benches jut out from the event center and occur at regular which establish a rhythmic aesthetic. These benches enclose small pocket parks. Within these pocket parks, the ground is covered in vegetation, and a single tree is placed at the center to establish an overhead plane. Individuals are encouraged

to occupy the space underneath the trees because they “[provide] a sense of enclosure” (Whyte 46). Trees make individuals feel safer while providing a cool location to people watch. The entire plaza promotes community activity. The Fall River Development team incorporated items that William Whyte discovered that make a public plaza successful. Ultimately, Whyte claims, “what attracts people most, it would appear, is other people” (Whyte 19). The plaza has the necessary components to attract and retain individuals and encourage community growth.

The plaza showcases the bike storage while presenting the food truck to attract visitors from the west. Image by Anthony Winkelmann

Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

Bike Building Eureka has an uncommon opportunity to appeal to a specific group of individuals, cyclists. Since the TransAmerica Bike Trail runs along Highway 54, many cyclists pass through Eureka. The Fall River Development team took this as an opportunity to expand on a Eurekan experience and provide a unique economic opportunity. While it is called the bike building, it serves multiple uses. In reality, the bike building is two separate programs that are dissected with the built-up trail, emphasizing the northernmost trailhead, but still are occupied under a single large green roof. The western portion houses bikes for storage and rental, and the eastern portion serves as the administrative offices for the event center, cabins, and campgrounds. Both sets of programs are aesthetically contrasting. The bike portion is encased in a glass box that showcases the cycling experience. It acts as storage for cyclistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bikes when they rest in Eureka for the night and provides a bike rental program for visitors who are looking to experience Eureka in a new way. Its large room glows during the night to symbolize the importance the space. Continuous access allows individuals to come and go as they please. Whether it is day or night, the transparent portion extends outward toward the highway and demands passersbyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention. Since the administration is an internal program, the exterior facade is more opaque. It holds two desks for 84

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the director and assitant director to mangage the entire business venture and a front assitant to help manage daily activities. There is enough room to temporarily hold a few individuals and a bike to settle any business transactions. The vertical wood cladding on the administration portion accentuates the height of the surrounding trees and focuses attention to the green roof. The wood wraps around the entire green roof and holds it to a basic perimeter. An thin overhang extends above the glass facade to shade a portion of the interior space. Since the green roof requires a large amount of structure, both halves of the building implement different strategies to give the illusion of a thinner roof. The thin overhang above the glass stretches outward to limit the view of the green roof wall while the

The green roof structure appears to be thinner than it really is by extending wood parapets upward and overhangs outward. Image by Anthony Winkelmann The program serves as a bike storage and administrative offices while acting as the northern trailhead. Image by Anthony Winkelmann

The bike building and plaza represent the Flint Hillsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; landscape passing a rural Kansas barn by bringing the vegetation from the green roof to the ground plane. Image by Anthony Winkelmann

opaque box extends the wood upward to completely eliminate an overhang by forming a parapet. As briefly mentioned, the bike building occurs in the central zone of the plaza. The same vegetation from the plaza occurs on the green roof as well. The large shed roof brings the building to a human scale. In doing so, it creates a different elevation experience on the plaza side. While the built environment is emphasized on the west with the glass facade, the natural environment is accentuated on the

east with the green roof and planters. Besides the programmatic elements, the bike building marks the beginning of the built-up trail. Two large steel columns that mimic the event center serve as identifiable landmarks for the trail. Two load bearing concrete walls extend outward toward the sidewalk and engage with visitors walking by or in the plaza. The simplified program allows for the aesthetics to emphasize the natural environment. While the single opaque half acts as a planter for the green roof, the connectedness between the building and plaza symbolize the undulating landscape of the Flint Hills. The building successfully achieves the programmatic issues but the unique experience lies with the cohesiveness of the bike building, plaza, and event center.

Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

Small Town Stewardship | Fall River

Fall River Event Center Eureka, Kansas 2014

Marissa Miller

Body Text A nighttime event held at the Fall River Event Center shows how the community can mingle with nature. Image by Marissa Miller.

Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

Fall River Event Center The Paul Jones building currently sits on the far west end of Eureka facing Highway 54, next to Bennyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bar & Grill. The building is owned by Matt Wilson, owner of Invena Corporation. Historically, the building was constructed as a car dealership (Wilson) but now stands as an empty shell on a under-utilized lot. What remains of the building has fallen into disrepair, leaving the existing amenities beyond the possibility of affordable renovation. Currently, the building is used for miscellaneous events such as local band concerts. After extensive surveying of the community as well as programmatic discussions with the client, a flexible venue space was chosen as the architectural element to replace the Paul Jones Building. As the largest component of the Fall River Development, the event center offers significant opportunities to attract revenue. Conceptually, the building offers several spatial options to adequately service a wide range of events. In collaboration with the campsite and cabins within the development, the event center will attract visitors to Eureka by hosting events such as hunting conventions, family reunions, and local weddings. These visitors can then seek lodging within the development, retaining the consumers in the community.

Small Town Stewardship | Fall River

The Event Center will attract visitors to Eureka by hosting events such as hunting conventions, family reunions, and local weddings.

The Paul Jones Building, 1946 was once a auto service shop and dealership, offering economic viability on River Street. Image courtesy of Matt Wilson. Presently, the Paul Jones Building stands in disrepair and abandoned. Owner Matt Wilson wishes the property be returned to a viable amenity for Eureka. Image by Marissa Miller.

Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

Because of its location, the Fall River Event Center blurs the line between the rigidity of the city grid with the surrounding natural landscape. The plaza offers a social space near Highway 54, north of the event center. This space offers an alternative location for the food truck that is proposed as part of the campground development, as well as general outdoor social events such as festivals, meetings, or vendor space. The central trailhead for the Fall River Development begins at Highway 54 and travels directly south, bisecting the bike building and slipping next to the event center and beer garden. This path leads directly to the central tree deck, leading visitors into the woods and connecting with the trails below. The upper trail connects the site on the east-west axis, providing access to the individual cabins for the development. The Fall River Event Center offers a flexible interior layout that accommodates a formal dining event for 300 occupants. As a rural community, Eurekaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs are likely to not always be extensive, so the event space is divisible into smaller

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rooms for maximum flexibility. The event space and bar are located on the southern end of the building in order to maximize view sheds to the landscape as well as integrate fully with the exterior beer garden. Service functions are pushed to the north end of the building, including the kitchen and delivery spaces. Food service can be provided to the event spaces on the interior, as well as the northern plaza, which would potentially house the proposed food truck for the development.

The Event Center [...] offers a ďŹ&#x201A;exible interior layout that accommodates a formal dining event for 300 occupants.

Legend Main Event Space Flexible Event Space Service

Various event diagrams show the flexibilty of interior space as it allows for scaled accomodations. Image by Marissa Miller. Proposed Fall River Event Center from eastbound Highway 54 as traffic enters Eureka city limits. Image by Marissa Miller. The Event Center is located south of Highway 54 and east of Bennyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bar and Grill, offering strong connections between indoor and outdoor spaces. Image by Marissa Miller.

Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

The entire envelope of the building is a steel rain screen construction, using a pre-fabricated structural barn system to reduce costs. This conventional frame is adapted to create dynamic spaces and apertures within the envelope to further reinforce the indoor/outdoor themes of the design. Then entry of the building is located on the east side, facing Bennyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and fully engaging with main trail on the site. Important spaces such as the entry are highlighted on the exterior by pulling the steel skin away and exposing the lively program within. This important moment in the building is further celebrated by traversing site elements such as the trellis and water features that cross the trail and separate parking from the building to the west.

Event Center cross section through light gardens along the built-up trail. Image by Marissa Miller. Event Center section perspective showing the outdoor connections throughout the building. Image by Marissa Miller.

Small Town Stewardship | Fall River

Interior view of light garden. Image by Marissa Miller.

Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

Immediately south of the building, a beer garden provides additional outdoor event space that can be privatized for specific events, or simply a structured outdoor social space that is removed from the city environment. The beer garden provides seating for eating and drinking, directly adjacent to the main event space and bar within the building. The garden continues south, gently sloping to imply further integration into the landscape and drawing the visitor deeper into the development. Conceptually, the garden integrates land, water and fire to offer a unique experience within nature, becoming increasingly natural and private as the visitor progresses south. The design includes outdoor rooms with fire pits so that individuals and small groups may extend their event experience late into the night, bringing people together at all scales.

Small Town Stewardship | Fall River

Event Center beer garden entry from parking. Image by Marissa Miller. Beer garden plan showing natural plantings surrounding fire pits. Image by Marissa Miller. Fall River Event Center seen from the elevated trail. Image by Marissa Miller.

Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

Small Town Stewardship | Fall River

Cabins Eureka, Kansas 2014

John McLaughlin

Cabins as seen from clearing. Image by John McLaughlin.

Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

Location Proposed by the Fall River Development comprehensive plan, cabins are along the upper trail between the campsites and event center. These dwellings will encourage the connection of the community of Eureka and its visitors to the existing natural environment of the Fall River area. The success of these structures lies in a design that makes them functional and accessible for future visiting cyclists, families, and seasonal hunters. Hunters travel from surrounding communities and states to visit the Fall River Wildlife Area located on the outskirts of Eureka (Kansas Department 98

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of Wildlife). With Eureka being the closest town for restaurants and lodging, the majority of the hunters eat and sleep at Bennyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Westside. The restaurant is a definite stop for a bite to eat, but unfortunately the existing motel is in need of renovation and expansion to provide adequate options for overnight stay for the mass number of hunters who visit the area (Citizen of Eureka). To help meet this need, a series of cabins will be on the adjacent property next to Bennyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s within the Fall River Development, working as an economic stimulator and providing adequate shelter for daily visitors. The cabins will connect to the upper main trail that stretches from the event center to the

campgrounds and outdoor eatery next to City Park. There will be a total of six cabins, half of them will sleep six and the rest will sleep four. In form, the six-person cabins are horizontal with a gable roof and will provide a master bedroom, living space with fold out couch, full kitchen, bathroom, and loft. The fourperson cabins are a vertical box with an accessible rooftop and will have an open floor plan with a small living space that has a fold out couch, kitchen, bathroom,

and loft bedroom. The vertical and horizontal cabins will be paired to create three nodes along the main path to offer a communal resting and campfire destination. These gathering spaces will be cut into the sloped bank to provide a small amount of privacy. As for the construction of these cabins it will be divided into two phases.

Campus master plan of cabins along Fall River treeline. Image by Marissa Miller. Bennyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Westside, Eureka Kansas. www.google.com/maps/preview. Image by GoogleMaps.

Interior program of cabins. Image by John McLaughlin.

Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

Phases of Construction Within phase one the steel structure and concrete platform will be constructed as a viewing deck connecting individuals on the main trail to the forested Fall River natural environment. In phase two the railings will be removed and the cabin’s footprint will align with their previous location. The structure of the cabins will be of steel tubing and framing with a concrete platform that extends over the river bank. Although the structural material is the same, the envelope of the two styles of cabins will vary. The gabled roof cabin’s wall surfaces will be drywall finish on the interior and reclaimed barn wood on the exterior

  100

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envelope, similar to House Karlsson designed by Tham and Videgard Architecture. The cube cabin will have a finished wood interior and weathered steel on the exterior, much like the Rolling Huts designed by Olson Kundig Architects. The natural environment of the Fall River area is something that should be cherished and shared with traveling visitors. The Development of these cabins will not only provide thirty additional sleeping arrangements for visitors during peak hunting seasons and events throughout the year, but will also create that connection of the built to the natural environment. Lastly it will help Eureka become a destination and enjoyable place to visit.

 

Cabins seen from upper main trail that connects the event center to the campgrounds next to City Park. Image by John McLaughlin.

Freehand sketch of construction phasing, from pavilion to cabin. Image by John McLaughlin.

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Campgrounds Eureka, Kansas 2014

Anthony Winkelmann

The community pavilion uses materials and proportions to bring its spaces to a human scale. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

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Campground Campus Plan Recent studies show there has been an increase in individuals camping throughout the United States, and this number is predicted to continue to grow (Outdoor Foundation et al. 2). Families of all ages, genders, and races enjoy the experience of camping (Outdoor Foundation et al. 11). There is a group of cyclists who travel along Highway 54 on the TransAmerica Bike Trail and seek to temporarily stop in the city to experience the culture and rest. However, there are few lodging choices within Eureka, and some individuals elect to camp at City Park, without the proper infrastructure or facilities for basic necessities. The proposed campground is meant to address the need for well-apportioned campsites while providing linkage between the Fall River Development and City Park. The Eureka campgrounds are designed to appeal to multiple individuals. Each site has a sense of privacy within a community atmosphere. The most influential reason people go camping is for the experience and connection with nature (Outdoor Foundation et al. 25). The new campsites are strategically integrated within the ground plane and directed toward the sky to emphasize a connection with nature. With low impact design, the campgrounds complement the natural environment. The campsites strive to reconnect individuals with the natural elements. Earth, fire, wind, and water

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Residential Commercial Recreation Residential

Fall River

Commercial

Forrested Flood Plain

Recreation

Public Green Place

Fall River

Matt Wilsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Property

Forrested Flood Plain Public Green Place Matt Wilsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Property

The site plan showcases the adjacent existing amenities. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

Campground integrates itself with the natural environment and has a direct correlation to the outdoor theater and City Park. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

are all represented within the campsite or adjacent spaces. Each of the elements are specifically used to the campgroundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advantage. Fire is used for warmth and cooking, while wind and water are used for recreational activities within City Park and the Fall River Development. The surrounding earth figuratively grounds and redirects water for a more positive camping experience. According to a recent survey, campers enjoy various activities beyond staying in tents (Outdoor Foundation et al. 16). Activities include hiking, jogging, bicycling, kayaking, fishing, and outdoor cooking (Outdoor Foundation et al. 27). The Eureka campgrounds are strategically located in the southern portion of the Fall River Development to facilitate these activities and additional ones through access to an outdoor theatre, playground, and eatery. This location provides the closest opportunity to connect with the southern trails and Fall River docks, while providing additional amenities for the outdoor amphitheater and City Park. The campground acts as a transition between the built environment and natural landscape. The campgroundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s southern location and amenities contribute users to the Fall River Development. The campgrounds attract users from the adjacent City Park to the rest of the development through unique experiences. The built up trail that connects the northern half of the development also becomes the primary circulation for the campgrounds. It brings visitors from the public parking Fall River | Small Town Stewardship

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Section 2 1" = 20'-0"

2 -0"

Privacy walls partition each of the campsites but still allow a community atmostphere. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

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Small Town Stewardship | Fall River

The sectional quality of the campgrounds circulates water around the individual campsites rather than through them. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

The building is designed to use simple construction methods to limit the effect on the environment. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

lot to a semi-public campfire clearing and terminates at the community pavilion. From the campfire clearing, individual paths direct visitors through a threshold to each private campsite. Section 2 The trail integrates 2 itself with a designed 1" = 20'-0" landscape to screen public areas from the private campgrounds and gives the impression of an undisturbed landscape. Each campsite has the same basic amenities, but offered in two different manners. While there is a level platform for tents and informal seating, it may be either elevated above the ground or sunken below. The varying sectional qualities circulate water around each of the campsites to provide a better quality camping experience. While some campsites use gabion retaining walls, which are large wire containers filled with

rocks, others use built up platforms. Both types project a view toward the existing natural environment. Through designed landscape, each campsite has a view directed west toward the trees and upward toward the sky. The landscape frames particular views that enforce the relationship with the natural environment. While camping has historically been an individual activity, it has been enjoyed by groups of people (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Campingâ&#x20AC;?). Individuals are unable to see neighboring campers, but they have the opportunity to interact with them at the campfire clearing and in the community pavilion. The community pavilion is a covered gathering area that houses cooking equipment, large tables, and a location for a food truck. Since this large gathering location has high

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visibility, it serves multiple users from the outdoor amphitheater, City Park, and the campsites. It is the heart of the campground development, because it facilitates community growth with neighboring campers, city park users and residents of Eureka. The community pavilion contains the bathhouse and is a hub for economic and community activity. It is a nexus of various opportunities to experience the adjacent city and Fall River Development. The materials palette represents nature in

the built form, which ultimately brings the large scale natural environment to a human scale. The built forms that use natural materials and native landscapes integrate themselves with the natural backdrop to blend into one another. The community pavilion uses a natural wood faรงade to emphasize the connection with the surrounding wooded area and built up trail. The pavilion has limited enclosure which allows for a framed view of the trees, strengthening the connection with nature.

The high visibility of the community pavilion attracts users from the adjacent City Park. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

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Implementation The campgrounds are part of the large business venture including the cabins and event center. However, it does not require simultaneous construction with the rest of the economic development. It is meant to serve residents and visitors when it is necessary. In order for the campgrounds to be successful, a certain amount of interest is demanded before construction. The campground as a site can also be phased out to facilitate an easier construction cost and schedule. The pavilion should be the first to be constructed since it can be used by multiple individuals throughout the Fall River Development and surrounding city. In conjunction to the pavilion the bathhouse will be a beneficial building to the adjacent outdoor amphitheater and

City Park. To conclude the campground construction, the campsites will be the last phase. They are the final transition piece to the natural elements within the Fall River Development. The campground is in collaboration with cabins and an event space in an economic endeavor to facilitate an outdoor lifestyle with modern amenities as proposed by the Fall River Development comprehensive plan. With campsites along the upper trail adjacent to City Park, it strives to appeal to visitors while maximizing privacy. At its southeastern location of the development, the campground also provides a public eatery for families at City Park or attending a show at the outdoor amphitheater. The campground and adjacent amenities are meant to instill residents and visitors with a deeper appreciation for the surrounding nature.

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Small Town Stewardship | Main Street

Main Street

Like many small towns, Eurekaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Main Street has the most potential for redevelopment into a lively commercial district. This year, the Main Street Development Team focused on providing Eureka with a comprehensive plan that will guide the community through the revitalization of this historic district. As the plan is implemented, Main Street will be redefined as the commercial and cultural heart of the city where both residents and visitors will go to experience Eureka. New Metropolitan Hotel. Many Eurekans desire upscale accommodations for their guests. The current lodging options are limited to two budget motels a set of cabins designed for hunters. Employers in the area would like a place that visiting clients could stay without requiring them to commute to El Dorado or other outlying towns for the night. This project aims to provide convenient accommodations for these important visitors, as well as cyclists who pass through town on the TransAmerica Bike Trail. Another group, the Fall River Development, is also proposing additional lodging options for the town. Founding Stone Town Homes. When initially discussing the state of Main Street, Kelly, of Kellyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Everything Unique offered a perspective that stuck with the group. She said that [Main Street] used to be the cool, hip place to live. You did not live in Eureka if you did not live on Main Street (Kelly North). When people started moving off of the urban strip, businesses started to decline as well, further perpetuating the decay. The proposed housing solution moves professionals back to the urban core and reinvigorates the downtown environment. Pioneer Post Incubator. The Main Street Development Team initially identified that one problem Eureka faces is the fact that downtown is currently empty. It needs lively interactions: businesses to fill shops, activity to fill buildings, and people to fill streets. Eureka needs a kick-start, and one of the largest aspects of this problem is the lack of businesses and under-utilization of the majority of existing businesses along Main Street. A business incubator program not only adds fresh ideas to the city of Eureka, but provides existing businesses with much needed advice and training to help them succeed, while providing incentives for new start-up ventures.

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Small Town Studio | Main Street

Comprehensive Plan Eureka, Kansas 2014

Bryce Cummings Allison Parr Christy Phelps

Body Text

Main Street Rendering. The beautification and economic plans will make Main Street a lively commercial district. Image by Christy Phelps

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Context The stretch of Main Street between Highway 54 and Eighth Street is one of the main commercial districts in Eureka. The three blocks from First to Third Street comprise the historic downtown district. This strip already contains the infrastructure required for a walkable commercial district, and through historic renovation, this once buzzing thoroughfare could be revitalized into the social center of Eureka. As one of Eurekaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s major commercial districts, Main Street has particularly suffered from the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic decline. Many valuable commercial properties are being used as private storage or are abandoned and deteriorating. Of the fifty-five store fronts on Main Street, only twenty one of them house functioning businesses. This significant percentage of vacant buildings presents Main Street as an abandoned district. Probelm Set. Six questions, answered through research and observation, helped determine the current state of Main Street and how it should improve. 1. What are the existing conditions in Eureka? 2. What amenities are common in successful small towns? 3. What businesses should be established in Eureka? 4. Where should these businesses be located? 5. What will these businesses need from the town and its 114

Small Town Stewardship | Main Street

population to succeed? 6. How will the town draw in these new businesses? The answers to these questions help inform the suggestions in the Comprehensive Plan. An assessment of the current conditions on Main Street determined what problems currently plague downtown Eureka. Through a walk along Main Street that included interviews with available business owners, it was clear that this district contains a mixture of thriving businesses, failing businesses, and empty buildings. Flint Hills Feed and Supply, Kellyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Everything Unique, The Jar, The Home & Trust Bank, The Half Dollar, Sherar Williams, and the Huntington Auction House have been in operation fat least one year (North). However, scattered amongst these businesses are the vestiges of old shops that now sit empty and in a state of disrepair, for example, The Big House and Prairie Grass Steak House buildings. Boarded-up windows, dusty storefronts, dilapidated interiors, and buildings converted to storage add to the deteriorated appearance of downtown. With 41% of the downtown buildings sitting empty, there are few costumer draws on Main Street (Main Street Economic Plan, 1). A lack of signage and posted business hours make existing businesses inaccessible to potential patrons. The low density of customer traffic along Main Street compounds the difficulties businesses have generating income.

renders many of the blocks unwalkable and has thrust Main Street into a continual state of decline. The problems on Main Street can be narrowed down to three major issues: the deteriorated urban fabric, low economic activity, and insufficient third places that allow for socializing. The Main Street Economic Team is addressing these concerns through planning, design, and coordination of new and existing resources.

Context Empty Buildings. The green buildings shown above are currently empty or are storage. Image by Bryce Cummings.

Historic Urban Fabric. The boxed off area represents the section of Main Street comprised of a historic urban fabric. Image by Bryce Cummings.

The deterioration of Main Street is perpetuated by the migration of businesses to Highway 54, also known as River Street. A majority of Eurekans agree that Main Street should be revitalized (Eureka Comments). However, the migration of businesses away from Main Street indicates that business owners, townspeople, and other stakeholders do not share a unified vision for the town. The economic migration affects remaining downtown businesses and causes the breakdown of the urban fabric. Project for Public Spaces is a nonprofit that is expanding on the work of William Whyte. This group suggest, “Any great public space should offer at least ten things to do or ten reasons to be there” (The Project For Public Spaces). At one point in history, Main Street had at least ten businesses that provided things to do. Many of these third places have relocated or disappeared completely. The deterioration of the urban fabric

Eureka’s Main Street commercial district can be revitalized into a walkable district where businesses’ patrons would have a more pleasant atmosphere in which to spend longer periods of time. The Comprehensive Plan portrays a revitalized historic downtown district and gives Eureka a clear course of action for supporting business development along Main Street. The comprehensive plan provides a utopian vision and step by step plan for the physical improvement of Main Street. The physical improvements have been divided into a beautification phase and an economic phase. The suggestions in these phases will act as a springboard for future improvements on Main Street. Business prototypes have been designed by individual team members for future businesses that fit into both the beautification and economic plans. These projects include a hotel, townhomes, and a business incubator, all of which bring life to Main Street. Main Street | Small Town Stewardship

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Goals. The goal of the comprehensive plan is to revitalize Main Street into a pleasant, walkable, commercial downtown district. Contributing factors to achieve this plan include developing an arts district, bringing in new economic activity, and implementing services and housing on Main Street. A major factor in this plan is the combination of historic renovation and new construction to provide the town with new economically feasible amenities and services. Historic renovation helps preserve the historic culture of a place. In many towns, such as St. Charles, Missouri, the historic Main Street has become a landmark destination site (USA Today). With the use of historic renovation, this once buzzing thoroughfare can be revitalized into a social center for the community.

Comprehensive Plan Utopian Vision. The utopian vision for Eureka’s historic Main Street is developed from four components: third places, lively streets, case studies, and community suggestions. These components help build a commercial district that members of the community will support. According to Lively Streets: Determining Environmental Characteristics to Support Social Behavior, downtowns should include “a variety of restaurants, coffee shops, bars, fast food restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, hardware 116

Small Town Stewardship | Main Street

Second Floor

First Floor

stores, pharmacies, electronic stores, cleaners, apparel stores, barbershops, hair and beauty salons, bookshops, video rental stores, teaching institutes, banks, offices, apartments, and so on” (Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning 171). Many of these functions would be categorized as third places. The third places on a Main Street fall into categories such as arts, dining and entertainment, and retail. Third Places. Ray Oldenburg defined third places as, “neutral ground, a “leveler” or all-inclusive space, activities are built around conversations, they are accessible and accommodating to all, there are regulars who frequent the space, the structures keep a low

Existing Third Places. Green areas represent the locations of existing third places on Main Street. Image by Christy Phelps.

Existing Category Assignments. The current state of Main Street is a combination of existing businesses and empty storefronts. Image by Bryce Cummings. Empty

Entertainment Services Retail

Housing Arts

profile, people are playful and enjoying themselves, and it acts as a person’s home away from home” (Oldenburg 22-42). These third places are amenities, besides business, that would act as an additional draw to the Main Street district. However, the third places currently on Eureka’s Main Street do not meet the recommended design, use, and availability of successful third places. The Jar, for example, a coffee shop, is only open from 10am-6pm on weekdays. The limited business hours exclude anyone with a full-time job, high school students meeting after classes, and friends hanging out on the weekend from ever being available to use this facility. An important characteristic of a third place is people’s ability to spend an extended period of time in the space. To help define Main Street as a third place, the Small Town Studio developed a bench project for the city of Eureka.

An important characteristic of a third place is people’s ability to spend an extended period of time in the space. A simple bench was designed for the public spaces around Eureka. Each bench is sponsored by citizens of Eureka and their names are engraved on the side. These benches provide people

a place to sit and rest while they are spending time on Main Street. These benches also develop a sense of pride in the community because the residents see their peers’ names on the benches, and it is clear that there are people who care about revitalizing the community, including Main Street Lively Streets. A lively street is defined as, “a street with the presence of a number of people engaged in a variety of predominantly stationary and sustained activities, particularly those activities that are social in nature” (Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning 166). These activities, which usually take place in third places, are missing from the existing Main Street environment. Jane Jacobs explains that, “through repeated short-term contacts, people grow to trust their fellow city dwellers, who may otherwise be total strangers” (Jacobs 1961). Main Street’s lack of social spaces limits these public interactions. Case Studies. One question that needs to be asked is what kinds of businesses make up thriving downtowns? Several case studies that contain thriving downtowns include Marfa, Texas, which the group was able to visit and experience first-hand; the historic Delano District in Wichita, Kansas; and downtown Manhattan, Kansas. Although many different businesses are housed in these three areas, they all fall within the same four categories: Arts, Dining and Entertainment, Retail and Shopping, and Goods and Services. The arts Main Street | Small Town Stewardship

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category varies from actual arts foundations and galleries for displaying art, to studios and classes. The team has found that the presence of art in a thriving downtown area has been the standard, and small townsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; downtowns are no exception. Next, each town has dining and entertainment that include a variety of restaurants and bars indicating that restaurants play a key role in bringing people to the downtown area. Retail and shopping in a downtown sector are also very important, and the case studies were composed of a wide array of shops. The same can be said for the goods and services offered in each town. The important point is that in a thriving downtown, these shops are

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located on Main Street, and none of the storefronts appear to be empty. Community Suggestions. While having the right shops and businesses located on Main Street is important in a small town downtown, the most important factor at play is the involvement of the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s people. This community involvement can be divided into three main groups: key players and facilitators, a cooperative and motivated city government, and a willing and involved populous. Without a unified goal, and the development of new programs and initiatives,it will be difficult to succeed with any revitalization in Eureka. As part of a community outreach

Community Comments. Possible future building uses proposed by residents of Eureka. Image by Christy Phelps.

and feedback session, the Main Street Development Team created a document based on existing conditions in Eureka, showcasing the main four-block commercial portion of downtown, from Highway 54 to the Greenwood County Courthouse. In this section of town, the team identified which buildings were occupied by businesses, and which were empty. It was requested that the townspeople fill in suggestions for what these empty spaces should become, or rather, what they felt Eureka was lacking. With this data, as well as that of the case studies, a shortlist of recommended businesses was established. This list includes Arts, Dining and Entertainment, Retail

and Shopping, Health and Wellness, Housing, and Identity. Through discussions and interactions with residents, the team was able to develop a list of dining and entertainment amenities that community members would like to see on Main Street. While the Main Street team introduces all of its findings within this section, not all of the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suggestions have been addressed specifically by the group. All of these businesses fit into the idealized comprehensive plan, but not all have been specifically addressed. First on the list was a local foods restaurant, a farm-to-table style establishment that not only supports

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local produce and livestock, but can be a precedent for local foods to find their place in the town (i.e. a farmer’s market or community garden). A fine dining restaurant would provide a destination for special occasions, such as anniversaries, prom, and graduation celebrations. However, Main Street is not solely lacking fine dining establishments. On the more casual side of the dining spectrum is the idea for several “quick service” style restaurants. This does not necessarily equate to the industry standard fast food. The Main Street Development Team adamantly rejects the idea of having a McDonalds downtown, and instead suggests informal, healthy dining (i.e. a deli or lunch destination). Along with these restaurants is the idea for a food truck, which could be open a few days a week for several hours a day, and could offer quick, cheap, fresh food to downtown patrons. In additional discussions, Eurekans suggested a beer garden on Main Street. In the group’s experience and by the suggestion of a local entrepreneur, a beer garden could embody several key elements that downtown is currently lacking: a local restaurant, recognized bar and social area, and a special experiential space to draw not only locals but outsiders to Eureka. Many people have also shown interest in having an arcade and gaming store. As it currently stands, anyone interested in purchasing games or playing with a group must travel to larger towns nearby rather than 120

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staying and spending their time and money in Eureka. Retail suggestions from the town included clothing stores, a sporting goods shop, a new furniture shop, and a bridal shop. Many locals have made statements that shops like these were once a part of Eureka’s downtown but have since moved away. The lack of clothing retail is problematic because it forces people to travel to larger towns. One additional category, based on suggestions from the Eureka residents on the community interaction board, is the concept of health and wellness spaces on Main Street. Currently, Eureka lacks adequate gym and fitness facilities. Therefore, the argument for

New Category Assignments. This study represents a utopian plan for future businesses on Main Street. Image by Bryce Cummings. Entertainment Services Retail

Housing Arts

Second Floor

First Floor

a gym on Main Street is certainly valid. Several suggestions were also made for a dance studio and ballroom, which Eureka had years ago. An aspect of redevelopment that comes to play above street level is the reintroduction of housing and livable spaces on Main Street. Years ago, there were apartments above many of the shops and it was considered “cool” to live downtown (Kelly). Since then, all but one or two residents have moved out of downtown, and now the upper floors of nearly every building have been converted to storage. Today, there is a need for hotel space and apartments in these upper stories. These residents would also act as eyes on the street to provide a sense of security (Jacobs 1961). The goal is to bring people back to Main Street in every aspect of life. Implementation. In the end, the redevelopment of Eureka’s downtown is about more than just returning shops and businesses to occupy vacant buildings. Currently, there is a hole left in the identity of Main Street, with no semblance of unity or branding. A key piece of the Main Street Team’s mission is to provide the methods to bring back an identity to the town through signage, branding, and public green space. Signage will include separate packages for both Main Street and the Arts District, which establish a standard and offer variety from shop to shop. The branding initiative encompasses the entire city starting from a governmental and district scale and narrowing to individual businesses.

In order to revitalize the established historic district, most of the buildings in the downtown area need major renovations. The Greenwood Hotel is an example of a building that has been renovated on the ground level, which has helped bring vitality back to the streetscape. This can be further developed by encouraging the community’s continued support in creating hotel and apartment functions in the upper stories of the building. Considering the poor overall health status of Eureka residents, health and wellness is considered by the group as a key focus for the downtown area. One of the key efforts by the team will be to create a more walkable downtown from street to street and shop to shop. In order to make Main Street healthier, the streetscape and roadway will be reworked to allow connections from street to street and more pedestrian and bicycle traffic, while leaving plenty of space for vehicular traffic. Along with the new streetscape comes a new parks system. This system works its way through Main Street, starting at Eureka Springs Park along Highway 54, and connects through the Main Street Pocket Park between Second and Third Streets and the Greenwood County Courthouse lawn. Defined districts within the downtown area will also help with overall identity. The Main Street Arts District should include art galleries, small art studios, and an entertainment theater. The functions allocated to Third Street have been dubbed the Third Main Street | Small Town Stewardship

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Street Arts District, and would be key in introducing art to downtown Eureka. Included in this district is the design for a small coffee shop that would act as the storefront for the district, as well as a casual work and display space. Related to this concept is the suggestion that the architecture group, The Rural Design Mob (RDM), move from its current office in the Eureka Studio to their own storefront on Main Street that would be labeled with the appropriate signage for their business. This would help solidify the business side of the arts as well as help the RDM create their own identity in town. Establishing an Arts District within the downtown core will help jump start Eurekaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s redevelopment. Gallery M, a design-build project by Bryce Cummings, Allison Parr, and Christy Phelps, has kicked off the establishment of the Arts District. The adjacent theaterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s refurbished exterior reinforces its interior use and will help fully define Third Street as an Arts District within the historic downtown. In order to make the renovation process more accessible to the general public, a check list that the city could distribute to new business owners was developed. This list aims to help business owners renovate their buildings. The list covers the basics for renovating an existing or historic building for public use in terms of current laws and regulations.

For example, steps that should be taken to ensure structural security include:

Stop further decay Stabilize existing structure Investigate and solve any water infiltration issues

These and other bullet points concisely summarize the steps required to update the existing buildings on Main Street to a usable facility.

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Third Street Arts Festival. The tye-dye and mural stations allowed community members to express their creative side. Image provided by RDM.

Beautification Streetscape Plan. Schematic design plan for street improvements from River Street to Eighth Street. Image by Bryce Cummings and Christy Phelps. Third Street Art Festival Plan. Vendor and activity layout. Image by RDM.

Beautification Phase. Another step in the revitalization of Main Street will be to create a pleasant, walkable pedestrian environment. This would get people out of their cars and window shopping along Main Street. The beautification of Main Street will be focused on the implementation of an updated streetscape. After discussions with Main Street stakeholders, a few limitations were placed on the new implementations as follows: new amenities should not extend into the street beyond the existing sidewalk curb, business owners should be able to choose from a variety of pieces to place in front of their stores, and the design should look cohesive without dictating the appearance or design style of individual buildings. With these concerns in mind, the Main Street Development Team devised a design solution that can be integrated into Main Street as soon as possible. The teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design solution incorporates a planting buffer between pedestrian and vehicular circulation, curb cuts to facilitate handicap access, as well as provide mid-block street crossings, signage to better indicate the locations of specific businesses, and a bike lane on the west side of the street. The planting buffer will act as a divider between the pedestrians on the sidewalk and any vehicles or cyclists. This green space will be filled with a combination of plants ranging from small shrubs and grasses to street trees, which help shade seating and pedestrians. Main Street | Small Town Stewardship

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The team has designed mid-block curb cuts to allow for easier handicap access to the sidewalk. This gives handicapped individuals the opportunity to park closer to a specific store to reduce the travel distance between their car and destination. For the rest of the community, the mid-block curb cuts allow for a crossing point in the center of the block to increase circulation access to mid-block businesses. A signage package helps define an identity for both Main Street and the Third Street Arts district. This signage works as a way finding tool to help guide Main Street visitors to various businesses. Each block will have directory signs listing the adjacent businesses. The design of this signage reflects the historic design in the surrounding buildings while also having an cohesive appearance. The bike lane runs along the west side of the street. This would be the only element of the design that sits outside the existing sidewalk curb. A series of parallel parking spaces would separate this path from the vehicle traffic on the street. These streetscape improvements will help create outdoor spaces that business patrons can spend time in comfortably. Keeping these patrons on Main Street longer will increase the likelihood of them spending money in the businesses there. Economic Phase. The Economic phase aims to provide Eureka with a guide to drawing in and retaining businesses in the historic Main Street 124

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district. Main Street offers the greatest potential for immediate rebirth in the city, because of its central location and existing, under-utilized infrastructure. This guide provides a road map for the economic revitalization of this crucial commercial district. Overview. The economic phase is broken into requirements that fit into six categories: people, place, economy, civics, implementation, and periodic review. These categories set up a system of checks and balances that will help Main Street develop and thrive in the future. Each section defines the roles of specific community members in the overall campaign to revitalize Main Street. People. The residents of Eureka will be major players in the success of the Main Street revitalization project. Community members will need to support the plan and be committed to using the facilities and amenities on Main Street instead of traveling out of town for their entertainment and shopping needs. If the residents of Eureka committed to using Main Street as their one stop shopping hub, more businesses would be able to thrive in Eureka. More specifically than the general public, Eurekan business owners need to be committed to locating their businesses on Main Street. The Main Street Development Team has organized a Main Street Business Owners Committee to help support business owner loyalty in the district. This committee will allow Main Street

Cattlemen’s Day. The Small Town Studio pinned up work in the Eureka Studio and served hot chocolate and apple cider. Image by Christy Phelps.

Introductions. On the studio’s first trip to Eureka, everyone shared their vision for the town. Image by Christy Phelps.

Business Owners to support each other and make decisions as a group. An example of this would be a consensus on standard business hours so Main Street can function in a unified manner. Place. Main Street’s central location makes the businesses there easily accessible to Eurekans. The goal of this plan is to return Main Street to a bustling economic center.

Main Street should be the heart of Eurekan commerce and culture. Main Street should be the heart of Eurekan commerce and culture. With its proximity to Eureka Springs, Main Street has a strong tie to the founding of the town. The accessibility of Main Street from Highway 54 makes Main Street a stopping point for passing vehicular traffic. This easy access will make traffic flow through Main Street smoother. As a stopping point for cross country travelers, it will be very important for Main Street to have its own sense of place. This commercial district should invite people to stay and enjoy the unique experiences Eureka has to offer. Economy. While the local economy is deteriorating, it still has a chance to be revitalized. The biggest step to be taken in the revitalization of Main Street is the attraction and implementation of new businesses. The first step for many will

be a storefront in the business incubator. This low-rent space will be offered to new business owners for the first year of their business. This helps reduce the major cost of business ownership, the cost of the space in which the business is located. Other services provided by the incubator include business classes and mentorship. Economic classes will be open to all Eureka business owners and will cover topics ranging from management to marketing. Once a business graduates from the businesses incubator, they can move into vacant Main Street buildings and begin filling voids in the existing urban fabric. As new businesses fill these voids, Main Street will transform into a thriving commercial district that meets all of the retail needs of the surrounding community. Once Main Street’s economy has been revitalized, this district will act as the literal and figurative heart of town. This is where people will go to experience Eureka. Civics. City government will play a key role in the success of the comprehensive plan. It will be this group’s job to adopt the plan into city law and devise a system of enforcement. The Main Street Development Team suggests using the Main Street Business Owners Committee to enforce the ideas laid out in the comprehensive plan. This group would hold votes on any major changes to Main Street and would be responsible for making sure

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these changes contribute to the overall identity of the Main Street commercial district. City governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s over major role in this endeavor will be to make sure businesses have incentives to move to and remain on Main Street. An example of this would be a tax incentive offered to owners of mixed-use buildings that bring life to Main Street. Implementation. There is currently a 1% sales tax in place to raise money to pay for the construction of the public library and pool. The Main Street Development Team recommends that this tax be continued after payment for these amenities is complete and be reallocated to the revitalization efforts on Main Street. A city vote needs to take place in order to approve this extension. With this type of budget in Eureka, any loans taken out for improvements to Main Street could be easily paid off. This funding would lighten the burden the Main Street revitalization would put on a small group or individual. Periodic Review. This plan should be reviewed annually by the Small Town Studio at Kansas State University. Future projects located on Main Street should keep this vision in mind throughout the design process. At each annual review, out-of-date information should be updated to reflect current conditions in Eureka. These changes will help keep Eureka move toward the goals of the comprehensive plan.

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Implemented Projects In order to further the ideas within the Comprehensive Plan, the team has designed prototype projects that provide examples for future development along Main Street. These projects aim to fill the existing amenity deficits within the downtown district. Working with several key individuals and stakeholders within the City, the Main Street Development team has focused on four design proposals in the historic core of downtown: three renovation projects of existing buildings to address the needs of art, housing, and business development and one new construction project addressing housing and the relationship between Main Street and Eureka Springs Park. These four projects will be further discussed in the following sections of the book. Eureka Bench Project. The Eureka Bench Project focuses on the accessibility of movable seating to patrons of Main Street, Eureka Springs Park, and City Park. In all three of these locations, the benches provide flexible seating that people can move with the shade or closer to activities that they want to watch. Eurekaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current public seating situation is less than ideal. A few benches are scattered around Main Street and City park, and there are no benches currently located in Eureka Springs Park. These current bench locations are not well shaded or well

Bench Assembly. On April 12th 2014, twelve benches were assembled on site and placed throughout Eureka. Image by Antony Winkelmann.

located for people-watching and other observatory activities, such as supervising children in the park. With a movable bench option, the people of Eureka will be able to show the city where they would prefer in public spaces. These benches are durable and cheap to produce; as a demand for public seating increases, the implementation of more benches will be economically feasible. These benches will also help bring pride back to these public spaces. As citizens of Eureka see their neighbors’ names on benches they have sponsored, it will be clear that people have compassion for Eureka. Gallery M. “A gallery in transition”(Larry Coleman), Gallery M is a design build renovation project by the Main Street Development Team. The goal of this project is to show residents of Eureka what can be done with the empty spaces on Main Street, and how renovating these spaces revitalizes the Main Street district as a whole. Gallery M, as a student project, has been taken through construction documents that can be implemented at a later date. This experimental student gallery is designed to demonstrate the rebirth of a building and a community.

would like to see some competition in the area. Successful small towns have a few amenities in common and the redevelopment plan would like to see a few of these businesses brought into Eureka. Business placement along Main Street would give the town a strong, easily accessible economic center. Finally, the town will need to find ways to support the businesses as they startup and grow in Eureka. This Comprehensive prescribes a remedy for the current economic situation along Main Street in Eureka. It suggests revitalization of the city through the economic redevelopment of Main Street, town support of new business owners, and finding ways to bring people and businesses back to a well-organized Main Street through public events and effective business planning.

Moving Forward Campestral. The second show in the gallery, “campestral,” focused on art in the rural landscape. Image by Christy Phelps.

Many conclusions can be reached from the answers to the six initial questions explored by the Main Street Development Team. First, the existing conditions in Eureka are declining, but there are a hand-full of businesses that Main Street | Small Town Stewardship

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New Metropolitan Hotel Eureka, Kansas 2014

Christy Phelps

Body Text

Section Perspective overlaid with facade line drawing.

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Context Within the city of Eureka, the only facilities available for a temporary stay are two budget motels. These facilities are more suited for a passthrough traveler than for someone who wants to spend time in town. The only historic hotel building in Eureka is the Greenwood Hotel. This building is currently only occupiable on the first floor and does not have any reservable overnight rooms. One amenity Eureka is clearly lacking is an up-scale hotel. Stakeholder, Larry Coleman, owns a building that he wishes to renovate into a boutique hotel to fill this void in Eurekaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban fabric. The building is located on the corner of Third Street and Main Street where it will also act

as a transition between the retail and arts districts laid out in the Main Street Development Teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comprehensive plan. Since the new hotel project sits in the heart of Main Street, it becomes a crucial part of the bright future the Main Street Team sees for the historic district. Problem Set. Currently the only up-scale accommodations for Eureka visitors are located in surrounding towns such as El Dorado, which are a minimum thirty minute drive from Eureka. Whether it is for family visitors or business clients, this drive in and out of town is very inconvenient and costly. When a business is required to provide lodging options for a client, their only in-town options are the budget motels. These facilities do not portray Eureka in the greatest light, and may make

City Context. Existing amenities in surrounding area in Eureka. Image by Christy Phelps.

Hotel Motel Dining

Blue Stem Lodge

Carriage House Motel

re et

The Half Dollar

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The New Metropolitan Hotel

Thi

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Building Site. The existing buildings is a part of the urban fabric of Main Street, Eureka. Image by Christy Phelps.

transactions between Eurekan business owners and clients more difficult. Besides business owners, many other residents have a need for an up-scale hotel from time to time, for example to accommodate guests for events like a wedding or graduation. Besides the lack of temporary living, Main Street is also missing a reasonable number of dining facilities. Currently Main Street is home to only two restaurants; The Jar and the Half Dollar. The Jar is a coffee shop with limited business hours and the Half Dollar is a membership-only bar. There are no dining facilities open all day located on Main Street.

Goals By combining the hotel and restaurant programs, the New Metropolitan Hotel will focus on filling two major voids in the available amenities in Eureka; the need for temporary stay facilities as well as an small luncheon restaurant. The New Metropolitan Hotel aims to meet a variety of needs within Eurekaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban fabric, and its location on the corner of Third and Main Street is the perfect place for a Main Street fabric revival prototype. The project will provide a complex that contains many draws for customers to Main Street. The first public section of the complex, Gallery M, discussed earlier, will act as the foundation for the Third Street Arts

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District. The hotel section will act as a home for visitors in Eureka. The final section of the complex, the luncheon restaurant, gives guests a convenient place to eat and spend their free time, as well as provide the same opportunity to patrons of other Main Street businesses. The buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s location on Main Street provides hotel guests easy access to walkable amenities such as the grocery store located across the street.

Existing Issues This design pivots on the juxtaposition of the old and the new. The structure that exists on the site is composed of two functionally separate, but physically attached, buildings. As they stand today, these buildings have two very distinct sets of aesthetic characteristics. This project faces the challenge of fusing these two buildings into one multifunctional complex. The design process is defined by both the limitations and advantages that come along with renovating an existing, historic building. The existing structure of the building is an aspect of the building that has shaped the hotel and restaurant design. The fixed components of the existing structure include the locations of the two bank safes on the first floor of the hotel and specific segments of the rubble masonry wall that runs down the center of the project. However, there are also structural issues that need to be addressed to bring the new design up to code. These include a series of non-ADA accessible 132

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staircases and an over spanned second floor in the restaurant. Additionally, the existing floor that sits a few feet above ground level must be removed and reconstructed flush with the exterior ground. This also makes the floors between the two buildings level and cross circulation more possible. There are still other limitations in the IBC and ADA standards that are more difficult to incorporate into an existing building than they are to place in new construction, because of the many unchangeable attributes that come along with the existing structure. On the exterior, there are a variety of facade treatments that have made the Main Street side of the building

Building Section. A steel structural system was implemented to solve existing structural problems. Image by Christy Phelps. Hotel Restaurant

The Main Street side of the building looks more like a patchwork quilt than a cohesive street face.

Existing Facade. The variety of facade treatments on the Main Street side of the building appears more like a patchwork quilt than a cohesive building facade. Image by Christy Phelps. New Facade. The new facade will be composed of an opaque portion and a translucent portion. These juxtaposing treatments mirror the interior of the building. Image by Christy Phelps.

look more like a patchwork quilt than a cohesive street face. The exterior appearance will be very important in giving the project the appearance of a single building instead of two separate structures. This cohesiveness will be reinforced by a series of datum lines that extend from the hotel faĂ§ade across the new curtain wall.

Design Proposal The two programmatic functions addressed in this design proposal include the hotel primarily located in the northern portion of the building and the restaurant situated in the southern part of the building. The hotel houses

nine sleeping rooms with their own bathrooms, a lobby, seating spaces, and support spaces such as housekeeping storage and offices. The restaurant will function as a deli/coffee shop during the day and a wine bar with hors dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeuvres in the evening. Each of these functions will be defined on the interior by a two distinct material vernaculars. The hotel functions have clean, smooth finished surfaces, while the restaurant has a more rustic appearance with exposed structure and uneven surfaces. The hotel houses the private spaces and is meant to appear as a highly polished, up-scale temporary living space. This characteristic defines the wall finishes and details that are used in Main Street | Small Town Stewardship

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the first and second stories of the bank and the second story of the Rexall. Walls and ceilings are crisp, white gypsum board, and floors are finished wood. The lobby of the hotel is located in the northern portion of the first floor and holds the reception desk and a seating area where patrons can sit and wait. As the major connection between the street and the hotel rooms, this space will see a lot of circulation traffic and will have a freer floor plan to allow for additional circulation space when necessary. The majority of the sleeping rooms are located on the second floor with the exception of the single ADA compliant room. These rooms act as the private 134

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space in the building, and are separated from the public both inside and outside. Internally the rooms are closed off from the rest of the public building, and the roomsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; exterior windows are elevated above street level to prevent views inward from the exterior. The public spaces of the complex are interconnected to allow free circulation from one amenity to another. These public amenities include the reception desk and waiting area in the hotel lobby, the luncheon restaurant on the first and second floors, and the large and small seating areas located on the second floor. The restaurant is spread out between the first and second floors. This allows for two different atmospheres in

Hotel Lobby. This space represents the main entry to the hotel section of the design. Image by Christy Phelps.

Buildings Section. This image shows the vertical connections of interior spaces in the project. Image by Christy Phelps.

Floor Plans. This image shows the vertical connections in the building as well as interior relationships to the street. Image by Christy Phelps.

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one use. The first floor is for informal social interactions while the second floor is for individual-based tasks such as reading or personal business. This quieter use for the upper bar spaces ties directly into the adjacent lounge and reading spaces in the hotel and they function as one open space. The restaurant’s aesthetic is defined by the concept of exposing the “bones” of the building. The two rubble masonry construction, load bearing walls will be left exposed. The new structure for the second floor and roof will also be visible in the dining spaces. The final section of the building design is located toward the back of the Rexall building. This portion of the building lost its roof many years ago and now sits open to the elements. The space provides the perfect opportunity for a unique exterior dining experience in the restaurant. This space focuses around a fire pit that brings an atmosphere to the dining experience that is different from any other restaurant in the area. Since the safes would be very difficult to remove, they have been integrated with surrounding program to bring the building’s history to visitors’ attention. The larger safe located against the interior wall will act as wine storage for the restaurant and the other will be sealed off from public access.

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Restaurant Courtyard. The back of the restaurant provides a unique courtyard dining experience. Image by Christy Phelps.

Restaurant Bar Level. The entry level of the restaurant houses the bar and a more social setting. Image by Christy Phelps.

Restaurant Intimate Space. The second story of the restaurant provides a quieter atmosphere. Image by Christy Phelps.

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Founding Stone Townhomes Eureka, KS 2014

Allison Parr

Rendered Perspective. View of townhomes from Main Street. Image by Allison Parr.

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Context Founding Stone Townhomes are located along First Street, where it intersects Main Street. This location allows for immediate access to the important Main Street amenities; specifically, Eureka Springs Park to the south. While the

â&#x20AC;&#x153;...they had indeed found an ideal place and laid claim to the area for the town site.â&#x20AC;? -James H. Francis park is currently not a set piece, it has the potential to be since the plans are in place to fully rehabilitate it. The park houses a stone commemorating the founding of Eureka which inspires the name of the townhomes. This project proposes not only a designed housing development, but two other building masses. These masses will begin the built up environment that is expected along a Main Street and should contain businesses such as a bicycle repair store, an ice cream shop, and rentable spaces for professional offices. Proposed uses are not meant to limit future designers, but to inspire them to reinvent an under developed area to become the future of Eureka. Problem Set. Currently the site is zoned as five separate lots; city level redistribution of lots will need to take place in order to make this project

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Block Plan. Planned development allows for the entire block to be rethought of as a whole. Because of the importance of Eurekaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Founding Stone, the entire area supports its memorial. Drawing by Allison Parr. Existing Photographs. Shows current state of the park without any modifications. Photograph of the memorial stone. Context images courtesy of Google. Image courtesy of Christy Phelps.

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happen. Several buildings on three of these lots will need to be more fully demolished, as they are in dilapidated state and need to be removed. Another important site feature includes the Eureka Spring itself. Meandering through the site from the Southwest corner to the Northeast, this body of water effectively cuts the site into almost perfect halves.

Goals Founding Stone Townhomes creates a lively environment in the downtown fabric. It fosters community involvement in urban activities. Main 142

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Street residences create eyes on the street, providing a safer environment for all community members as a whole. Permanent life on Main Street allows for greater traffic in and out of businesses, providing a direct market. Goals. The townhomes strive to settle into the park and reinforce the natural landscape, while also tying the park into Main Street. Aims of the project also include providing an upscale living environment for residents looking for a more unique living environment to Eureka. It provides a precedent for all other residential complexes in the area. The units are targeted toward young

Eureka Springs Park. View from the public bridge towards the complex. Image by Allison Parr.

professionals such as teachers and Invena employees. Materials used in the project reflect the spirit of Eureka. The rain screen system dominating the majority of the faĂ§ade is composed of wood. This material reflects the wood siding of the homes in the area in an updated manner. Corrugated metal reflects what is seen on grain silos and other farming structures. Together these two materials create a pallet that is Eurekan, rooted in the essence of the town, while still allowing for modernity.

Design Proposals As you turn off of Highway 54 and down Main Street, you are presented with a slightly dissolved Main Street fabric. Once passing through the proposed Eureka Kansas Gateway, the traditionally dense Main Street picks up and the commercial section of this building caps the first corner. After turning down First Street, the colonnade that cuts through the center of the complex noticed first. This colonnade turns into the bridge that crosses over Eureka Springs and connects the park to Main Street visually and implies it physically. The perpendicular path accentuates the stream and allows the design to reinforce its path. Outdoor space is important in an apartment complex, and Eureka Springs Park allows for this space. A thirty foot drop in elevation between the street and the bottom of the spring allows for

elevation changes within the complex, and thoughtful terracing creates privacy within the public space. The five units are grouped into two buildings. The first building is oriented north to south and is made up of three one bedroom units, one of which is handicap accessible. The second building is oriented west to east and is comprised of two three bedroom units. The idea is to have full service living. Not only do you have all the amenities of a home at Founding Stone, but you also have the convenience of all the downtown businesses.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;[green infrastructure] makes environments more attractive and easier to live in.â&#x20AC;? -Stewart A residential complex included in downtown Eureka supports the businesses in that location. It provides constant clientele on nights and weekends, which is an unaddressed market. These consistent patrons will occupy the streets and help provide a lively aspect to the area that is impossible to actually design. Life and presence is not architectural, but it is a problem that design aims to solve. As laid out in the comprehensive plan, permanent signs of life create a hype that snowballs into a more active Main Street. Main Street | Small Town Stewardship

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The residences will approach their homes from a private garage access and move through an entryway that is adjacent to their courtyard. The floor plates of the home rotate around this centralized piece of green space to provide sectional views from room to room as well as cross ventilation through all spaces. The program caters to young professionals, both single and married with children. The circulation slot is where both a visitor and the resident enter the unit there is a feeling of compression, the ceiling is lowered and as you make your way up a staircase that brings the plane even closer to the top of your head. After the sensation of compression, there is a dramatic sense of release. Both the walls and the overhead plane open up all at once and a feeling of freedom washes over the resident. You have entered into the most well lit portion of the apartment, with the major circulation core, and the adjoining courtyard. All of the interior rooms focus on this open space. Openings into the circulation of the home allow views into the park and to Main Street repeatedly as you move up in elevation. These elevation climbs increase the privacy within the home and allow for the glazing to decrease in area, while still allowing for that views Eureka Springs Park has to offer. Homes will have an internal feeling because they wrap around private courtyards. This internal focus does 144

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Sequence of entry. View from the front door, circulation core, and from the office or playroom. Images by Allison Parr.

First Street. View from the corner of First and Main towards the complex. Image by Allison Parr.

not negate the concept of “eyes on the street”; it enforces the privacy of the homes while also letting functions bleed out onto semi-public, public plazas, and green space.

Conclusions Overall there is a need in Eureka for a residential complex to impact the way of life on Main Street. Moving forward, investments into this important block of town will prove successful because of Eureka Springs Park’s crucial prominence to the highway and Main Street. Investments will need to be made in rezoning the lots, recreating the infrastructure of the alley properly, and in the future businesses that will occupy the two corners of the block adjoining Main Street. The city of Eureka has great potential and with gradual changes to promote economic stability. Implementing changes to grow the community will support local businesses and help the town cultivate its future.

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Pioneer Post Business Incubator Eureka, Kansas 2014

Bryce Cummings

Pioneer Post Incubator Building on the corner of 2nd St. and Main Street. Image by Bryce Cummings.

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Context The Pioneer Post Business Incubator lies on the corner of Second and Main in the old Pioneer Post Building. It is in the middle of the historic two block downtown of Eureka. This building was built in 1887 and originally was three floors, but due to neglect and subsequent hazards of building materials sheering off the top floor, the third floor was removed. It was recently purchased by Waylon Arndt, an architect out of Kansas City, who now wishes to renovate the building and acts as client for the entire project. It is one of four active projects currently taking place on Main Street, along with Larry Cook’s gym across the street, Larry Coleman’s hotel and gallery on Third and Main, and a new residential development on First and Main. Problem Set. The Main Street group initially identified that one problem Eureka faces is the fact that the downtown district is currently empty. It needs something: businesses to fill shops, activity to fill buildings, and people to fill streets. Eureka needs a kick-start, and one of the largest aspects of this problem is the lack of businesses and underutilization of the majority of the existing buildings along Main Street. There is no support system for the current businesses to fall back on, and no incentive for new ventures to start up shop along this stretch of Main Street. Rather, businesses have moved from Main Street to the more trafficked Highway 54, taking revenue and foot 148

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traffic away from downtown.

Thesis A business incubator program in this heart of downtown will not only add fresh new ideas to the City of Eureka, but will provide existing businesses with much needed advice and training to help them succeed, providing incentive for new start-up ventures. Goals. The goals for this project are twofold. The main goal is the establishment of a successful incubator program that can act to bolster the economic structure and stability of downtown Eureka, and therefore the heart of the town. In part, this happens by offering space for prospective businesses, but also means holding classes and providing support for the thirty existing businesses along Main Street. Secondly, similar to the New Metropolitan Hotel and Gallery M, this design acts as an example renovation project, showing what it takes to retrofit and fix up an existing building. In this way, it can act as a precedent for future renovation and construction.

Incubator Concept Business incubation, as defined by the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) is “a business support process that accelerates the successful development of start-up and fledgling companies by providing

41%

Three Principles of Incubator Development. Image from Growing New Ventures, Creating New Jobs, pg. 2. Current Pioneer Post Building. Image courtesy of Waylon Arndt. Existing Empty Storefronts. 41% of Main Street storefronts are currently empty. These empty buildings can be utilized as spaces for businesses that have “hatched” from the Pioneer Post Incubator. Image by Bryce Cummings.

entrepreneurs with an array of targeted resources and services...usually developed or orchestrated by incubator management and offered both in the business incubator and through its network of contacts” (NBIA 2009). The Pioneer Post Business Incubator will follow this model, providing services for both start-up businesses within the incubator and classes and mentorship opportunities for businesses already in place in Eureka. Listed in Figure 1, NBIA has laid out three principles of best practice incubation that the Pioneer Post Incubator aspires to (Rice 2). The NBIA has several suggestions as per the physical incubator building,

as well. Generally, an incubator building should contain flexible spaces at several different scales. This is done in order to “accommodate the progression of company growth, with ‘cubbyholes’ of a couple hundred square feet or less, stepup spaces of 300 s.f. to 500 s.f., spaces of about 1000 s.f. and then some larger spaces of 2000 s.f. to 3000 s.f.” (Rice 90). In the Pioneer Post Incubator, there will be five business spaces, two for retail storefronts and three for offices. Incubator “Hatchlings”. At a certain point, it becomes unfeasible for a business to remain in the space that the Pioneer Post Incubator is able to provide. In response to the need for larger space and for a relatively quick turn-around, businesses would be moved out into one of several empty storefronts currently along Main Street. While they could still benefit from the services of the incubator, they will then have “hatched” out of the incubator proper and have become viable businesses in their own right. Considering the fact that in its current state, 41% of storefronts along Main Street are empty, there will be plenty of options for “hatched” incubator businesses to find more accommodating spaces. If, however, these storefronts become inadequate, a proposal to extend the two-story typology Main Street of business buildings south from First to River St is in place. Case Study. The Greensburg SunChips Business Incubator building, completed in 2009 by BNIM out of Main Street | Small Town Stewardship

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similar scale. According to Greensburg City Clerk, Christy Pyatt, who provided plans and details about the incubator program, there are five retail and five office spaces in the Greensburg incubator. In the five years it has been in operation, nine businesses have participated in the program, seven of which were â&#x20AC;&#x153;hatchedâ&#x20AC;? into independent businesses. Currently there are eight businesses active in the program. For Greensburg, a town nearly a third the size of Eureka, this is an impressive model to aspire to.

Design Proposal As stated, the existing two story building in downtown Eureka was recently purchased by Waylon Arndt, who wishes to look at the building conceptually as a business/arts incubator. In its current dilapidated state, the building dons worn stucco siding, kitsch window shutters, and basement stairwell shelters pasted on as an afterthought. Arndt has been working since Summer 2013 to gut the building and get it ready for a complete renovation. For all intents and purposes, the building is an empty shell into which program can be introduced. The program for the Pioneer Post Incubator is as follows: two retail spaces, three offices, a large public meeting/multi-purpose room on the ground floor; and two one-bedroom and one two-bedroom apartment on the second floor. In this way, the first floor becomes entirely public business

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Public Meeting Space [Jewel]

Incubator Business

Residential Apartments

Support / Circulation

space, while private residential space fills the second floor. Due to issues of accessibility and general low quality of space, the basement is left for storage and mechanical systems. The initial stylistic design of the building speaks to the historic glory days of the building and Eureka itself; introducing modernity is the next logical step and goal. To accomplish this stylistically, all of the exterior walls that are to remain in the design will be restored back to brick facades, with minor overlays of modern detail, while everywhere that the facade is broken will be treated as something new and separate. The concept of the entire Main Street project, and more specifically the incubator, is the revitalization of businesses along Main Street, and therefore this piece of Eureka as a holistic district. Keeping this idea in

Spatial Programming of Business Incubator. First floor alotted to incubator businesses, support, and public meeting. Second floor is given to three residential apartments. Image by Bryce Cummings.

First and Second Floor Plans, bottom to top. Image by Bryce Cummings. Original building before having the third floor removed. Image courtesy of Eureka Foundation.

mind, the community surrounding the incubator is the driving force behind the entire design. As a cue to this concept, the public meeting/multi-purpose space is highlighted as the most important piece of the incubator. In order to convey this, it becomes the main public entrance and the “jewel” of the building, popped out and accentuated from the rest of the facade. This centralized, double-height room will act programmatically as the entrance, public meeting room, and classroom. The space’s private functions provide

the main circulation space for the entire building, as well as a conference room for incubator tenants. In the initial research done by the Main Street team, it was determined that new life should be brought into downtown Eureka through the reintroduction of second floor living spaces. Therefore, the inclusion of residential apartments on the second floor is in response to several different factors: the initial suggestion of the client; the “eyes on the street” concept of Jane Jacobs; a call back to downtown

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Eureka in its hayday; and a desire to bring activity back to downtown. Revenue generated from the rental of these apartment units will also help to drive down the price of rent for the incubator spaces on the ground floor, helping to solidify the concept of incubator as cheap or subsidized space.

Conclusion In its current state, the economic center of Eureka is struggling. However, through the assistance provided by a business incubator, the downtown district stands a chance to survive through this economic downturn. The Pioneer Post Incubator, while providing space for retail and offices, and learning and support opportunities for existing businesses, could potentially be the factor that once again creates a bustling city center out of downtown Eureka.

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Community Meeting Space. Image by Bryce Cummings. North Facade towards Main St. Image by Bryce Cummings.

East Incubator Elevation. Image by Bryce Cummings. North Incubator Elevation. Image by Bryce Cummings.

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Eureka Bench Project Eureka, Kansas 2014

Bryce Cummings Christy Phelps Anthony Winkelmann

The finished bench has a simple design that all residents can enjoy while exploring to find â&#x20AC;&#x153;theirâ&#x20AC;? bench. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

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The Eureka Bench Project was inspired by the desire to leave a lasting, positive impact on the rural town of Eureka, Kansas. The idea was conceived by the Main Street group. After the project was proposed, the studio held a design charette for an economical, sturdy, and easily assembled bench design. Anthony Winkelmann was commissioned to develop his design proposal and manage the production and fabrication. The Eureka Bench Project has the opportunity to investigate and enhance social interactions in Eureka. Specific locations around town are lacking the amenity of public seating, including Main Street, Eureka Spring Park, and City Park. In The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, William Whyte stresses the importance of flexible seating options by

explaining, “The possibility of choice is as important as the exercise of it. If you know you can move if you want to, you feel more comfortable staying put” (Whyte 34). This project not only strives to improve the quality of life in the community, but also gathers data on desirable seating locations that would later inform design decisions for the studio. The bench was designed to utilize readily available, easily assembled materials. Since the majority of the benches will be placed outdoors, marine-grade plywood was specified. Each bench is constructed from a 4’x8’ sheet of 3/4” plywood with minimal waste. The pieces are milled on the CNC router, and then engraved with the Eureka City Logo and a benefactor’s personalization via laser cutter. For step one structural purposes, the ends are

the city of

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The fabrication process includes three crucial steps: manufacturing pieces on the CNC router, engraving the benefactor’s personalization, and assembling the various components. First images by Anthony Winkelmann. Last image by Christy Phelps. The Eureka Bench Project was designed for easy assembly with minimal pieces and hardware. Images by Anthony Winkelmann.

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minimally reinforced with four carriage bolts and four L-brackets underneath the seat to complete the assembly. As the bench progressed through multiple iterations, the marketing team compiled various publications to promote the Eureka Bench Project. Before fabrication, Anthony Winkelmann and Tonya Stock presented the Eureka Bench Project and proposed bench locations to the City Council for their approval. The councilmen expressed their excitement in the progressive Small Town Studio attitude. After receiving approval from the City Council, the entire studio began promoting the Eureka Bench Project. During various events, many residents and business owners were excited to see a lasting positive impression. After weeks of marketing, the studio was able to sell twelve benches to businesses and residents, and despite a decline in promotion, the Eureka Bench Project continued to gain support from individuals within and beyond the city of Eureka. In celebration of the arts, the studio participated in Eurekaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inaugural Third Street Arts Festival with a bench assembly station. Bryce Cummings, Christy Phelps, and Anthony Winkelmann transported various pieces and tools to construct eleven benches. While they constructed most of the benches, some of the benefactors built their own. The community was excited to learn more about the Eureka Bench Project and praised the benchesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; design and quality. When all the benches were completed, they were placed along Main Street and in Eureka Springs Park. Since 158

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Bryce, Christy, and Anthony reinforced the free flowing notion with the community, they are excited to watch the benches move through the city. The Eureka Bench Project is dynamic experiment that stresses the importance of public seating while leaving lasting positive impact.

Each bench is precisely cut which make all the joints a snug fit to improve the structural support. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

small

town

STUDIO

Bench Locations April 12, 2014 Main Street Bob and Judy Crapser Haley Wilson Emily Boardman Brandon Boardman Rural Design Mob Gallery M / Small Town Studio Small Town Studio K-State Department of Architecture Riverside Liquor Ed Shank

Eureka Springs Park K-State APDesign de Noble Family

The finished benches were placed throughout Main Street and Eureka Springs Park. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

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STUDIO

Thank you for all your support! We could not have done it without you!

Eleven benches add fifty-five linear feet of available public seating and can be easily relocated throughout the city. Image by Anthony Winkelmann.

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Gallery M Eureka, KS 2014

Bryce Cummings Allison Parr Christy Phelps

Interior Perspective. Rendering from what is referred to as space two through the opening into space one. Image by Allison Parr.

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Context Gallery M is located near the intersection of Main Street and Third Street. This location allows the gallery to act as a gateway to the Third Street Arts District. The site will also put the gallery on display to act as a springboard for further Main Street growth. The viability of a gallery in rural towns has been questioned, but the influx of art into towns such as North Topeka, KS proves its practicality. At one point this city was considered run down; whenever rent became inexpensive, artists moved in and helped rehabilitate the area. By filling empty buildings, the artists began making the region feel complete again. Problem Set. There are many artists who live in Eureka and surrounding areas that are looking for a professional space in which to display their work. Heather Fuesz, a Eurekan artist, has expressed interest in having a studio on Main Street. Good lighting and adequate space to lay out projects are the only major requirements, necessities that are easily procured in this district. The existing spaces in town are either designated to a specific artist or being used for multiple uses and the art as a backdrop for other activities that take place in the space.

Thesis Gallery M is a trial project for the Main Street Team. The gallery acts as a trial space and is an important testing 162

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ground for the methods the community can use to renovate and develop future businesses on Main Street. As an experimental space, it directly addresses two themes of the Comprehensive Master Plan: the idea of a Third Street Arts District and the rehabilitation of an existing historic structure. Goals. The goal of Gallery M is to provide a prototype for future development on Main Street and catalyze the formation of the Third Street Arts District. This project will leave the Small Town Studioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impression on Eureka and be a jumping off point for the development of the arts district.

Original Photograph. Building in the earliest condition. Image by Christy Phelps.

North Facade. Front windows in original state, at the first Gallery M opening, and in rendering. Top image by Christy Phelps. Bottom two images by Allison Parr.

Design Process Gallery M is located on a Main Street side avenue. The space opens up to the north, creating ideal lighting for the display of art. To the north of the site is the courthouse, making this an ideal place for a visible gallery because of the large lawn that it overlooks. The space was donated to the Team by Larry Coleman, an active member in the Eureka community and a passionate supporter of the arts. Mr. Coleman is acting as the client for this project. After being measured for as-built drawings, Gallery M was constructed in an architectural computer program. Using this software, designs for the gallery were finalized and a complete set of construction documents was compiled. The design focused around two major display spaces that are supported by a reception space, kitchen, and handicap accessible bathroom. Gallery 440, in Brooklyn, New York, has provided a conceptually similar case study for this project. The spaces are comparable in size, and with its bright blue facade, it had a certain quality of â&#x20AC;&#x153;arroganceâ&#x20AC;? the client embraced. This term is used by the Mr. Coleman to describe a building that is not typical to rural Kansas, for him it takes on some of the characteristics of architecture in his native Seattle, Washington. From the case study, the team has determined that color in a gallery can be an asset, community involvement is important, and multiple artists can create one cohesive showing. Main Street | Small Town Stewardship

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Construction Phase One of the project included a cleanup, selective demolition, and a fresh coat of paint. Within this time period, two art shows were produced. The first presentation comprised of Small Town Studio work and the second, “Campestral”, invited community members to show their western art in conjunction with the “Cowboys” film screening. The next step in the renovation process will be extensive demolition and re-framing the space for new wall finishes. Finally, the ceiling will be dropped to conceal building systems and allow for spot lighting. In the end, the accessible bathroom and kitchen will be finished out, and the gallery will be fully functional. The team spent one weekend in Eureka, KS completing Phase One, selective demolition. This process allowed the Team to show the community that with two days of effort, a Main Street building can be occupied and reinvented.

Inspiration Facade. Front of Gallery 440 in Brooklyn, NY. Image by Gallery 440.

Conclusion Moving forward, this project is meant to set the foundation for the Third Street Arts District. As a prototype, this building will be looked to in the future as an example for other renovation projects in the district. Gallery M is the prime example of how renovations can be completed on Main Street, it demonstrates how 164

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a project can be phased to allow for stability to the community. This renovation has already spread to the theater that sits across the alley, and the Main Street group was asked to create and install a window sign for the theater to help give it a new look.

Event Photographs. Top image from the Small Town Studio Show and bottom image from the western show, “Campestral”. Top image by Allison Parr. Bottom image by Christy Phelps.

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Town Rd.

1st St. Trail Rd.

2nd St.

Cedar St.

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Jamestown

The JUMP UP project is a proposal for a walking trail that connects Main Street to City Park through the residential areas. Main areas of focus along the trail include an events pavilion downtown, an exterior remodel of an old school building that houses the Tailwind Pole Vault Club, and a farmer’s market in City Park. Seeking to stimulate growth through design, the project addresses the town’s aesthetics, access to food, and lack of third places. Approximately eleven miles northwest of Concordia in Cloud County exists tiny Jamestown with a population of 286 (“American Fact Finder”). Many of the agricultural and bedroom community’s residents work and attend school in Concordia and the surrounding area. The town was named after Senator James Pomeroy in the late 1800s (Hollibaugh) and was a thriving place in the early 1900s until a fire devastated the downtown shopping district in 1911, which was rebuilt (Hill). After the fire, the town slowly became less prosperous and the population began to decline. In 1980, the high school was closed and consolidated with the Concordia school district, with the elementary school following suit three years later. Jamestown’s population decline is evidenced through Census Bureau data, which shows a decrease from 399 in 2000 to less than 300 in 2010 (“American Fact Finder”). This recent decline is likely due to another fire that wreaked havoc downtown on January 28 in 2000, destroying several buildings including City Hall. In a rebuilding effort, the citizens formed JUMP, which stood for Jamestown Unites Many Projects. Through JUMP, the town received a grant for $1.8 million, which was used to remodel an old building downtown into the new City Hall and to restore the decaying school buildings in City Park. Two new buildings, one downtown and one near the old elementary school, now house a library, doctor’s office, hair salon, afterschool program, senior center, and daycare center. A total of ten buildings that were unsafe for habitation were demolished and the remaining funds were used to replace several water lines in the city (Hill). In the past ten years, not much has changed in Jamestown; some businesses have closed or moved, while others have started up, but there haven’t been any more grants or community-wide rebuilding efforts like JUMP. A slow decline still plagues the town, but the desire for growth exists with many of the residents. The story and context of Jamestown, along with a personal connection with one of the studio members, is why it is an area of interest for Small Town Studio. Jamestown | Small Town Stewardship

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JUMP UP Jamestown, Kansas 2014

Jamie Michel

Town Rd.

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Proposed Farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Market and renovation of the old school building in City Park which is home to the Tailwind Pole Vault Club. Image by Jamie Michel.

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JUMP UP The JUMP UP project is an effort to carry on Jamestown’s spirit of rebuilding and serve the town with the skills developed through architectural studies at Kansas State University. Building upon the JUMP initiative, this project was named JUMP UP, which stands for Jamestown Unites Many Projects through Urban Planning, emphasizing the larger scope of the project through a walking trail proposal. The need and focus for JUMP UP was determined through interviews and surveys of the people in Jamestown. The surveys had a return rate of approximately 10% and identified the town’s major concerns: access to food, aesthetics, and a lack of third places. The goal of the project is to address these needs through design proposals that respond to the many nuances of rural issues and the specific context and culture of Jamestown.

Lack of Third Places One of the major problems identified in Jamestown is a lack of places to spend one’s time, commonly referred to as ‘third places.’ The main desire of the townspeople is for new businesses to fill holes in the downtown area or to utilize existing empty buildings. Currently, Main Street (Walnut Street) contains City Hall, the Jamestown State Bank, Zimmer Electric, the post office, the library, the health clinic, Country Cuts (a hair salon), and a community center 170

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Aerial view of Jamestown. Image by Google Maps.

Above: City Hall and adjacent building that is not utilized for any public function. Holes in the urban fabric exist directly north and south of these buildings. Below: View of downtown looking south, taken from in front of the Jamestown State Bank. Images by Jamie Michel.

space. A café used to draw people into town from around the county and provided a place for people to go, but this important function has not been replaced since its closing in recent years. Other facilities that attract visitors include a self-service gas pump, M&M Ceramics, Opening Day Firearms, the Co-op, and the Tailwind Pole Vault Club (TPC). While these amenities provide for Jamestown’s economy and growth, they all serve very specific user groups. Existing exterior spaces are geared more toward children, but with improvement they could appeal to a wider range of users. Presently, City Park has a small shelter and playground, and is home to the old high school and elementary school gym, which houses the Tailwind Pole Vault Club. Also in this area is the senior and daycare center, which can be reserved for events by the public, free of charge. A baseball diamond with batting cages is used for adult softball tournaments and youth baseball in the summer. However, besides this centralized activity area, there is only one other public exterior space across from the church on 5th and Walnut, which contains some playground equipment. Businesses are an important factor in drawing people to Jamestown, as are quality outdoor spaces, which can positively influence health and exercise habits in the community. It is important that these amenities appeal to a wide range of users in order to contribute to the town’s economic success.

Access to Food Despite the fact that Jamestown is surrounded by farmland, there is no place in the town to buy food. Residents must travel to Concordia to go grocery shopping or visit a farmer’s market. Many people garden to provide some of their own produce, but the majority of the townspeople do not. This issue has major impacts on health; the more accessible fresh foods are, the more likely people are to choose healthy options over processed foods that have a longer shelf life if they are making infrequent food purchases. While a grocery store did not seem like a sustainable option to the people in Jamestown at this time, they were supportive of the idea of farmer’s market.

Aesthetics Research proved that the physical appearance of town is a concern for many. While the JUMP initiative rid Jamestown of several old, dilapidated buildings and houses, more of these eyesores still detract from the town’s beauty. Infrastructure is another aspect of the built environment that is in disrepair. Some sidewalks are completely overgrown with vegetation, while other blocks have no trace of ever being paved for pedestrian use. There are plenty of trees in town, but judicious planting of more flora could provide drastic improvements.

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Users & Clientele The residents of Jamestown are the primary users and clientele for JUMP UP, comprising of a wide range of people with different backgrounds, needs, tastes, and agendas. While 21% of the people in Jamestown are 60 years or older (“American Fact Finder”), people of all ages call the town home. A secondary group that the project aims to serve is visitors, both frequent (users of the aforementioned businesses in town like M&M Ceramics and TPC) and infrequent. Yet another served group consists of people who are in between the categories of residents and visitors: those who live in the country. Overall, the goal of JUMP UP is to catalyze growth through design and building. Each component aims to address the needs and desires of the project’s clientele.

Walking Trail On a larger scale, the project incorporates an adaptation of an idea from another Small Town Studio project: the Eureka Main Street Green Loop (MSGL). Like the MSGL, the walking trail in Jamestown addresses issues of health and aesthetics. New vegetation, improved infrastructure, and the addition of benches will both improve the town visually while encouraging people to get outside and walk. The trail route has no specific starting point, but the benches will mark how far one has travelled along the trail. 172

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Three dimensional rendering of the planter and bench elements. Image by Jamie Michel Diagrammatic map showing the route for the walking trail. Image by Jamie Michel. Front facade of the Jamestown Pavilion from Main Street. Image by Jamie Michel.

From the northern car park, the trail goes south to Walnut Street through the downtown area, where it passes by a proposed events pavilion. Turning east by the church, the trail goes through a residential area until it reaches the northwest edge of the city park. Here, it turns south to loop around city property, the playground, and the ball field, and then heads back west on 4th Street where it passes by M&M Ceramics. To reconnect to the car park at the north, the trail turns up Spruce Street through another residential area.

Benches The aesthetic of the benches located along the trail responds to the existing vernacular of town in a fresh, highly designed manner. Jamestown’s

architectural palette of materials is composed of stone and brick buildings (located mostly downtown and in City Park) in both historic and modern utilitarian styles, as well as traditional residences constructed and cladded with wood. A combination of these materials is employed in the bench design, the overall dimensions of which are dictated by modular sized bricks used to construct the base. Wood seats bring warmth to the design with boards constructed in an interlocking pattern at the corners. Openings in the center of the benches provide space for shrubs and flowers, giving dual functionality to these design elements. The bench design is the essence of the aesthetic employed by the JUMP UP project as a whole. These elements are used as column bases in both the Jamestown Pavilion and Farmer’s Market structures, and both the materials and interlocking pattern concept help dictate the form and details of these structures.

Jamestown Pavilion The aforementioned events pavilion downtown is the first focal point of JUMP UP at the building scale. The design provides a place for people to gather and fills one of the voids in the “urban” fabric of Main Street, addressing all of the issues and goals established for the project. Originally intended as the site for the farmer’s market, design exercises proved that vehicular access issues made this Jamestown | Small Town Stewardship

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location inadequate for that function. However, it was agreed that other needs justified a proposal for a similar structure with a modified program. The space could be used on a daily basis as a resting place along the walking trail and could be used for countless events including birthday parties, wedding receptions, dances, outdoor meetings, and a hub for the once annual Jamestown Fun Day, which many citizens are interested in reestablishing. Since the future of the buildings adjacent to the pavilion site is unknown, considering how permanent or temporary the design should be was important. The building toward the south is in worse shape and is more likely to be demolished, so the southern side of the pavilion is considered to be more temporary. Thus, the northern side is considered to be more permanent, dictating programmatic decisions and placement of certain features. The faรงade on Main Street also takes cues from its orthogonally designed neighbors through and uses brick walls to create a welcoming entry. Three roofs cover the space and slope back from Main Street toward the alley in order to mimic the roof line created by the rest of the flat-roofed structures downtown. The multiple roofs act as an open clerestories, providing a way for light and breezes to penetrate the narrow space. Wood columns and beams support these roofs on the interior to give the design a light and airy aesthetic. The columns on the southern side simply meet the ground with steel 174

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bases, making the space feel open and leaving more room for activities. Should the adjacent southern building be demolished, this side would be open and inviting to the street and intersection. On the northern side, the bench/planter elements are utilized to create miniature rain gardens to manage water shedding from the undulating roof scheme. Also located on this more permanent northern side is a handicapped accessible restroom, as this is an amenity that is greatly desired by the people in Jamestown, especially if they were to be using the walking trail. This could be maintained by the city like the public restroom currently located at City Park. These facilities can

A dance party is one of the many functions that can occur in the Jamestown Pavilion space. Image by Jamie Michel. Rear garden in the Jamestown Pavilion, looking west. Image by Jamie Michel.

View of Farmer’s Market and TPC renovation from the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street. Image by Jamie Michel.

Site plan of Farmer’s Market and TPC in City Park. Image by Jamie Michel.

be open during peak use times (during the day and when the space is reserved for events) and locked at all other times to avoid vandalism, which is not a major concern since the tight-knit nature of the community makes those participating in crimes easy to identify.

Farmer’s Market & Tailwind Pole Vault Club Renovation

After the site for the Jamestown Pavilion was deemed unsuitable for a farmer’s market, it was determined that City Park would be an appropriate site, especially because one of the project foci included an exterior renovation for the Tailwind Pole Vault Club. The major considerations for this site are access and circulation for both vehicles and pedestrians, as well as a considerable slope in the topography. These issues led to the logical decision to consider the

site as a whole, so landscaping features could flow into one cohesive design. Therefore, the proposed location for the Farmer’s Market is directly adjacent to the TPC on the north. Drawing similar ideas from the pavilion and addressing the same issues, the Farmer’s Market structure consists of sloping roofs at differing heights in consideration of access to light and breezes. The design also utilizes the bench/planter elements as column bases to provide permanent seating, along with the rain garden concept as a solution to drainage. Differing from the pavilion, the market’s form is in an L-shape to provide adequate area for vendors to park and back their vehicles up to their assigned slot for ease in unloading goods. This scheme creates a clear separation between the vehicular and pedestrian zones, maximizing safety. Paving patterns, plantings, and areas of grass inform users as to how

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they should use the space between the Farmer’s Market and TPC. The orientation of two-foot by five-foot pavers indicate the appropriate direction for visitors to circulate. Plantings create obstacles that influence where one walks, while soft scape areas give users a place to stop and enjoy themselves. Benches also provide areas where users of the walking trail, Farmer’s Market, and TPC can rest. Many of these in City Park are positioned to provide a view of the new covered entrance to the TPC on the west. Currently, there is a strip of concrete in this spot that the pole vaulters use as a runway. Covering this runway allows for the pole vaulting portion of the gym to be used during 176

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inclement weather. Glass facades allow other users and passersby to view the pole vaulters in action, creating a connection between the different user groups. The rest of the facade is brick to match the aesthetic used in the rest of the project. A rainscreen system will be utilized for the new part of the brick facade, allowing for the addition of insulation and hidden lighting for new signage, which is integrated into the wooden strip on the facade. The significant slope on the site presented an opportunity to create an interesting sectional relationship between the Farmer’s Market and TPC. The main entrance that the club members use is on the northeast

Section perspective through the south wing of the Farmer’s Market, showing the landscaping down to the primary entrance for the Tailwind Pole Vault Club. Image by Jamie Michel.

New facade for the Tailwind Pole Vault Club. Image by Jamie Michel.

View of pole vaulters in action from the benches to the north. Image by Jamie Michel.

corner of the building. Pavers and landscape steps direct people who park on the street to the entrance, while the Farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Market is kept at the same level. This separates the two functions while maintaining a visual connection between the different users.

Project Impact JUMP UP seeks to serve as a catalyst for growth through design. Each concept addresses multiple issues in Jamestown by focusing on lack of third places and access to food, while improving the overall aesthetic quality of the environment. The designs are simple in consideration of cost and skill

level required to build them, and each part of the project has been examined at a detailed level to fully explore the idea of simplicity. Constructing these projects will depend on efforts from the community, especially for funding and volunteers. The TPC renovation has the potential to be completed by students at a nearby Votech school if funding can be secured, and many residents and interested parties in nearby towns have knowledge and experience in construction. Because Jamestown has a population of less than 300, this project can be considered as a case study for other extremely rural towns, which are a special case even among other Small Town Studio projects. Jamestown | Small Town Stewardship

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Blue Rapids

Blue Rapids is a small community in the northern region of the Flint Hills with a population of 1000. The town originated on the Big Blue River in the late 1800s; mills and other businesses along the river fueled the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initial enterprises. These mills, along with the gypsum mine, were the main promoters of the economy in Blue Rapids. Unfortunately, developments on the river were unsuccessful due to repeated flooding. The community was devastated by three floods in 1903, 1908, and 1941. Supporting one another is what allowed the town to survive during its early conception; during the floods and other situations the community rallied together to help each other. The developments began to move away from the river and began to be centered on the round town square. Businesses are now organized around this main district, and for a town its size, it has a lot of amenities. The community has a post office, library, elementary school, pharmacy, doctor, grocery store, dentist, hardware store, community building, nursing home, a thirty-six acre park, and many more businesses. The park is home to the fair, a Chautauqua celebration, and once hosted a World Series baseball game in 1913. Comparatively, it is doing very well for a town its size. The two major issues in town right now is the need for affordable housing and for safer and more crossings across the highway.

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Research, Connectivity, Legibility Blue Rapids, KS 2014

Ramin Henry Mahmoudian

Body Text

The aerial image shows the town of Blue Rapids from a satellite perspective. It was very useful in counting up all where the unique street signs within the town. The photo to the right shows one of the typical street signs in Blue Rapids Images by Google Maps and Ramin Mahmoudian

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The logo and questionnaire were created to gather information from the community. Images by Ramin Mahmoudian

Research

1. What’s best about Blue Rapids? 2. What could make Blue Rapids even better? 3. What needs to be improved in Blue Rapids? 4. What could inhibit growth in Blue Rapids?

The SWOT method helped organize the responses into groups based on: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, or threats. Creating a matrix with this method helps in combining two aspects, for instance, an opportunity and weakness may be combined so that two issues can be solved at once. The survey was formatted to maximise the number 182

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BLUE RAPIDS

BLUE RAPIDS raminhenry@gmail.com What’s best about Blue Rapids?

The SWOT matrix helped organise responses from the questionnaire. Image by Ramin Mahmoudian

Please return to State Bank Blue Rapids, KS

Please See Reverse

What could make Blue Rapids even better?

opportunities bring the community into the twenty ﬁrst century

What needs to be improved in Blue Rapids?

better internet / wiﬁ create more businesses

more food places

identify historical homes in town and denote with sign

What could inhibit growth in Blue Rapids?

establish a building code for town, speciﬁcally for the round squares future developments the economy of the town could be improved blue rapids could higlight the blue rapids overlooks taking advatage of the beautiful views around town

Additional Comments :

Please return to State Bank Blue Rapids, KS

Please See Reverse

At the beginning of this project, a logo was designed for the town that symbolizes its founding on the Big Blue River and the revitalization efforts that are being initiated. Creating the logo established branding for the revitalization efforts, which helps the project resonate with the community. To become familiar with the town’s situation and get ideas of what could be designed, questionnaires and a surveys were distributed to the businesses on the round square. Newspaper articles were also published in the Blue Rapids Free Press about the research effort. The questionnaires were based on the SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) method, which helped derive four basic questions for the town:

bring more people to town dam / run of river plant new industrial area signs listing features of the town on the east and west sides revitalize the round square as a retail botique area

of responses. The survey asked the community to circle what Blue Rapids needs most from a list: art, activities for the youth, mini golf, a historic trail, an arcade, clubs, a mural, new sidewalks, etc. Space was provided on the back of the survey for additional comments on what the community was missing. Attending the Chamber of Commerce meeting in September of 2013 was useful in establishing a

threats the town is lacking vision, optimism, and energy to evolve

stringent zoning could restrict the progress of start up businesses

more taxes

no inertia: if something does not happen to foster growth the town will parish

the giving spirit of the community is starting to fade

inability of property owerners in the round square to sell/repurpose their buildings

strengths

weaknesses

community: willingness of people to help each other

not enough job opportunities

metoring to the children of the community allowed the town to succed during its origination/founding

small town atmosphere

6 physical environment: i.e. the hills, valleys, and the river

not enough housing / aﬀordable housing

police force

city council needs to be more transparent / needs to guide the community better nothing for youth to do

the big blue school system nothing

the spirit of the population needs to be reinvigorated buildings on round square need improvement upkeep of homes and streetscapes

bring the community into the twenty ﬁrst century upkeep of homes and streetscapes

not enough job opportunities create more businesses

the big blue blue rapids could higlight the big blue

physical environment: i.e. the hills, valleys, and the river

upkeep of homes and streetscapes establish a building code for town, speciﬁcally for the round squares future developments

not enough housing / aﬀordable housing bring more people to town

blue rapids could higlight the blue rapids overlooks taking advatage of the beautiful views around town dam / run of river plant

new industrial area

not enough job opportunities bring more people to town

buildings on round square need improvement

revitalize the round square as a retail botique area

Connectivity

the town is lacking vision, optimism, and energy to evolve

school system

the spirit of the population needs to be reinvigorated

school system

no inertia: if something does not happen to foster growth the town will parish

community: willingness of people to help each other

inability of property owerners in the round square to sell/repurpose their buildings

relationship with the chamber members and in discussing Small Town Studio’s interest in working with Blue Rapids. The goal of this project is to create a design that benefits the town and fills a need indicated from the research process. As the questionnaires were turned in, data was entered into the matrix established through the SWOT method. The survey responses were tallied, which expedited the process of entering the data. Based on the numbers, what the town needed most was affordable housing. This information was retrieved from the questionnaires, but results were placed on both the matrix and a survey response board so they could be compared side by side. Jack Haller, is a nonagenarian who has lived in Blue Rapids for a majority of his adult life. He has focused on making the town better and facilitated the building of the community center and nursing home. During Jack’s interview he discussed the town and all the amenities it has. Jack was told about the efforts of the Small Town Studio and data collected from the questionnaires and surveys. He agreed that what the town needs is affordable housing.

nothing for youth to do

no inertia: if something does not happen to foster growth the town will parish

buildings on round square need improvement

inability of property owerners in the round square to sell/repurpose their buildings

While housing is the main focus of the projects in Blue Rapids, the town has other opportunities for design as well. Old Highway 77 used to run through the city’s round square, but it has been shifted north one block. This highway Blue Rapids | Small Town Stewardship

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now bypasses the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business district and divides the north and south sides of the town. Currently, only one pedestrian crossing serves the town. By adding more safe places to cross the highway, the town can be reunited. The project proposes the addition of two crosswalks at strategic locations to improve pedestrian connectivity. One will be added near the round square on Main Street to increase the opportunity for pedestrian activity in this area and to improve access to the central business district. The other crosswalk will be placed near Riverside Park. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important for the city to invite people to partake in physical activity.(Gehl 13) Providing access to the park increases the opportunity for physical activity, and makes it easier for the community to get to the fair or other social events occurring there.

The photo to the left shows a typical street sign in Blue Rapids. Image by Ramin Mahmoudian

Legibility Along the highway and throughout the town there are concrete street sign posts. They are 4 feet tall,painted white, and engraved with letters painted black. The street posts are unique and mark what used to be known as the Great White Way. The paint is starting to fade, the posts are beginning to lean, and their current state is not highly visible at night. It was proposed that the city repaint the signs to increase the legibility. This will make it easier for pedestrians and motorists to navigate the town and it will highlight the street posts. Another way to highlight them and add interests to the town is to paint 184

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them with a glow in the dark paint. During the day, the posts would be white with black lettering and at night the posts would have a soft blue glow.

The aerial image above shows the

location Signs 81of street signs and proposed crosswalks in Blue Rapids.

Image by Google Maps Signs Needed 3 and Ramin

Legend Street Signs

Proposed Crosswalks

Mahmoudian)

walks Needed 3

l cost to repaint the signs including the glow in the dark paint would be $695.84. The grant Blue Rapids | Small Town Stewardship that the city match 20% of the total cost which would be $139.17

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Harmony House Blue Rapids, KS 2014

Ramin Mahmoudian

Body Text The rendering to the left shows a view from within the new development.

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Goals During the research phase, Dennis Osborne, emerged as a client who is interested in constructing affordable housing out of shipping containers. The client expressed his interest in integrating sustainable practices into both the buildings and the site. The project strives to create community spaces, a playground, and a harmonious relationship with the environment. This housing projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main objective is to provide a place for industry workers, elderly, and young professionals to live. Many of the people who need housing work for the industrial businesses in town such as the gypsum mine. Providing them with a quality place to live at a reasonable price will increase the attraction of staying in Blue Rapids.

Site This development will improve the existing context by filling in three abandoned and underused lots. The site is composed of three properties located just south of 5th Street or Highway 77. The overall site has a great location in town; both Riverside Park and the round town square are within walking distance. It is also on the same side of the highway as the elementary school, which is just east of the round town square. This will allow children living in the development to safely walk to school without having to cross the highway. The site is roughly two acres. A site this size would normally house twenty units. The proposed design has sixteen units, 188

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Legend Site Round Town Square Riverside Park Blue Rapids Elementary School

The aerial image shows the location of the site, Riverside Park, the Round Town Square, and the Blue Rapids Elementary School Image by Google Maps and Ramin Mahmoudian The site plan to the right shows the configuration of the buildings, parking, pedestrian path, community spaces, and the playground area. Image by Ramin Mahmoudian

2 1 Legend

3 1

Buildings

Parking

Pedestrian Path

Community Spaces

Play Ground Area

4 1

3 1 4

1 4

2 4

but also makes room for community gathering spaces and a playground. It has a large pedestrian pathway that can be accessed by maintenance and emergency vehicles. The units are grouped into sets. Each building will contain two units and be constructed from four shipping containers. The main focus of the housing project is affordability, but the harmony between buildings and the landscaping is also very important to the design. Using native plants will help develop the character of the site, provide a beautiful environment for residents, and reduce maintenance. The site has access from both 5th Street and 6th Street, and existing curb cuts will be utilized to reduce site development costs. Parking will take up a limited part of the site, and automobiles will not be able to move completely through the site; instead, priority will be given to pedestrians. The site will invite the community to walk, run, and bike more by providing the infrastructure necessary to promote these activities (Gehl). The building locations create a pathway through the site that will have a large pedestrian walkway bordered by community areas. The pedestrian pathway will be constructed of selfbinding aggregate (crushed stone). This material provides a softer look and feel than concrete and is much more permeable. Reducing the amount of hardscape in the development will not only be healthier for the environment, but will also provide a more aesthetic configuration for the residents. In the Blue Rapids | Small Town Stewardship

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middle of the site, space will be allotted for a playground area that serves the new development and the surrounding context. The community spaces along the pedestrian path will have areas for bike storage, sports, grilling, picnics, and other outdoor activities. There will be a privacy gradient from the pedestrian path up to the buildings. It will move from the more public communal spaces near the path and playground to the more private exterior spaces of the buildings. This will be accomplished by vegetation, path configuration, and building orientation.

Containers The idea of shipping in boxes has been around a long time. The way we ship boxes and how those boxes are constructed was standardized in the 1960â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s by Malcom Purcell McLean (1913-2001) (Slawik Et. Al. 6) Shipping containers are made up of a steel frame, corrugated steel siding, and a floor of steel cross members and plywood (Kotnik 21; Slawik Et. Al. 8-9). They are supported entirely at the corners which makes them functional for stacking. (Slawik Et. Al. 9) Standardised container sizes allow them to be transported globally by multiple modes of transportation. They are shipped by boats, trucks, helicopters, and trains, making them readily available and easily obtained for a reasonable price (Kotnik 14). In recent years people have taken advantage of containers availability, affordability, and transportability by converting them into buildings. 190

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An exploded diagram of a typical ISO Standard 20 foot shipping container. Image by Residential Shipping Container Primer The multiple of modes of transportation that can ship a container. Image by New Container Architecture

Design

top unit: back porch

bottom unit: back porch

bottom unit: front porch

top unit: front porch

structure and exterior framing

Exterior Spaces, Structure, Ventilation. Images by Ramin Mahmoudian

ventilation

The buildings’ structure will be provided by four forty-foot high cube containers, concrete piers and additional steel columns. “High cube” containers are 9 feet 6 inches tall on the exterior. Containers can also be 8 feet 6 inches tall “standard cube” and in rare cases 8 feet tall “low cube” (Slawik Et. Al. 8). In this design, two of the fortyfoot high cube containers will be stacked on top of another two. The orientation of the containers to each other is what helps create the exterior spaces of the building. The top unit creates shade and patio spaces for both units. The bottom unit provides structure and an exterior patio for the top unit. Because the corners of the two containers on top do not align with the containers on the bottom, it was necessary to add more structure. Columns were added where significant vertical forces need to be supported. The containers will be connected to concrete pier foundations with a pin connection. This type of foundation uses significantly less concrete than a traditional site built foundation. On one end of the containers the doors will be removed and this area will be used for fenestrations. This provides light and allows the entire house to be easily ventilated. Natural ventilation will significantly reduce the amount of energy used for cooling. Placement of windows with relation to the other fenestrations within the rooms will increase ventilation. The two openings Blue Rapids | Small Town Stewardship

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are staggered so that air will move through the space and provide fresh air. Due to the limited amount of space in the units the design utilizes an in-floor radiant heating system. The floor of the containers will be lined with plastic molds that hold the tubing for the system in place. Concrete will then be poured over this configuration so that the tubing is embedded in the thermal mass. Using this system does two things for the units; improve indoor air quality and help unite the containers into one unit. Uniting the containers will be important so that they do not move separately from each other in the case of strong wind loads. If they were to move separately, it could create significant structural and moisture issues. Shipping containers are not insulated, so they must be modified to contend with the temperate climate in Kansas. The orientation of the buildings and natural ventilation will help regulate temperatures, but the buildings will need to be insulated to be livable. On the exterior, light gauge steel studs will be spot welded to provide support for insulation and siding. The studs create the correct depth for insulation to be applied. Spot welding will be utilized so that the container will not need to be punctured several times. This not only helps keep the envelope sealed, but it also leaves the interior wall of the container free for a slim finish material to be applied. The exterior finish material will be a combination of two different materials. On the bottom units, reclaimed barn wood will be used and 192

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insulation reclaimed wood light gage steel container wall

roof paver drainage layer waterproof membrane container roof furring gyp. board

heat container wall

radiant floor

light gage steel

plywood

cross member

bottom side rail

insulation

concrete pier beyond

sheathing

Typical wall section showing the radiant floor heat system. Image by Ramin Mahmoudian

bath bed

kitchen

patio

kitchen

patio

bath

bed living

living

patio

bed

1st floor: Bottom Unit

2nd Floor: Top Unit

1st and 2nd floor plan Image by Ramin Mahmoudian North Elevation Image by Ramin Mahmoudian

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on the top units, cementitious panels will be used. This cladding scheme is meant to blend each housing unit into its surroundings. The warm and cool contrast is similar to the affect given by the plains of Kansas where the prairie provides a warm foreground in contrast to the cool sky. Where the top of the containers are exposed, a built up roof will need to be constructed. This will reduce any pooling that could occur and will get the water away from the sides of the building. The top unit will have a shed roof, and the bottom unit will have roof paver system. The shed roof helps define exterior spaces around the unit and provides a space for insulation. The summers can be very intense in this region of the country so creating exterior shading makes sense in several ways; it will extend the amount of time exterior spaces can be used, and it will reduce the amount cooling costs the residents will incur. The top of the roof will be white standing seam metal roof. This will reduce radiant heat absorption.

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West Elevation Image by Ramin Mahmoudian South Elevation Image by Ramin Mahmoudian

Rendering from the pedestrian path within the development. Image by Ramin Mahmoudian

Section through the building. Image by Ramin Mahmoudian

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Steps Foward

The association between the Small Town Studio and rural Kansas communities began informally almost two years ago, and has seen numerous positive outcomes for all partners involved. Many of the examples here were pulled from the work in Eureka, as it has to date been the biggest partner with the Studio. Student Outcomes: Perspectives and Projects. All of the students involved in the Eureka Project have reaped academic, professional, and personal rewards from their experience in Eureka. They have connected with small town Kansas in a way that few of their generation ever will, and the service-oriented focus of the Studio perhaps shed a new light on the role of the architect as an interactive agent of community rather than on community. The Rural Design Mob, comprised of three graduates of the 2012-13 Small Town Studio, seem to have taken this message to heart, fully immersing themselves professionally in Eureka. Eureka wants to broaden its relationship with recent graduates, and is establishing summer internships that count towards professional licensure. Those that will seek internships elsewhere will benefit from being able to tell future employers about their community, client-based, and project management experience. Physical Outcomes. Several built projects have developed, beginning with the establishment of the Eureka Studio on Main Street. The highly public storefront signaled the activity of the Studio in Eureka, thus addressing specific identified needs. Its interior renovation was designed by students and fabricated by Coleman Management of Eureka. That same firm is sponsoring a second project this year, a small art gallery, which it will construct this spring. Also in Eureka, some work has begun to reclaim Eureka Springs Park, funding has been developed for bike lanes, and the Rural Studio Mob has designed and will construct a new gateway on Main Street. It is anticipated that more projects will be constructed in the near future, including nature trails, an overlook for the Fall River, and a wetlands learning laboratory at the local elementary school.

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Intangible Outcomes. Fostering Community Optimism Certainly, not every student project can be built, but even conceptual projects can galvanize citizens into considering their future. The Small Town Studio has affected policy at both the city and county level, notably including a new plan for the County Courthouse plaza on Eurekaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Main Street, the consideration of arts and historic districts, promoting parks and trails for recreation and pedestrian transportation, and exploring beautification and economic revitalization. One very positive indicator has been the inception of the new Eureka Studio, a subsidiary of the Eureka Foundation. Eureka Studio is a local community design center that acts as a facilitator for potential clients and design service providers such as the Small Town Studio and professionals. Only recently established, the Eureka Studio will be able to advance projects beyond the end of the academic year, develop relationships with a wide array of community-oriented disciplines, and act as a repository for design ideas and other information for the town. It is hoped that the public-private-institution model promulgated in Eureka will be replicable and can be applied to other Kansas municipalities. Over time, the model of collaboration has become more concrete, and recently more formalized relationships between the various constituencies have been formed. These relationships will operationalize design activities, and help achieve an even greater impact on the built rural environment, developed jointly by communities, K-State, and other dedicated partners.

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Steps Forward “Change is the only constant in life,” attributed to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, this was true nearly 2500 years ago, and it remains true today. Eventhough the graduated 2013/2014 Small Town Studio has moved on from KSU both professionally and personally, they remember the communities they worked with, the people they met, and how they’ve grown together. The goal of change is difficult to implement successfully. There are key elements needed to ensure success. As STS learned there are ways they we were able to begin the process of change while otherways did not have the desired results. Because Small Town Studio is still in its infancy the group is constantly learning how to successfully guide a community through the process of change. There were several things that Small Town Studio has been able to do well. The students have learned that community engagement that is, interesting, involved, and something that is vital to receiving quality feedback from community members. The Community enthusiasm experienced by STS was encouraging. Community members that STS came into contact with were very positive about the work the group is doing. Many STS project sought to create a unified vision for the communities they were working in. A unified vision is an image a community can rally

small

around and get excited about. This goal can be all encompassing and it may require restructuring of organizations, collaboration with consultants, and it will need the support of the community. Without a continuous vision of community goals, results will be scattered and disjointed. In the article, “How to Implement Change in Practice,” the authors quote Dr. Fryfield, “Successful change comes when everyone thinks the change is their idea.” Having public forums and involving the community will be the most successful way to move forward. Allowing citizens to be empowered though the change that is taking place by providing a sense of owernership will strengthen the sense of community. The collaboration between Small Town Studio and Eureka Studio is just one example of how two groups can work together to affect positive change. Several studio members working outside of Eureka created a dialogue the communities they worked in and found that face to face interaction is the most successful method change. Leaders take responsibility, make important decisions, and help guide team members. Small Town Studio has the benefit of having the leadership of Todd Gabbard. As the professor, he provides a continuous position of leadership from year to year to give advice and guidance as the studio finds its way through changes similarly. Eureka Studio has the benefit of having Michael Countyman as the acting Director. His guidance will continue to

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Small Town Stewardship | Steps Forward

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STUDIO Small Town Studio logo Image by Marissa Miller

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STUDIO

Small Town Studio hosting an event at the Eureka Studio Image by Jamie Michel

“Change is the only constatnt in life.” -Heraclitus create opportunity within Eureka. Communication is the most important part of implementing effective change. All members working on a team must know about every aspect of a project and the only way for that to occur is through communication. Small Town Studio has taken great steps in establishing communication with the communities they work with, which was fundamental to everything they did. Many projects were only realized after communication with the public. Looking back on their efforts to communicate, future Small Town Studewardships should make a greater effort to communicate with the public as a whole, rather than just the few specific

stakeholders. While the communication between key players is vital to having a successful project move forward, there should be more contact between the general population of the community. Despite all Small Town Studio has accomplished there will always be more work for the future Small Town Studio teams. Part of the 2013/2014 STS’s responsibility is to leave these communities with their research so new teams can have the opportunity to pursue project that can be built upon. The Rural Design Mob has been in close contact with Small Town Studio about their work in Eureka, which has encouraged the studio to improve. The next Small Town Studio holds even more potential for success. Projects moving out of the design phase and into implementation could provide a great opportunity for the new studio participants. Members of the new class could continue a project that will be built and take the time to really understand the details behind the design. With enthusiasm, the 2013/2014 STS moves forward with their careers and when they look back in years to come they will have the knowledge that they had a hand in the positive change that occurred in Eureka. Many rural cities have people who want to improve their communities. These towns stand out as an example for other communities to enact change. We pass the torch on to the new members of Small Town Studio, providing to the them the lessons learned and success earned. Steps Foward | Small Town Stewardship

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Reflections: The Small Town Studio is a team of designers in their fifth academic year at Kansas State University, in the College of Architecture Planning and Design. As a whole, the group strives for innovation, collaboration, and effective decision making for design in rural communities. Each individual is unique and has their own abilities and ideas that help the overall studio development process move forward. Each member reflects back on what they have learned and accomplished over the past year. 200

Small Town Stewardship | Reflections

Bryce Cummings - Sterling, CO

So often, I think small towns are scoffed at for having design potential. This year, however, we had the opportunity to work closely with Eureka and prove that any level of design can make a difference, even in a small community. This hands-on, community oriented approach to architecture directly translates to the type of work that I think architects should aspire to.

Wesley Gross - Kansas City, MO

With the ubiquity of commercial strip development in American towns and cities, and the general silence from the design community on this problem, I feel that my work along Highway 54 is able to transcend Eureka, KS. Working at a number of scales - from the urban to the architectural detail - has been a difficult and rewarding challenge that has helped to conflate my understanding of architecture and urbanism.

Ramin Mahmoudian - Manhattan. KS It’s amazing to think about how much I’ve grown as a designer this year. The work I’ve done in both Blue Rapids and Eureka have provided a lot of opportunities at many different scales. I designed a holistic linkage system for the city of Eureka and am currently designing affordable housing for Blue Rapids. Both projects have great potential for the towns so I plan to try and implement both in the future.

John McLaughlin - Abilene, KS

Born in a small town and raised on a farm. I often dreaded the idea of being forced to move to a city to pursue a career in architecture. Before enrolling in Small Town Studio as my final academic studio, I was unsure on where I would end up after graduating. Small Town Studio has given me the knowledge and confidence to look forward to providing services in a rural community.

Marissa Miller - Lone Jack, MO

Small Town Studio offered the opportunity to work on real projects to create a tangible impact. The academic value of this year exceeds the experiences wrought in studio - it will serve to inspire and inform my designs as I develop my career. By engaging with the community to create sensitive, sustainable, and conscientious projects, the ego can be removed from design, producing exceptional architecture.

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Jamie Michel - Jamestown, KS

Born and raised a rural Kansan, I appreciate the type of community outreach the studio has dedicated itself to. The activities we engaged in this year created beneficial relationships and unique learning opportunities for all involved. I am honored to have been a part of this unique, award winning group which stands as an example for both students and professionals captivated by public interest design.

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Allison Parr - Monroe, LA

Small Town Studio provides opportunities for students that are usually unavailable in the academic setting. I have had the chance to provide design services in a community where these ideas are inaccessible. Being a part of the Small Town Studio team has fostered a greater ability to interact with clients and a community.

Christy Phelps - St. Charles, MO

Small Town Studio has afforded me a life changing learning opportunity. The real world aspects of this studio and our work with Eureka have given me the chance to understand things I would never have learned in studio class alone. This experience has given me the opportunity to work on a renovation project in a historic building on Main Street. I look forward to implementing my new skills in my future career.

Tonya Stock - Farmington, NM

As my time here at Kansas State University draws to a close, I am grateful for the opportunity that I had to be in the Small Town Studio. This studio has taught me that design can be a tool to effect change. Projects important to the area are a part of what make a world of difference to the lives of those in their communities.

Anthony Winkelmann - Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Fallon, MO The Small Town Studio experience has been a comprehensive educational experience. We have grown to understand the impact of design throughout a community and how to collaboratively design with its residents. These are experiences that can have immediate correlation with experiences beyond academics and will ultimately guide us to become better designers throughout our careers.

R. Todd Gabbard - Gainesville, FL

Small Town Studio was developed in 2012 by Professor Gabbard as a new way of engaging rural communities with fifth-year architecture students. During this second academic year of the Eureka Project, the Small Town Studio was presented with the K-State Excellence in Engagement Award. Gabbard plans to continue this method of teaching in future years to come in hopes to provide services for rural small towns in Kansas.

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Kansas. Kansas Health Institute. East Central Kansas Public Health Coalition Community Quality of Life Survey Analysis and Report of Findings. 2012. Print. <http://www.franklincoks.org DocumentCenter/View/150>. Kansas. Kansas Health Institute. East Central Kansas Public Health Coalition Community Health Assessment CoreIndicators Profile. 2012. Print. <http://www.franklincoks.org/ DocumentCenter/View/150>. Kansas. Kansas Health Institute. East Central Kansas Public Health Coalition Community Health Assessment Summary of Findings. 2012. Print. <http://www.franklincoks.org/ DocumentCenter/View/150>. Mikunda, Christian. Brand lands, hot spots, and cool places: welcome to the third place and the total marketing experience. Sterling, VA: Kogan Page Limited, 2004. Print.

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River Street Barnett, Jonathan. “Redesigning Commercial Strips.” Redesigning Cities: Principles, Practice, Implemenation. N.p.: American Planning Association, 2003. 71-80. Print. Daniels, Thomas L., John W. Keller, Mark B. Lapping, Katherine Daniels, and James Segedy. The Small Town Planning Handbook. Chicago, IL: Planners, American Planning Association, 2007. Print. “Food Access Research Atlas.” United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Economic Research Service (ERS).http://www.ers. usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas Kansas. Eureka City Planning Commission. Comprehensive Community Plan. By Earles & Riggs. N.p.: City of Eureka, 1998. Print. United States of America. Environmental Protection Agency. Restructuring the Commercial Strip: A Practical Guide for Planning the Revitalization of Deteriorating Strip Corridors. By ICF International and Freedman Tung & Sasaki. Print.

Bell, Bryan. “Towards a Cultural Value of Design and Democracy.” Oz. Vol. 35. Manhattan: Oz, 2010. 52-57. Print. Kaplan, Rachel, and Stephen Kaplan. The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1989. Print. Oldenburg, Ray. The Great Good Place: Cafés, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community. New York: Marlowe, 1999. Print. Passmore, Holli-Anne, and Dr. Andrew J. Howell. “A Natural High: The Positive Effects of Nature on Physical Health and Mental Well-being.”Academia.edu. Grant MacEwan University Department of Psychology, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

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Cary, John. The Power of Pro Bono: 40 Stories about Design for the Public Good by Architects and Their Clients. New York, NY: Metropolis, 2010. Print. Lambe, Will. Small Towns Big Ideas: Case Studies in Small Town Community Economic Development. 2008. Print. “Downtown and Business District Market Analysis: Tools to Create Economically Vibrant Commercial Districts in Small Cities.” Downtown Market Analysis. University of Wisconsin, 7 July 2011. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. Redburn, F. Stevens., and Terry F. Buss. Public Policies for Distressed Communities. Lexington, MA: Lexington, 1982. Print. Carmona, Matthew, Steve Tiesdell, Tim Heath, and Taner Oc. Public Places, Urban Spaces: The Dimensions of Urban Design. 2nd ed. Oxford: Architectural, 2003. Print. “Renovation: Your Step-by-step Planner.” Homebuilding & Renovating. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. Mehta, Vikas. Lively Streets: Determining Environmental Characteristics to Support Social Behavior. Journal of Planning Education and Research. SAGE on Behalf of Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, 26 Nov. 2007. Web. 04 Nov. 2013. <http://jpe.sagepub.com/content/27/2/165>. Nasar, Jack L. Environmental Aesthetics: Theory, Research, and Applications. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1988. Print.

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Acknowledgments Small Town Studio 2014:

Blue Rapids Gehl, Jan. “Cities for People.” Island Press. (2010) Gehl, Jan. “Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space.” Island Press. (2011) Slawik, Bergmann, Buchmeir, Tinny, Et. Al. “Container Atlas: A Practical Guide to Container Architecture.” Gestalten. (2010) Kotnik, Jure. “New Container Architecture: Design Guide + 30 Case Studies.” Links. (2013) Calkins, Meg. “The Sustainable Sites Handbook: A Complete Guide to the Principles, Strategies, and Best Practices for Sustainable Landscapes.” Wiley. (2012) Global Green USA. “Blueprint for Greening Affordable Housing.” Island Press. (2007)

Bryce Cummings, Wesley Gross, Ramin Mahmoudian, John McLaughlin, Marissa Miller, Jamie Michel, Allison Parr, Christy Phelps, Tonya Stock, Anthony Winklemann, and our professor: Todd Gabbard

would like to give a special thanks to:

The City of Eureka, The City of Jamestown, The City of Blue Rapids, Eureka Foundation, and Eureka Studio

for their continued support in making this work possible.