1 minute read
Students create façade that tells a deep story of place and research at KU facility
DESIGN-BUILD STUDIO
KEITH VAN DE RIET’S DESIGN-BUILD STUDIOS WORKED WITH RESEARCHERS AT KU’S INTERDISCIPLINARY CERAMICS RESEARCH CENTER (ICRC) TO ENHANCE THE RESEARCH FACILITY’S FACADE.
Advertisement
(cont.)
Built in two phases by two studios during the 2020-21 academic year, students designed terra cotta tile façade systems inspired by the local ecology and landscape.
Beyond adding an aesthetically striking statement through an interplay of materiality, light, and shadow, the project informs passersby of the nature of work taking place within the previously non-descript research building.
Support for the project was provided by NBK Architectural Terracotta and other individual donors.
Keith Van de Riet’s third-year design-build studio works with organizations to create meaningful projects rooted in utility, community, and place. Innovative construction, detailed handcraft, and close collaboration with partners come together to realize functional built works that also serve to tell stories through materials, form, and thoughtful spacemaking. 41
