KU School of Architecture & Design

05/29/2026

A KU student design-build project in Lawrence, Kansas has earned international recognition while expanding access to environmental education and creating a beautiful community asset.

The Prairie Park Pavilion, designed and constructed by third-year students in Keith Van de Riet’s studio, received the AZ Award for Student Work from Azure Magazine.

🏆 https://lnkd.in/eVUc77hu

Developed in collaboration with the City of Lawrence, Kansas - Municipal Government, regional municipalities, and industry partners, the project addresses a critical local need: flexible, affordable outdoor infrastructure to support camps, school programs, public events and revenue-generating activities that sustain the Prairie Park Nature Center.

The project reflects the KU School of Architecture & Design’s approach to applied research and experiential learning. Students led all phases of the work, from concept and parametric modeling to materials sourcing, fabrication and assembly.

Projects like these demonstrate how connecting education, research, and service can create tangible outcomes for communities. This integrated approach strengthens community impact while preparing KU students for careers. At The University of Kansas, students gain real-world professional skills before graduation.

💡 Learn about KU's center for design education and research: https://arcd.ku.edu/

05/27/2026

Congratulations to architecture professor Chad Kraus on being named a 2026 Kemper Fellow for Teaching Excellence, one of highest honors recognizing innovative, student-centered teaching at The University of Kansas.

Kraus’s work exemplifies the impact of design-build education, where students engage directly with materials, construction, and the built environment.

As founding director of KU’s Dirt Works Studio, Kraus has led award-winning projects that connect theory, craft, and community. His recognition highlights the role of KU’s unique hands-on, community-engaged pedagogy in shaping the next generation of architects.

👏 Congratulations, Professor Kraus! https://bit.ly/4fbY7xs

This spring, five faculty members from the University of Kansas Lawrence campus who exemplify innovation, expertise and leadership in the classroom were named recipients of the William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence.

05/21/2026

KU architecture students are putting design into action, creating both housing and opportunity.

In a recent story on KSHB 41, the impact of The University of Kansas's commitment to real-world, community-focused design is highlighted through a design-build project supporting individuals transitioning out of homelessness.

KU’s Dirt Works Studio partnered with Tenants to Homeowners Inc to create a home that addresses a critical local need. The project also serves as a model for energy-efficient, affordable housing that can be adapted by communities across Kansas and beyond.
🔻
Learn more from KSHB 41:
https://lnkd.in/gGVJWGhn

Nonprofit Tenants to Homeowners purchased the land and worked with KU's Dirt Works Studio class to build the first of eight tiny, affordable homes on the lot.

05/21/2026

👏👏👏

05/20/2026

Congrats to our Class of 2026 graduates and to ALL architecture and design students for reaching the finish line this year! 🏁 🎓

From your first day in studio last fall through your final presentation this spring, you were challenged—and challenged yourselves—to bring new ideas into the world. Before you look ahead, take a moment to reflect on how far you’ve come. 💫

💙 And a special thank you to our industry and community partners, alumni, and broader KU community across Kansas, the region, and beyond. Your mentorship and engagement create meaningful opportunities for our students and help prepare them for what comes next.

🎉 Here’s to everything you’ve created this year and all the possibilities still to come.

🌻 Have a great summer and Rock Chalk, Jayhawk!

05/15/2026

TODAY IS THE DAY, Class of 2026!
🎉 ✨ 🎓
↘
Academic Achievement Awards
🕐 1:00pm | John C. Gaunt Forum
‼️ Due to space limits, only students receiving academic achievement awards and their guests should attend. The event will be livestreamed on the ArcD graduation website [🔗 in bio].

ArcD Graduates Open House Reception
🕑 2:00-4:00pm | Chalmers Café
🎉 Stop by to see a display of ArcD student work, enjoy some cake and snap some photos with family & friends to celebrate the class of 2026!

ArcD Recognition Ceremony
🕕 6:00 - 7:30 pm | The Lied Center
🎓 The ArcD graduation recognition ceremony is a formal event that honors graduating undergraduates, masters, and doctoral students who have or will finish their degree completion requirements in the Fall 2025, Spring 2026, and Summer 2026 terms.

KU’s university-wide Commencement ceremony on the Hill will begin at 10:30am on Sunday, May 17th.

👀 See full graduation events info: https://bit.ly/3ZmaONk

05/14/2026

Tomorrow, Friday, May 15, 8am – 9am, tune into According to the Record on KLWN radio (101.7 FM and 1320 AM), to hear Studio 804 students Matthew Garrett and Kennedy Williams discuss The University of Kansas architecture studio’s 31st design-build project.

According to the Record is a local radio institution having been on the air for over 70 years. If you miss the live broadcast, you can listen to a recoding on KLWN website: https://bit.ly/4dHQaPo

05/13/2026

🏡 Tour Studio 804’s latest project with The University of Kansas architecture students who gave new life to a former brownfield site by designing and building a home that embodies the power of community collaboration, practical innovation, and optimistic creativity.

📍 1144 E. 12th St., Lawrence, KS
📅 Saturday, May 16
🕘 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
🚗 Please park courteously; additional parking at Brook Creek Park

♻️ The home features a ventilated zinc rainscreen, polished concrete floors, and glue-laminated timber portal frames, along with the adaptive reuse of salvaged structural wood from a mid-century building.

☀️ Designed to meet LEED Platinum certification, the house incorporates advanced energy strategies, including 16 solar panels, high-efficiency appliances and a triple-glazed curtain wall system that improves energy performance while enhancing daylight. A detached accessory dwelling unit allows the home to adapt to changing space needs.
🔻
Learn more about this sustainable home designed and built entirely by KU students:
https://bit.ly/42xvKSQ

📷 Matthew Garrett/ Studio 804

05/12/2026

Congratulations to the Class of 2026! 🎉 ✨ 🎓

KU Graduation weekend kicks off on Friday, May 15th, with the School of Architecture & Design hosting three events to recognize our 2026 graduates.

✳️ THIS FRIDAY
↘
Academic Achievement Awards
🕐 1:00pm | John C. Gaunt Forum
‼️ NOTE: Due to space limits, only students receiving academic achievement awards and their guests should attend. The event will be livestreamed on the ArcD graduation website [🔗 in bio].

ArcD Graduates Open House Reception
🕑 2:00-4:00pm | Chalmers Café
🎉 Stop by to see a display of ArcD student work, enjoy some cake and snap some photos with family & friends to celebrate the class of 2026!

ArcD Recognition Ceremony
🕕 6:00 - 7:30 pm | The Lied Center
🎓 The ArcD graduation recognition ceremony is a formal event that honors graduating undergraduates, masters, and doctoral students who have or will finish their degree completion requirements in the Fall 2025, Spring 2026, and Summer 2026 terms.

KU’s university-wide Commencement ceremony on the Hill will begin at 10:30am on Sunday, May 17th.

👀 See full graduation events info: https://bit.ly/3ZmaONk

05/12/2026

The KU School of Architecture & Design invites the community to tour Kaw House, a supportive housing project designed and constructed by third-year architecture students in Dirt Works Studio.

Developed in partnership with Tenants to Homeowners Inc, the project demonstrates how community-engaged design, innovative approaches to sustainability, and solutions-focused architectural education can make a real impact.

EVENT DETAILS:
📍 613 N 3rd St, Lawrence, KS
📅 Friday, May 15 | 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
✂️ Ribbon cutting and remarks at 10 a.m.

Read more about Kaw House and learn how this KU project brought together community, civic, and industry partners to serve people in our state: https://lnkd.in/grMWQrAp