KU School of Architecture & Design

06/17/2026

🔆 The Campanile is shining brighter thanks to KU architecture alum Lisa Reed and her team at St. Louis-based Reed Burkett Lighting Design.

💡 Our KU grads make an impact around the world and bring brilliance back to campus with meaningful projects, inspiration, and mentorship.

Rock Chalk!

06/12/2026

👀 Check out the KU School of Architecture & Design student work currently featured in London-based magazine Dezeen:

Projects include design proposals for a pediatric micro-hospital for Children's Mercy and interior renovations for University of Kansas Libraries, and completed design-build projects from Dirt Works Studio and Studio 804.

https://bit.ly/3SjJ1fQ

A proposal for a football stadium exclusively for the women's game is among projects from the University of Kansas.

06/11/2026

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University of Kansas students earned multiple top honors at the 2026 National Student Show and Conference in Dallas, with the program also named Best School by the national jury. KU students were recognized across portfolio, motion design, branding and conceptual categories, highlighting the strengt...

06/02/2026

Kansas City is helping shape the future of soccer worldwide. ⚽

As the Kansas City World Cup 2026 approaches, a new exhibition—“Shaping the Future of Football”—highlights how data-driven design and applied research are transforming the game on a global scale.

Created by the KU School of Architecture & Design in partnership with the Keystone Innovation District, the exhibition showcases Kansas City’s outsized influence in sports design.

Did you know?
👉 12 of the 16 World Cup host stadiums have direct ties to Kansas City–based firms and alumni of The University of Kansas.

Join us for the public opening event:
📍 Keystone CoLAB
800 E. 18th St, Kansas City, Missouri
🗓 June 10
🕕 6–8 p.m.

🔗 Learn more:
https://bit.ly/4dK0GWq

KU exhibition explores global impact of sports design ahead of 2026 World Cup A student assembles a digitally fabricated stadium model for the “Shaping the Future of Football” exhibition, where the future of soccer and fan experiences will be explored through data, architecture, and design. Tue,...

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.
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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

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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