THE CENTER FOR DESIGN RESEARCH

The Center for Design Research (CDR) is a LEED Platinum Certified building that is also the first Passive House Certified commercial building in North America. It is an addition to the Chamney House which was part of a historic dairy farm that was purchased by the University in 1963. It provides the CDR a location for interdisciplinary work in the research and development of consumer products and services. It is also a place for the education of the KU and Lawrence communities in sustainable strategies.

It is a stone and glass rectangular box attached to the back of the Chamney House by and a covered deck. The addition extends toward the Chamney Barn and exposes a long south elevation.  A concrete and glass ramp runs the length of this elevation to the covered deck and the main entry. Inside is a reception area with real time displays showing the energy being produced by the building’s PV’s and wind turbine. Down a short ramp is the multipurpose room that is used for various events.

The interior spaces are finished with the raw expression of mill finished steel, limestone, glass and plants. The two elements that stand out most are the living wall of ferns and begonias that covers the north wall and the stone and glass Trombe wall that makes up much of the south.

The Trombe wall is a passive solar assembly composed of two walls surrounding an enclosed air space. The inside wall is a high mass material, in this case stone, and the outer wall is glass. On sunny days the mass of the Trombe wall not only absorbs the heat of the sun hitting its surface but also the heat trapped in the air space.  It then slowly releases the stored heat into the building at night.

Studio 804 used the relatively new technology of electrochromic glass units which employs multiple layers of ceramic film that when electrically charged alter their relationship to each other to tint the glass to varying degrees and manage the sun’s light and heat.  The building then can adapt to up to the minute changes in the building’s use or the weather conditions.

The stone cladding creates a rich but subtly shadowed surface that contrast with the glass of the Trombe wall. It was made with 100 tons of stone tailings, a waste product of finish stone production which is usually destined to make its way from the quarry to a landfill.

Images and Plans

Technical Description

With a very few exceptions all of this work is built by the students. From the moment a Studio 804 class gathers in August the work is hands-on.  Even the design phase includes working on mock ups.  We do everything ourselves; the students are on site every day working on the excavation, pouring concrete, framing walls, welding steel, laying masonry, installing roofing, folding flashings, and setting windows and doors. We run plumbing lines and set fixtures, and we even do work on the mechanical systems and as electricians.   In short, there is little about building the students won’t have a chance to experience during a Studio 804 project.

 

SUSTAINABLE FEATURES

 

  • LEED Platinum Certified
  • Passive House Institute Certified
  • The building is exceptionally air tight and captures all the heat produced by daily activities such as cooking and showering. It filters it and reuses it to heat the house. The building also needs much less cool air during the summer to keep the spaces comfortable as it acts like a thermos and does not allow the cool air to escape.
  • The building uses high efficiency light fixtures, mechanical systems and plumbing fixtures to minimize the use of resources
  • High performance triple paned windows are used to meet the passive house standards.
  • The building incorporates a Trombe wall as solar mass to store the sun’s heat during the day and releases it into the building at night.
  • Electrochromic glass units are set into a custom made curtain wall to automatically manage the sun’s light and heat.
  • All the rainwater from the roof is harvested and used to flush the toilets and water the living wall.
  • The PV’s on the roof and the wind turbine meets the building’s energy needs over a calendar year.
  • The green roof insulates the building, reduces the heat island effect and the storm water runoff that has to be managed.
  • Net metering is used to credit the university when the building is generating more energy than it is consuming.
  • The stone cladding is made with stone tailings, a waste product of finish stone production usually destined for a landfill.
  • All of the materials, paints, flooring, sealants and adhesives used inside the addition emit low or no volatile organic compounds.
  • The framing is done with engineered lumber which is manufactured from fast growing underutilized lumber.
  • The living wall naturally filters the interior air cleaning it of toxins.

Facts

Client
University of Kansas School of Architecture, Design and Planning
Financing
University of Kansas School of Architecture, Design and Planning

Academic Discipline(s)
Architecture
18 Students
Academic Facts
Discipline
Project Context
Function
Care / Education | Community / Culture | Environmental Protection