The CDR's research focuses on interdisciplinary collaboration in the research and development of consumer products and services. In 2011 they had finished several successful industry sponsored projects for the likes of Herman Miller, Bushnell, Nokia, and the North Kansas City Hospital. An improved facility would allow the CDR to pursue an even more ambitious agenda. They approach larger corporate entities such as Ford or Garmin as well as federal programs like the Departments of Energy and Transportation to propose collaborative efforts.

The new building is an addition to an existing stone house on the historic Chamney Farm which is now part of the University of Kansas campus. It is a modest stone and glass clad rectangular box separated by a walkway from the back of the Chamney House. It extends toward a historic barn to the east and exposes a long south elevation to the sun. A small parking area is adjacent to the barn’s south elevation. A short walkway leads to an accessible concrete and glass ramp that runs the length of the addition to a covered deck that connects the Chamney House to the CDR. There is little daily interaction between the two buildings so they were kept separate but with easy access to each other. Just inside the CDR entry is a reception area with glass cabinets that holds monitoring equipment that continuously display the building’s energy performance in real time. Off the reception area there are the rest rooms and a storage room. A short accessible ramp runs along the south exterior wall and leads to the multipurpose room with a kitchenette that can be used for meetings and special events.

The University of Kansas Department of Architecture invites applications for Studio 804, a comprehensive one-year, fully hands-on design-build experience for students who are at an advanced stage in their studies and committed to the continued research and development of affordable, sustainable and inventive building solutions. Students enrolled in Studio 804 work full time to design and build a new building every year. The widely-published program, under the direction of Distinguished Professor Dan Rockhill, has produced ten LEED Platinum buildings, three of which are Passive House-certified. To learn more, visit studio804.com and architecture. ku.edu/studio804. The university accepts transfers, 4+2 grads, B.Arch grads, M.Arch grads, or professionals — anyone who wants to be a better architect by having had the experience of designing and constructing a sophisticated building in its entirety from the ground up.