Armitage Pavilion, Kansas (USA) 2014
The Armitage Education Center Pavilion is the careful synthesis of a multitude of latent forces and disparate geometries. A once overheated and underused western facing patio tucked into a neglected corner of the client’s headquarters building has been transformed into a welcoming new entry sequence and a cool shady place to gather, protected from the intense winds of the plains. A simple material palette of earth and reclaimed timber was used to construct the pavilion. Due to the limitations of budget and materials, a novel double cantilever scheme with connecting cables was utilized to span the existing patio and provide ample shading. A series of rammed earth walls reinforces the primary entry axis while framing views to the prairie beyond and buffering winds. Two raised platforms fan out from the walls in either direction to serve as speaking platforms during outdoor teaching events or informal seating to enjoy the surrounding natural environment.
Client: Kansas Biological Survey
Tutor: Chad Kraus
Students: Ragan Allen, Corey Boucher, Nicholas Colbert, Connor Crist, James DeFries, Michael DeFries, Matthew Everest, Vincent Graceffa, Chandler Hanna, Brittany Hodges, Andrew Kloppenburg, Shira Kohn, Michael LaVanier, McKenzie Liebl, Chloe Lockman, Erin McFarland, Jared Pechauer, Ariel Peisen, and Taylor Pickman
Research Question: The studio continued its exploration into earthen materials, including a variety of stabilizers and admixtures, from industrial stabilizers to biological stabilizers
Links: Dirt Works Studio
USA, Architecture, Client-funded, Permanent, 11-50, Undergraduate, Months, Commissioned, Students with tutor, Kansas Univ.
