Going Places in 2024

Our practices engage communities in all aspects of city-building. We shape local aspirations and address civic needs with policies and designs that reflect the uniqueness of their context, and our methods enable places to develop incrementally and organically.

In the past year, we addressed some of our studio locations’ most pressing civic needs. As practitioners embedded within the built environment, we not only understand issues facing our infrastructure but also carry the burden as residents and enthusiasts of metropolises.

To this end, we have been working on Central Station in Phoenix, a pair of towers in the heart of the city that addresses a housing shortage for students and urbanites, provides affordable housing, drives partnerships with nearby institutions, and possibly the most dynamic of all its programs, the building’s ground floor is a major transit hub.

An early learning childhood center in the historic B. Lemann & Bro. Building in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, illustrates how minor changes can drive profound impact. In a city with a poverty rate hovering at 47%, most citizens require quality, affordable childcare, which had otherwise been missing. In the spring of ’24, a state-of-the-art facility on the first floor of the historic structure will serve 72 children ages six months to three years.

The University of Kansas’s new Gateway District, featuring the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, offers the chance to redefine the student and fan experience at a leading public research institution.

The Rabbit hOle and Rock Island Bridge in Kansas City are poised to be completed in the new year, providing incredible value to placemaking in a city. The Rabbit hOle emphasizes the role of literature and creativity. At the same time, the Rock Island Bridge performs outside the boundaries of conventional architecture and displays how adaptive reuse can be the cornerstone of placemaking.

We have been honored to contribute to our communities in the past year through the power of design, and we wish our friends, clients, and colleagues a happy 2024!

Our Donations

At the end of the year, each of our studio locations chooses a charity to donate to. This year, we focused on the following:

The Village KC is a youth organization that has been serving 5th-12th grade students in the Greater Kansas City Area since 2020. With a primary focus on Black youth, our mission is to remove barriers and create access to quality opportunities that 1) inspire creativity, 2) promote healthy lifestyles, and 3) introduce life skills that will empower students to turn their dreams into reality. By cultivating a safe space, these experiences will help them grow, have fun, and become change agents in their community.

Just Food is the food bank of Douglas County, supplying over 30 partner agencies with fresh produce, dairy products, meat, bread, and pantry staples. Tuesday through Friday, Just Food operates a food pantry out of our main building, serving 300-600 families daily. We are a team dedicated to our guiding principles and listening to our shoppers and community to serve the larger needs of our neighbors facing hunger.

Second Harvest Food Bank leads the fight against hunger in South Louisiana by providing food access, advocacy, education, and disaster response. Second Harvest provides food and support to 700+ community partners and programs across 23 parishes. Our staff and volunteers distribute the equivalent of more than 32 million meals to 210,000+ people a year.

Lowell Elementary School opened in 1925 and is at the heart of our community, serving generations of learners. We are Maricopa County’s only 4-H school strengthening the Heads, Hearts, Hands, and Health of all students. Our vision is to promote each individual with the skills necessary to succeed at the next level.

SMART (Schools, Mentoring and Resource Team, Inc.) champions education equity by supporting students in overcoming systemic barriers on their journey to a college degree.

Larkin Street Youth Services is a nonprofit empowering young people to move beyond homelessness. We’ve helped over 78,000 young adults in San Francisco by providing healthcare, housing, employment, and education services. We connect young adults to a spectrum of services designed to help young people develop the knowledge and skills for adulthood. 9 of 10 young people who complete our long-term housing programs exit to stable housing. Our mission is not to interrupt homelessness but rather to end it permanently for those in our care. Our community of volunteers and donors powers us. More than 80% of funds go directly to support our programming.