Kansas City has its fair share of excellent architecture; Union Station, Liberty Memorial, the Kansas City Power & Light building, the Nelson-Atkins and its Bloch addition, the new Kansas City Star production pavilion, Sprint Center, and the (work in progress) Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

But, it has far more than its fair share of great architecture and engineering firms. Over the last two decades, Kansas City-based firms have been involved in a disproportionately high number of high-profile building projects in major markets across the country and around the world. It is logical, then, to conclude that if Kansas City is home to great architecture firms, it is also home to great architects. And though we can’t claim to be hometown to “rock star” architects such Gehry, Safdie, Libeskind, Eisenman, etc., we continue to attract and develop more top talent than most cities our size. 

In its citation awarding the 1990 Pritzker Prize to Italian architect Aldo Rossi, the Pritzker jury said;

Architecture is a profession in which talent matures slowly. It is a discipline which requires many years of thoughtful observation, of testing principles, of sensing space, and experiencing the many moods necessary for seasoning and nurturing. Wunderkind in architecture are extremely rare. The array of abilities that permit an architect to work with a sure hand and achieve the intended result allows for no shortcuts. An architect who would be the best he can be must serve a lifetime apprenticeship, well beyond that required for official licensing. He must know human behavior, understand structures and materials, and how to shape forms and spaces to serve intended purposes in inspired and original ways.

Rossi was 59 years old when he was awarded the Pritzker—the most prestigious prize in architecture. Architects, it would seem, are like fine wines, they get better with age. But, wine connoisseurs will tell you it is helpful to know which wines have the greatest potential to become great. That’s our purpose here; to shine a light on young Kansas City architects and engineers who show extraordinary potential.

Name: Brady Spencer

Age: 33

Firm: HOK

Education: B.A. University of Arkansas, M.A. University of Kansas.

Notable Project:

$355 million University of Phoenix Stadium, home to the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. When completed the stadium became an instant icon and is remarkable not only for its striking design and retractable roof, but for its one-of-kind retractable playing field.

Current Project:

$325 million renovations and updates to Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Influences:

“I grew up in Arkansas, so I was influenced by Arkansas native Faye Jones, who was an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright. He designed Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, and here locally, the Marjorie Powell Allen Chapel at Powell Gardens. Even though his projects couldn’t be more different than the massive sports venues I work on, his work made a lasting impression on me.”

Perspectives:

“When I came up here to Kansas City for my initial meeting with HOK, I drove out to the Truman Sports Complex before my interview, just to get a look at Royals Stadium. It was a dream come true for me. Growing up in Arkansas, we all rooted for the Royals. I always wanted to live in Kansas City.“I tend to lean more toward the technical side of the discipline. My primary focus is to make sure buildings work the way they’re supposed to. The design has to be aesthetically pleasing. But the design has to be buildable, sustainable, and inhabitable. My most important responsibility is to listen to the client’s needs. I don’t want to find out five years after a project is completed that the project failed to fulfill its purpose.”

Favorite Works of Architecture in Kansas City:

Liberty Memorial, the Bloch addition at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Sprint Center, Union Station.

Name: Trudy Faulkner

Age: 34

Firm: Helix

Education: B.A., University of Kansas.

Notable Projects:

Renovation of the oldest standing school house in the region—the Webster House. Renovation of the Blossom House, which won the Preservation Award from the Historic Kansas City Foundation and the Cornerstone Award from the Economic Development Council. Rehabilitation and expansion of Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium putting it on par with the likes of New York’s famed Radio City Music Hall.

Current Project:

Restoration of the exterior of the landmark Empire Theater in the heart of the Kansas City Power & Light entertainment district.

Perspectives:

“Working on older buildings, bringing them back to life and usefulness is a rare privilege. These building are examples of some of the best craftsmanship we’ll ever see. Some of the details in these buildings can’t be reproduced today. It would cost too much, and, frankly, there isn’t the the patience to create that kind of detail in many of the structures that are built today. “There’s also an authenticity in most of these older buildings that I admire. They perfectly reflect their time and place and purpose.“Architects have to perform a balancing act, between art and functionality. They have a responsibility to create authentic spaces for living and working. Our job is to help create a more balanced, well-rounded community.

“Buildings exist in context. They need to touch the street in the right way. They need to animate their surroundings. That’s part of the art in architecture. “One of the most satisfying aspects of my job is the collaboration with contractors, owners, tradesmen, craftsmen. There’s always a lot of mentoring and learning that goes on a project.”

Favorite Work of Architecture in Kansas City:

The Bloch addition at the Nelson-Atkins Museum. “That building will still be wonderful 100 years from now.”

Name: Jon Niemuth

Age: 37

Firm: Ellerbe Becket

Education: B.A., University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. M.A. in urban planning and certificate of preservation studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. 

Notable Projects:

FedEx Forum, home to the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies.

Current Projects:

University of Oregon, new arena. University of Toledo, Savage Hall Arena renovation.

Perspectives:

“Sometimes I think architects are like the old snake oil salesmen. We both create and cure the ills of society. For example, I was reading about an elderly couple in California who were hospitalized during the heat wave there because they didn’t have a fan and their house was too hot. Well, houses used to be designed and built to take advantage of natural airflow. But at some point we ignored the logic and importance of that. Now we find we have to return to it.“Every building interacts in some way with its surrounding environment. The best buildings are built with an understanding and respect for these interrelationships.

“For me, quality and attention to detail is so important. I was watching some workers form concrete and was struck by the craftsmanship that goes into even a basic process as that. “I like driving up and down Gilham or around the streets of Brookside just to enjoy the quality and character of the houses and the neighborhoods.

“It’s incredibly rewarding when a project I’m a part of becomes a stimulus for growth and development in the community. At its best, architecture can be a catalyst for positive change.”

Favorite Works of Architecture in Kansas City:

Westin at Crown Center; The new Kansas City Star production plant.

Name: Alejandro Ogata

Age: 28

Firm: HNTB

Education: BA, University of Kansas.

Notable Projects:

Las Vegas Convention Center, Irving Convention Center, Irving, Texas. Kansas City Public Library—conversion and renovation of former First National Bank building, built in 1904, into public library.

Current Project:

Bartle Hall Ballroom expansion; The new 40,000 sq. ft. ballroom spans Interstate-70 and adds a new front door to the Kansas City Convention complex.

Influences:

“When I was a kid, the father one of my friends was an architect. I remember he had a nice office with lots of paper, so I thought ‘What a great job!’ I was always good at math and I liked to draw, and I had this romanticized vision that you draw a building, then you go out and buy stuff and build it. It all sounded like lots of fun.” 

Perspectives:

“Buildings have an enormously important role in the culture of a society. I haven’t seen or visited most of the buildings around the world that are considered most significant works of historic or classic or contemporary architecture. Yet I know about them and I consider them to be a part of my heritage as a human being. These structures reflect our aspirations as people. “Architects are stewards of the public space. That’s a big responsibility. We need to understand the impact our work will have on future generations. Our work needs to be relevant to its time and its environment, but also to the future.” 

Favorite Work of Architecture in Kansas City:

Municipal Auditorium: “It’s unapologetic. It’s just a big boxy building and it says ‘This is me’.”

Name: Mike Kress

Age: 36

Firm: Crawford Architects

Education: B.A., at the University of Detroit.

Notable Projects:

University of Notre Dame Joyce Center, South Arena (Purcell Pavilion) expansion and renovation. Qwest Field Cadillac Reserve Club and Loft Suites, Seattle. Branson Landing Convention and Exhibition Center, Branson, Missouri.

Current Project:

Practice facility and headquarters for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.

Influences:

“I’ve been lucky. I’ve been exposed to many different architects, with varied approaches, and I’ve taken a little from most. When you’re fresh out of school you tend to think anyone older than you knows what they are doing, so you sponge up everything you hear. With time however, you realize that not everyone is worth learning from and with that perspective you become more selective in terms of who you watch,  who you model.”

Perspectives:

“I think competition brings out the best in people. Kansas City doesn’t enlist the signature architects as often as other larger cities do, which tends to allow local practices to slug it out for work. Our community is very busy competing amongst ourselves for limited work. This tends to yield spin offs, and start-ups from the larger practices as more architects venture out to make a name for themselves. Couple this with the infill and growth of many areas within the city, particularly in the urban core, and you have fertile ground for architects to work and excel in.”

Favorite Work of Architecture in Kansas City:

“I like the majesty of Union Station. It reflects an era when buildings were an expression of civic pride and dreams. More recently, I like the Bloch addition to the Nelson, and the way Steven Holl thumbed his nose at the rules of the competition. I appreciate his guts.”

Name: Denise DiPiazzo

Age: 41

Firm:  Gould Evans

Education: B.A., Kansas State University; 2007 – 2008. Pillars Leadership Development Program through the American Institute of Architects– Kansas City Chapter.

Influences:

Mr. Brady, the dad on “The Brady Bunch” TV show. “He was the first architect I was really aware of. I knew pretty early that I was headed in this direction. I loved to draw. I was encouraged to enroll in a drafting class, and I liked it and just kept going.”

Notable Project:

Forest Lake Library, Minneapolis.

Current Project:

Cerner Corporation’s Innovation Campus.

Perspectives:

“You could describe me as something of an ‘artistic mathematician;’ both left-brained and right- brain- ed. In fact, I even worked part-time for a while in order to concentrate on painting. That’s what’s satisfying about architecture. It’s so multi-dimensional. It’s science. It’s art. It’s sociology. One day you’re designing a house, the next day; a 50-story office tower, the day after that; a city! “Our role is to help create community by creating place where communities can form and come together.

“I don’t believe in ‘object buildings’ that exist without regard to their con-text. Buildings need to respect and enhance their surroundings.  “Sometimes songwriters are asked ‘Which comes first, the words or the music?’ People ask me the same kind of thing; ‘When you design a building, do you start from the inside or the outside?’ And my answer is ‘Yes!’ You have to design it from the inside out, and from the outside in. “My advice to architects just entering the field is to find a way to do what you do in an unconventional way. Find the extraordinary in the ordinary.”

Favorite Works of Architecture in Kansas City:

The BMA Tower, for the elegance and simplicity of its design, and Union Station, for its grandeur and detail.

Name: Sharon Jean-Baptiste

Age: 33

Firm: Black & Veatch

Education: B.E., McGill University. M.S., Tufts University, M.B.A., University of Kansas.

Notable Project:

Mozambique Hydropower Feasibility Study; Lurio River, Mozambique, Africa. “As a civil engineer in our company’s Global Water division, my projects aren’t always the ‘sexy’ high profile projects, but they’re critically important to the fundamental quality of life of the people in the effected communities.”

Current Projects:

Storm Water Management Improvements, New York City. Storm Water Management Plan, Mission Hills, Kansas.

Influences:

“There was a chemistry teacher at my high school who saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself at the time. He saw my abilities in science and my interest in civics and social problems and encouraged me to look at engineering as a career path. Perhaps that’s why I have such a passion to introduce engineering to young people and to bring them into the profession.”

Perspectives:

“Engineering is all about applying science to solve human problems—improving the fundamentals of living. Civil engineers are reponsible for creating solutions to some pretty fundamental problems people face around the world, clean water, sanitation, transportation. But it’s not all science. It’s also the ability to work well with people to understand their needs and build trust and work together to find effective solutions.“I’m fortunate to be working with very progressive and innovative clients. The values that drive my work are to create value for the client, build lasting mutually beneficial relationships, and to be a responsible steward of the client’s resources. “The work civil engineers do is easy to overlook and take for granted, but it’s deeply satisfying to me, because it makes a real and tangible and daily difference in people’s lives.”