KU News Release

KU architecture students earn honors for courtyard housing design

Judges praised the accessible roofscape and innovative car court design in Hoi Wang Chan and Matthew Clapper's design, and gave it one of 10 commendation awards in the Portland Courtyard Housing Competition. The roof surface rises from the ground as a walkway extension of the courtyard space, then on an incline over the parking spaces and finally up, around and over the entire complex. The roof also serves as a rainwater collector directed to an underground cistern.

Open spaces visible from all shared courtyard dwellings earned Mandy Elkins and Brent Forget special recognition because it lets parents see their children playing from inside the house. They chose for publication this "eyes on open spaces" detail because it offered security and livability in a shared courtyard community. Rainwater channeled into a system of raised planters and drainage swales at the courtyard level serves as both landscaping and stormwater management.

LAWRENCE — Two architecture students at the University of Kansas are among the winners in the 2007 Portland Courtyard Housing Competition sponsored by the city of Portland, Ore.

Hoi Wang Chan, a senior from Hong Kong, and Matthew Clapper, a senior from Grafton, Wis., earned one of 10 commendation awards in their division. Their design will be published along with other winners in a full-color monograph and displayed in a series of public exhibitions.

The contest drew 380 entries from practicing architects and students throughout the United States. The top four winners in each of two divisions received cash prizes ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. All others, including Chan and Clapper, received award certificates.

Chan and Clapper’s overall site plan design featured a multilevel structure with an accessible roofscape that also collects and drains rainwater to an underground cistern.
The roof surface progresses from the ground as a walkway extension of the courtyard space and inclines over the parking spaces, then up, around and over the entire complex.

Judges said of their design, “The innovative car court made this project stand out. By wrapping parking with an elevated green, this project reconsiders the role of a courtyard and connects it to all other aspects of the design.”

Chan and Clapper were enrolled in a fall 2007 design studio for fourth-year students taught by Barry Newton, professor of architecture. Two other KU students in Newton’s class who entered the competition, Mandy Elkins, a senior from Olathe, and Brent Forget, a senior from Washington, Mo., produced a project selected for the competition catalog.

Judges chose the Elkins-Forget entry for publication as a noteworthy example of “eyes-on open spaces,” providing opportunities for residents to monitor the courtyard space, which increases safety and security and allows children to play in the courtyard within view of parents. Though this entry was not chosen as one of the small number of winning designs, it attracted the notice of several of the judges and was well-regarded, according to Bill Cunningham, competition manager.

The city of Portland sponsored the contest to encourage designs for innovative, attractive, sustainable medium-density housing oriented to shared courtyards. It is part of a citywide effort to retain families with children by providing more affordable options for home ownership.

Entries were divided into two groups based on defined lot sizes in two Portland neighborhood areas. The KU students entered in the “Inner Portland” division, where sites were defined as 100 feet wide and 100 feet deep and entries could have from four to 10 private residences.

Portland hosted a public reception Jan. 29 to honor winners and introduce the competition catalog. The KU students were unable to attend but each received a copy of the catalog that featured their entries.

For more information about the city of Portland, the competition and award winners, including illustrations of all entries in both divisions, go to www.courtyardhousing.org. To see Chan and Clapper’s work, go to Inner Portland division winners; theirs is among Commendation Awards, entry No. 163. For the entry from Elkins and Forget, check the Inner Portland division, click to view all entries; theirs is on page 3, entry No. 146.

Students being recognized for their designs are listed below by hometown, level in school, major, parents’ names and high school or secondary school.

JOHNSON COUNTY
From Olathe 66062
Mandy Elkins, senior in architecture, daughter of Carl and Janet Elkins; Olathe South High School.

MISSOURI
From Washington 63090
Brent Forget, senior in architecture, son of Stephen and Patricia Forget; Saint Francis Borgia Regional High School.

WISCONSIN
From Grafton 53024
Matthew Clapper, senior in architecture, son of Robert and Gale Clapper; Cedarburg Senior High School, Cedarburg, Wis.

HONG KONG
Hoi Wang Chan, senior in architecture, son of Ching Chan and Wai Min Ip; STFA Leung Kau Kui College, Hong Kong.

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