KU News Release

Google invests in KU’s Studio 804

LAWRENCE — Internet company Google has made a $100,000 gift to help University of Kansas architecture students design and build sustainable structures, including one of the first new “green” buildings in Greensburg.

Greensburg made international news after the city was devastated by an EF-5 tornado in 2007. The town’s new 5.4.7 Arts Center, named for the date of the disaster, was designed and built by students in Studio 804, the capstone course of the graduate-level design/build program at the KU School of Architecture and Urban Planning. The building will open Sunday, on the tornado’s one-year anniversary.

“Greensburg and its new community arts center are a perfect example of what Google would like to see more of worldwide,” said Brian McClendon, a 1986 KU engineering alumnus and the engineering director for Google Geo. “During the aftermath, Google published imagery of Greensburg to help with the recovery efforts. Studio 804’s design for the new arts center shows leadership in sustainable architectural education, and their implementation is an excellent example for others to follow.”

Studio 804 was founded in 1995 by Dan Rockhill, the J.L. Constant Distinguished Professor of Architecture at KU. Since 1998, under his guidance, students in the course have built affordable housing in Lawrence and Kansas City, Kan.

Rockhill emphasized Studio 804’s focus on service. “The philosophy of Studio 804 is to take advantage of eager young builders who want experience, to make a contribution to society and to do what few others have the time or inclination to do,” he said. “We give back to the community by a process that results in something useful.”

The 2008 project, which the students call a “sustainable prototype,” occupies four lots near the center of Greensburg. It is dedicated for the arts center and also may be used for civic purposes.

John Gaunt, dean of the School of Architecture and Urban Planning, noted the ongoing need for private support. “Each year, Studio 804 must find the means for financing the construction and sale of that year’s project. Google’s contribution provides vital support for the cost of space, equipment, travel and other expenses of a design-build operation. Our goal for the long term is to develop an endowment that sustains Studio 804 from year to year.”

The 5.4.7 Arts Center represents Studio 804’s first attempt to achieve the ultimate in sustainable building: platinum-level certification in the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) system. In December, Greensburg became the first city in the world to commit to building all municipal structures larger than 4,000 square feet to meet LEED platinum certification.

Google’s contribution was administered by KU Endowment, the independent, nonprofit organization serving as the official fundraising and fund-management organization for KU. Founded in 1891, KU Endowment is the first foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university.

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