KU News Release

Studio 804 wins American Institute of Architects’ Education Honor Award

LAWRENCE — The American Institute of Architects has given its 2009 Education Honor Award for excellence in course development and teaching to Studio 804, a design/build program for architecture students at the University of Kansas.

The Education Honor Award, created in 1988, recognizes faculty achievements and contributions to education and the discipline of architecture. The award will be presented at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture’s annual meeting March 27 in Portland, Ore.

The jury looked for evidence of exceptional and innovative courses that dealt with broad issues, particularly in cross-disciplinary collaboration and/or within the broader community, contributed to the advancement of architecture education, had the potential to benefit and/or change current practice and promoted models of excellence that could be used by other educators.

Studio 804 is directed by Dan Rockhill, the J.L. Constant Distinguished Professor of Architecture. This is his third Education Honor Award for teaching.

Studio 804 is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit, design/build program within KU’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning. The program focuses on the creation of community-based architecture. The Studio 804 experience encompasses all aspects of the building process, from initial design through finished construction. Last year, students in Studio 804 designed and built an arts center for the tornado-ravaged town of Greensburg.

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