Tag: kansas city

Buck O’Neil Education Center – Web Interactive Project Launch

Our latest web interactive release is a design concept for upgrades to the Buck O’Neil Eduction Center located in the 18th & Vine Jazz District of Kansas City, MO at the corner of 18th street and Martin Luther King Blvd. (formerly Paseo Blvd.).

Pendulum was retained by the City of Kansas City, MO to conceptualize  renovations and add an iconic feature to the north facade of the building that is identifiable from several blocks away.  Our scope included the addition of vertical circulation in the form of a pedestrian ramp, stairs and a passenger elevator.  The scope was then expanded to include additional storage, an open air elevated cafe deck, and a freight elevator connecting the basement and the first two floors above the grade level.  The improvements in total will enhance the operator’s ability to substantially expand his/her offerings to private entities and the community.

Click the rotating image above to take the virtual tour of the project.  Stay tuned for upcoming announcements, more projects will be added.

 

Incorporation Day – Seven Year Anniversary!

Project Collage

When Devan and I started Pendulum the industry standard was three years before you’d be considered a real business.  As the economic downturn reared its ugly head five years was the new normal…and now we hear ten is what it takes before the industry takes you seriously.  Well, 5/18/2014 made seven years in the game and the Pendulum is still swinging.  Are we real?  I guess that depends on who you talk to, but as the resident realist I will say that it has been an honor to contribute to the built environment with the projects featured in the collage above.  In behalf of our naysayers and despite our reputation for upsetting the apple cart I suppose we’ll hold off on having any major parties until year ten, but in the meantime we’ll keep grinding, hustling, competing, growing, and broadening our horizons…the next evolution for us is right around the corner.

Many thanks to all of our families, friends, staff, clients, and collaborators for inspiring us to keep it moving.

Pendulum Wins 2013 NOMA Design Citation

We are excited to share the announcement of The Guild KC being honored with a Professional Design Award Citation by the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA).  The announcement was made at the 41st Annual NOMA Conference in Indianapolis, IN last week.

Studio View

Pendulum is honored to have been acknowledged for our efforts associated with this project.  Congratulations to our partners, Dale Frommelt – Egg Design, Pascal Meya – Meya Metalworks, and our deepest appreciation to our client/family – Lindsey & Lyndon Wade – The Wade Brothers, Judy Rush – Real Fake.  The collaborative energy and collective passion for defining space within the built environment that echoes the personality of the owner made this project shine.

For a complete list of awardees click the link below:

NOMA Awards

Crosstown Substation Update

Panoramic View 01

In preparation for the official unveiling scheduled for June 7th rapid progress is being made on site in spite of the rain.  Installation of the plaza light bollards along 18th street as well as the finishing touches on site grading and landscape was completed today.  Programming of the lighting/art installation began this evening and will continue through early next week.  The artist niches will get a fresh coat of paint just in time for the ceremony.

Panoramic View 02

IMG_8867

If you’ll be in the neighborhood (18th & Locust) on June 7th (“First Friday”) around 6pm please be sure to stop by and enjoy the festivities.  Jim Woodfill’s light display in the main art cabinet is a must see.  For a sneak peek of tonight’s light programming session check us out on instagram (pendulum_kc)

*Photographs by Iiams Images

KCP&L East Crossroads Art Wall Update

As an update to our last post we’ve installed the full size art wall mock-up on site at the corner of 19th and Cherry (KCP&L Crosstown Sub Station).  If you are in town feel free to visit and experience the scale of the project in context.  The majority of the block will be wrapped with our steel panel system…approximately 1000 feet.  The temporary lighting installation should be on site later this week…we’ll keep you posted.

Just in case you are wondering, the diagonal bracing flanking both sides of the mock-up will NOT exist in the final design, this is a temporary fix for a minor logistical issue…they always seem to pop up at the most inopportune times.

East Crossroads Art Wall…Making Progress

We recently completed 90% construction documents on a new Crossroads Art Wall that will encase an existing KCP&L Substation located at 18th and Holmes.  A Full scale 12′ x 12′ plywood mock-up with concealed color changing Lightwild LED fixtures was constructed as an intermediate “check and balance” prior to breaking ground.  The mock-up revealed last-minute adjustments that would be required to maximize the execution of  lighting, media programming, and long-term security.

Once the Owner approved the preliminary mock-up pictured above, Zahner immediately starting constructing a final full-scale version in weathering steel (Solanum Steel).  The official groundbreaking will be held on site shortly, construction is scheduled to be complete by early summer 2012.

We almost forgot to mention…it’s powered by solar.

East Village Phase One Breaks Ground

Pendulum Studio - Aerial Rendering

New market rate urban housing takes form in downtown Kansas City’s East Village

East Village is a new residential/mixed –use neighborhood located at the northeast corner of the downtown loop in Kansas City, MO.   Swope Community Builders retained Pendulum Studio to design an urban master plan aimed at revitalizing this nine-block area currently dominated by surface parking lots. The first phase of this development is the East Village Apartments, a fifty-unit, four-story residential building designed to attract citizens that work within the loop to live downtown.

The exterior design aesthetic of this building is driven by the desire to diffuse the negative connotations typically associated with market rate urban housing – i.e. unsafe and low-income.  The series of brick panels along the main entry façade work to establish an overall sense of security at the pedestrian level.  Graceful outdoor decks on levels two through four allow residents to safely connect with the outdoors from within their living unit.  The stucco reliefs set behind the brick panels are intentionally soft in color and texture adding hierarchy and shadow to the building façade.

General Project Information

Client:                         Swope Community Builders

Budget:                        $8,000,000.00

Finance:                     U.S. Bank/MHDC

Architect:                   Pendulum Studio LLC

Structural:                  Dubois Consultants

Civil Engineer           Taliaferro & Browne, Inc.

MEP Engineer:         BGR Consulting Engineers

Contractor:                 JE Dunn

Construction on this project began in November of 2010 and is scheduled to be complete by the fall of 2011.  We will post photos of the building progress on this blog monthly.  If you are interested in tracking the stages of building construction please subscribe to our blog by clicking the button in the upper right column of this page.

Pendulum Studio - Main Entry Rendering
Foundation Walls and Drainage Tiles Under Way

 

Rooftop Hospitality

Although “there’s no place like home” – the thought of using a public toilet facility doesn’t seem so bad when it’s in a smart design with clean lines surrounded by beautiful landscape.

10 East 13th Street Kansas City, MO 64106 - 6th Floor

Although “there’s no place like home” – the thought of using a public toilet facility doesn’t seem so bad when it’s in a smart design with clean lines surrounded by beautiful landscape.

Green roofs in Kansas City are impacting the economy as well as the environment in a positive way. In early 2009 the City of Kansas City, MO expressed interest in converting an existing green roof in the Power & Light District above Constantino’s Market parking garage into a revenue generating multi-purpose outdoor event space.  Although sedum fields and concrete walking paths were installed during the initial build, pedestrian lighting and public toilet facilities were not in the budget.  The lack of these features made the City’s proposed enhanced use of the green space difficult to achieve due to code regulated occupancy requirements.

Pendulum Studio was retained by the Cordish Company and tasked with developing several concepts that would comply with code requirements, accommodate heavy daily use, and be ready for occupancy by the spring of 2010.  Our initial design methodology was geared toward a partially off-grid modular solution – constructing the building in two pieces off site then hoisting them into place by crane.  Although this approach was intriguing to all parties involved, it was decided that a more traditional “bricks & mortar” approach was most appropriate for this application.  One of the keys to our design solution was the selection of materials and colors inside and out that would withstand public use but avoid looking institutional.  We achieved this by incorporating SIL-LEED cementitious board on the exterior.  It’s gold color contrasted by the adjacent dark metal cladding compliments the limestone and glass buildings in the background.  The use of soft colored subway tiles accented by charcoal banding and strategically placed lighting on the interior gives off a warm and inviting vibe.

Next Steps…
Although we did not implement our modular concept on this project, we have not given up on our quest.  In fact, this rooftop project is really a predecessor to our shipping container based modular toilet facility soon to be completed.  We are now working toward the delivery of four new off-grid modules equipped with solar cells, battery storage, and rain water collection for a municipal client at 50% of the hard construction cost of the traditional “bricks & mortar” method.  Stay tuned for more info in an upcoming issue of Pen & Ink.

Photographs by Iiams Images

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