- Area: 12500 m²
- Year: 2008
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Photographs:Mike Sinclair
Text description provided by the architects. The Botwin Building is located at a busy urban intersection within the Waldo neighborhood of downtown Kansas City. Largely comprised of small businesses, the historic Waldo Theater building, was part of this vibrant neighborhood. In February 2007 the building sadly burned to the ground. The owner, an invested Waldo community member, decided to rebuild immediately. The architects were asked to preserve the scale and footprint of the original building, but to 'replant' the corner, exploring the latest ideas about urban infill and sustainability. The Botwin Building opened its doors in September 2008.
The collaborative effort between architect, owner, consultants, and artist resulted in an award winning building. The Botwin Building recently received an Honor Award at the AIA Kansas City Design Awards 2010, along with an AIA Central States Region, 2008 Architectural Citation Award, and an IESNA Illumination Design Award 2009.
More photographs and drawings following the break.
Slips and Shifts, the 10' x 200' site-specific 'drawing', is the result of a successful collaboration between the local studio artist and architect. The second level glazing system simultaneously reduces heat gain from the buildings southern and western exposure and responds to the dynamic urban site of the building.
In total the new structure can accodate four small commercial tenants. The design merges interior and exterior spaces at the sidewalk level, utilizing these spaces to both separate and join tenants. The second floor tenants share a common elevator lobby space and an exterior sun deck space.
A planted roof, operable windows, integrated sun shading, new bamboo streetscaping are just some of the features of this building.
