Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and BNIM have unveiled their design for a new mass timber cube structure called the Makers’ KUbe for the University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design.
A six-story, 50,000-sf building for learning and collaboration, the light-filled KUbe will house studio and teaching space, 3D-printing and robotic labs, and a ground-level cafe, all organized around a central core. Developed in response to and in collaboration with the school’s students, faculty, and board, the design reduces the use of materials and carbon-intensive concrete.
The KUbe will showcase sustainable practices through its mass timber diagrid frame, which is inspired by traditional Japanese joinery techniques and engineered by structural engineer StructureCraft. The mass timber construction uses tight-fit dowels and notched glulam (glue laminated timber) to form an all-wood mass timber structure with columns and beams that run diagonally, without steel plates or fasteners.
Transparent façade showcases mass timber building
The façade is a mass timber structure enclosed in glass. Its mix of transparent and opaque insulated glass puts the school’s creativity on display while also offering privacy and reducing glare.
“The Makers’ KUbe is conceived as a showcase in timber tectonics, traditional joinery, robotic manufacturing, and sustainable materials. The timber bones of the building are exposed by stripping away all applied finishes—elevating structure to expression,” Bjarke Ingels, Founder and Creative Director, Bjarke Ingels Group, said in a statement.
The project will consolidate all of the university’s architecture and design programs into three interconnected buildings by tying together the new KUbe with the existing Marvin Hall from 1908 and Chalmers Hall from 1978. Marvin Hall’s stone façade and interior spaces will be preserved, while Chalmers Hall will be renovated to allow in more daylight.
The Makers’ KUbe and Chalmers Hall will draw energy from rooftop photovoltaic panels. Rainwater accumulated on the KUbe’s roof will be stored and used to irrigate the site’s landscaping, which includes native species that reduce water needs.
On the Building Team:
Owner: University of Kansas
Design architect: BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group)
Collaborating architect: BNIM
MEP engineer: Smith & Boucher
Structural engineer (timber): StructureCraft
Structural engineer (existing building, enclosure): Walter P Moore
Related Stories
Mass Timber | Jun 2, 2023
First-of-its-kind shake test concludes mass timber’s seismic resilience
Last month, a 10-story mass timber structure underwent a seismic shake test on the largest shake table in the world.
Mass Timber | May 23, 2023
Luxury farm resort uses CLT framing and geothermal system to boost sustainability
Construction was recently completed on a 325-acre luxury farm resort in Franklin, Tenn., that is dedicated to agricultural innovation and sustainable, productive land use. With sustainability a key goal, The Inn and Spa at Southall was built with cross-laminated and heavy timber, and a geothermal variant refrigerant flow (VRF) heating and cooling system.
Mass Timber | May 3, 2023
Gensler-designed mid-rise will be Houston’s first mass timber commercial office building
A Houston project plans to achieve two firsts: the city’s first mass timber commercial office project, and the state of Texas’s first commercial office building targeting net zero energy operational carbon upon completion next year. Framework @ Block 10 is owned and managed by Hicks Ventures, a Houston-based development company.
Mass Timber | May 1, 2023
SOM designs mass timber climate solutions center on Governors Island, anchored by Stony Brook University
Governors Island in New York Harbor will be home to a new climate-solutions center called The New York Climate Exchange. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), The Exchange will develop and deploy solutions to the global climate crisis while also acting as a regional hub for the green economy. New York’s Stony Brook University will serve as the center’s anchor institution.
Mass Timber | Mar 19, 2023
A 100% mass timber construction project is under way in North Carolina
An office building 100% made from mass timber has started construction within the Live Oak Bank campus in Wilmington, N.C. The 67,000-sf structure, a joint building venture between the GCs Swinerton and Wilmington-headquartered Monteith Construction, is scheduled for completion in early 2024.
Mass Timber | Jan 30, 2023
Net-positive, mass timber building will promote research on planetary well-being in Barcelona
ZGF Architects, along with Barcelona-based firms MIRAG and Double Twist, have designed a net-positive, mass timber center for research on planetary well-being. Located in Barcelona, the Mercat del Peix Research Center will bring together global experts in the experimental sciences, social sciences, and humanities to address challenges related to the future of the planet.
Mass Timber | Jan 27, 2023
How to set up your next mass timber construction project for success
XL Construction co-founder Dave Beck shares important preconstruction steps for designing and building mass timber buildings.
Mass Timber | Dec 1, 2022
Cross laminated timber market forecast to more than triple by end of decade
Cross laminated timber (CLT) is gaining acceptance as an eco-friendly building material, a trend that will propel its growth through the end of the 2020s. The CLT market is projected to more than triple from $1.11 billion in 2021 to $3.72 billion by 2030, according to a report from Polaris Market Research.
| Sep 13, 2022
California building codes now allow high-rise mass-timber buildings
California recently enacted new building codes that allow for high-rise mass-timber buildings to be constructed in the state.
Mass Timber | Aug 30, 2022
Mass timber construction in 2022: From fringe to mainstream
Two Timberlab executives discuss the market for mass timber construction and their company's marketing and manufacturing strategies. Sam Dicke, Business Development Manager, and Erica Spiritos, Director of Preconstruction, Timberlab, speak with BD+C's John Caulfield.
