Botwin Building
The architect, in collaboration with the lighting designer and an artist, designed a graceful sustainably-minded building that incorporates custom art glazing and lighting that engage with the eclectic urban community. This new building replaces a beloved historic structure that burned in 2007. The owner chose to rebuild giving the new building a contemporary identity while acknowledging the scale and footprint of its historic predecessor.
The lighting design scope included the building shell only, with focus given to the custom art glazing located at the facade. The glazing has two layers of ceramic frit imagery applied to the interior surfaces of the thermal panes to create complex visual effect during the day and night. Conceived as an architectural “drawing”, the line work changes density, color, pattern and scale as it moves around the architectural volumes. Dramatic arrays of light pattern, shadow and color cast across the interior as the sun moves through the course of a day. In addition to this artistic interest, the printed ceramic frit offers a measure of solar control to reduce heat and light transmittance.
Linear LED luminaires are located at the window base and are enclosed within custom architectural shields that are detailed to be consistent with the window mullions. The very narrow optical beam distribution baths the 10’ elevation of fritted glazing at night, transcending the building into a lantern that symbolizes revitalization of this site and its long social presence in the community.
Owner: Botwin Family Partners, LP
Architect: El Dorado
Lighting Designer: Derek Porter Studio
MEP Engineer: Lankford Fendler + Associates
Artist: Anne Lindberg
Photographer: Mike Sinclair
Details
Kansas City, Missouri
12,500 square feet
Awards
AIA Central States Region Design Awards, Citation Award, 2008
IESNA Illumination Design Award, 2009
AIA Kansas City Design Excellence Awards, Honor Award, 2010
Publications
ArchDaily, Kelly Minner, “Botwin Building / El Dorado,” 2010
KC Studio, Brenda Clevenger, “The Art of Doing Business Differently,” 2016
Kansas City Star, Steve Paul, “Architects Honor Grand Designs,” 2010
Kansas City Business Journal, Mark Kind, Jonna Lorenz, “Capstone Awards,”2009
Modern Builder, “Hoffman Cortes Constructs New Mixed-Use Building on Historic Waldo Theater Site,” 2009
SPACE Korea, el dorado inc, “Botwin Building,” 2009
Review, Heather Mcneill, “Creating Valuable Community Spaces,” 2009
Urban Times, Alexi Kontras, “The Green Design Frontier,”, 2009
Iowa Architects, “2008 Central States Region Awards,” 2009
Commercial Journal, Jill Sederstrom, “Up from the Ashes,” 2008
KC Small Business, “Botwin Building Opens,” 2008
Kansas City Star, Sarah Mote, “Art and Architecture in KC,” 2008
Kansas City Business Journal, Jim Davis, “Dream Small,” 2008
Kansas City Star, Steve Paul, “A Welcome Revival in Waldo,” 2007
Review, Josh Shelton, “Grain, Lizards & Vacuum Cleaners,” 2007
