The renovation of our office is now in phase 2. This includes continuing to work on our new restrooms and creating a more open gathering space on the lower level of our office. Gone are two walled in areas and the wall separating the kitchen with the lunch area. One more week of phase 2, then the real fun begins: removing all the existing workstations and moving in the new ones.

It's been in the planning stage for awhile, but this week construction began on our office renovation. It's going to go on for about 2 months. When we are finished we'll have new paint and carpet, new desks and furniture, a renovated kitchen and gathering space, and new bathrooms. Here's a couple of pics from the first week.

This summer we had the privilege of Samantha McCloud being in our office for an internship. Not only did she do a great job, but we had a lot of fun with her around. And we think she had fun spending her summer with us. Now she's back at K-State to finish her degree.

Thanks for being part of our team. As a parting tribute, here's a YouTube video of her doing a graphite rendering.

In this week's Kansas City Star Magazine, the Architecture A-z feature is on the letter "T". One of the projects featured is the work we did for the Accardo Arts District. You can read the magazine article by clicking here.

The Catholic Diocese of KansasCity-St. Joseph moved into their new offices at the former New York Life Building this week. The new "The Catholic Center" will house 33 different administrative offices.

“Over time, and as our ministries have expanded, we have struggled with issues of limited space,” said Bishop Finn. “Since 1999, the diocese has leased supplemental office space. Even so, we experience difficulties in bringing staff together with our volunteers, who bring much to the life of the local church.”

In late January, Catholic Charities of Kansas City ~ St. Joseph consolidated programs from 1112 Broadway and 301 East Armour Blvd. into an expanded Caritas Center, at 20 West Ninth Street. Catholic Charities will continue its presence in St. Joseph, Warrensburg and at various metropolitan-area community assistance centers.

“We are pleased that The Catholic Center contributes to the ongoing revitalization of downtown Kansas City,” said Bishop Finn. “Having functional space permits us to serve our Catholic people and the broader community,” he said.

Gastinger Walker Harden Architect restored the New York Life building in the 1990s, and is glad to helped the Catholic Diocese become the new tenant of this nationally recognized historic structure.

Over our four year relationship with Children International, we have had the privilege to helping some of their families. We funded a house for the Munoz Family in Honduras and for the Kharna Family in India. Instead of throwing ourselves a party to celebrate our firm's 30th anniversary, we made a donation to CI to allow them to build three more houses for deserving families. Plus there was a little left to enhance the library facilities at their George Center in Lusaka, Zambia. Click to read about the first house.

Start the summer right! Get out your bike and join the first ever Tour de Brew Kansas City on May 22, 2011. Kansas City's newest bike ride is an exciting tour of the city's rich brewery heritage. You'll see the past homes of Country Club, Muehlebach, Heim, Schlitz, Pabst, etc. - plus many of many modern breweries and brewpubs producing great beer today!

It all begins and ends in Westport, with several options from the Missouri River all the way to Martin City.  Experience a fascinating part of Kansas City's past and present, all while having a great and a brew or two. Route options will be 15, 30 and 62 miles.  It will be the most enter­tain­ing event of the year. Money raised from this event will benefit BikeWalkKC.

We are proud to be one of the sponsors of this inaugural event.

Since we won't be working tomorrow, we decided to celebrate Johnny Cash Day a little early.

Happy Birthday to the Man in Black. He would be turning 79 tomorrow.

Today is our 30th birthday. We are looking forward to providing design with insight for another 30 years.

Over the last eight years my “Brady Bunch” style 1970’s ranch house has been a constant work in-progress! I approach my renovation projects with the same sense of excitement using all the tools I normally use for any other project. The same design principles apply: developing a design concept that ties the project together, using paint and accent colors to visually draw attention to a focal point in a room, design the lighting to display artwork in a particular area, select and arrange furniture to achieve a comfortable yet functional feeling in a room. And the same business acumen applies: set a realistic budget, develop a construction schedule, and determine how to phase the construction while living in the house.

Unlike my corporate design life, once I make a design decision for my home I have to live with it every day! I ♥ architecture because designing interior spaces, whether for myself or a client, is a very rewarding experience. But unlike corporate projects that are over when the punchlist is complete, happily I get to stay in my design projects.

We ♥ architecture because of the simple things – the way natural lighting can illuminate a room, the way a view is framed through a window or the way a space defines its function. Architecture encompasses all of us on a daily basis and is the driving inspiration for the next project. As architects, we see the world in a way that holds these moments in time. We see the world with an appreciation of the past creators and look forward with visions of possibilities. We see the relationship between old and new and find new purpose in the built-environment. It is in these opportunities that we hold ourselves responsible for maintaining the integrity of the spaces while preserving the surroundings – whether this means a historical neighborhood or the environmental impact of our new construction.

We ♥ architecture because, we do! From the exterior foundations to the interior cabinet finishes, we ♥ architecture. It is in these hidden treasures that we experience the environment and share these treasures with you, the world.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe famously wrote that “less is more” and we agree. We believe you should make the most of what you have no matter the size. Large spaces can be wasteful. They consume more resources to furnish and maintain, and cost more to inhabit. Small spaces are more efficient. They encourage interaction between occupants, create less impact on the environment and provide cozy surroundings. Living and working in small spaces can be challenging, but the rewards are worth it.

We ♥ architecture because size matters and small can be spectacular, too.