Name: 3716 Springfield by Studio 804
Location: Kansas City, Kansas
Size: 2,600 square feet
Year built: 2009
The latest project of Studio 804 - a design/build program at the University of Kansas' School of Architecture, Design and Planning - is 3716 Springfield. The home's extreme sustainability (even noted as "off the grid") doesn't dominate its aesthetic, but complements the design's austerity...
Studio 804 managed to integrate features like photovoltaics, a wind turbine, a geothermal heat pump, and radiant floor heat into a minimalist architectural language. The team is able to build to such exacting standards because they prefabricate a large portion of their designs in a warehouse studio.
Not only is Studio 804 an opportunity for students to learn real-world applications, from zoning reviews to actual construction, but it's also an impetus in revitalizing Kansas City's urban neighborhoods with affordable, contemporary housing. Here, we share our glimpse inside the Rosedale neighborhood home and glean a little insight on its creation from the professor behind the studio: architect Dan Rockhill.
Check out some of the innovative resources the studio used listed in the Apartment Therapy Survey below. If you like what you see, the house is for sale. See its full listing right here.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our style: modern
Inspiration: modern architecture
Design Highlight: sustainable attributes (The house is going for the first LEED for Homes Platinum certification in the state of Kansas!)
Biggest Challenge: Selling it.
What People Say: Most people like it.
Lesson Learned: Sustainable features are too expensive.
Biggest Indulgence: photovoltaics
Resources of Note
Exterior:
Interior:
(Thanks, Dan and Studio 804!)
Images: courtesy of Studio 804
• HOUSE TOUR ARCHIVE Check out past house tours here
• Interested in sharing your home with Apartment Therapy? Contact the editors through our House Tour Submission Form.
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
quite nice. i like the simplicity. i do think from the interior it seems like a big cage though. also, may be just these photos, but it seems kind of dark in there...?
view lab director's profile
This looks awesome! I live in the Rosedale neighborhood and will have to drive by... I appreciate the balcony but I would still need a front porch!
view eeks's profile
Beautiful! And as a KU alumni, it puts a smile on my face to see the feature here on AT.
view fluffypancakes's profile
Are there any windows on the upper floor? Seems sorta dark....
view cal's profile
Love alot of things about this, but it is too dark in there.
view visual's profile
I wonder how the house relates to the site. It seems to be a unit that can be plopped onto any blank site.
view webherring's profile
I suspect it only looks dark because they didn't turn on lights for the photos and don't have excess lights around the space. The slide show would have been much more informative with some captions though. I want to know what I'm looking at and what the purpose of each design is - because, I'm assuming, these are functional forms, not just decorative elements.
view home body's profile
Love it - a bit simple for my tastes but wonderfully designed. One DIY question: what is the surface of the bathroom shower made of? I love that!
view edgardo60's profile
Anyone know what they've used in the shower? That material and installation looks awesome!
view halltd's profile
I like the spartan, barn like quality. The narrow, vertical cladding and single window gives it a very modern quality, and the peak roof is classic-rural. I would also like to see how the house is sited and see how the concept relates to the area. With a classic peak roofed structure, one almost can't go wrong.
view medusa12120's profile
Really beautiful. Kudos to them for the LEED Platinum! I think that the darkness of the home can be attributed somewhat to passive solar features. The idea is to keep the sun out in the summer, when it's high in the sky, and let it shine into the house in winter, when it's lower and the trees have shed their leaves.
My house is designed that way, also, and the difference in the light in the rooms from December to June is very dramatic. Yes, it makes it dark in the summer, but it also stays naturally cool. In winter, the sun is most welcome.
view farmhousemoderne's profile
The board product in the bathroom is Richlite.
The photos seem under-exposed since the views out the windows aren't over-exposed as they should be if the interior was properly exposed. I just looks darker than it is.
view charmac's profile
I *~LOVE~* this house! This is a perfect example of elegant simplicity.
view Jen Coutureglass.com's profile