2008 Bowman Design Forum

The annual Bowman Design Forum of the College of Architecture, Planning and Design was held on the K-State campus on December 10, 2008.  The Forum brings internationally acclaimed architects to campus to discuss third-year work by students in the K-State Department of Architecture.

This year’s invited guests were Coleman Coker, principal of buildingstudio in New Orleans, LA, and Marlon Blackwell, AIA, architect and professor of architecture at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. The guest jurors also presented guest lectures following the forum. Other jurors included Brent Bowman and Patrick Schaub, principals at Bowman Bowman Novick.

One student from each of five third-year studio sections was selected to present his or her design for a 12,480 square foot intermodal hub for a hypothetical city-wide public transportation system in Manhattan, Kansas. The program called for each proposal to include a transit hall with an information center, a café/bistro and public restrooms; a bicycle station; administrative offices; ticketing facility; speculative space for commercial activities; and electrical, mechanical, telephony and janitorial space. Site location, site circulation, and various other exterior requirements such as vehicle and bicycle parking, loading, a taxi/shuttle stand and stormwater retention were additional considerations.

Each student prepared a model, drawings and a Powerpoint presentation of his or her ideas.

After hearing and viewing the student presentations, the visiting critics evaluated the designs and awarded $3,000 in prize money. The jury gave First Place and $1,000 to Heidi Hyland, Saginaw, MI. Receiving $500 each were Joshua Hartman, Altamont, KS; Jill Maurer, Topeka, KS; Ian Orlando, St. Louis, MO; and Jason Ragan, Wichita, KS.

The guest jurors made some positive observations about the students’ work. According to Schaub, “The students’ designs were particularly meritorious in view of the complex and difficult project.” Juror Marlon Blackwell agreed, saying “The students showed a real understanding of the issues and came up with creative design solutions.”

Third-year architecture studio faculty/critics were Professors Todd Gabbard, Matthew Knox, Vladimir Krstic, Miriam Neet and David Sachs, who also served as project coordinator.

Brent Bowman, a 1972 K-State architecture graduate and principal of the Manhattan and Kansas City based architecture firm Bowman Bowman Novick, sponsors the forum. In addition to funding the honoraria and travel expenses of the jurors and providing prize money for the students, Bowman hosts luncheon and dinner gatherings which allow students to interact informally with the jurors. During the luncheon which preceded the student presentations, the College of Architecture, Planning and Design presented Bowman with a certificate acknowledging the tenth anniversary of the Bowman Forum.

For more information, contact:
David Sachs, 785.532.1183
CAPD@ksu.edu, 785.532.1090