COLUMBIA, MISSOURI, January 6, 2023 – Students from the University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design completed an architectural pavilion design for the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center in Topeka, Kansas. McClure’s Structural team volunteered their services to aid in the student’s Pollinator Pavilion Architectural project.
McClure’s structural team consulted on the design and completed the structural analysis of the proposed structure. McClure also worked with the students through design iterations to provide the necessary construction and design experience to ensure that the pavilion was structurally sound while maintaining the architectural vision.
“This is the fourth project we have done with the University of Kansas and Professor Keith VanDeRiet. It is one of the most rewarding projects I get to work on every year“ said Celeste Spickert, PE, Project Manager for McClure’s Structural team.
The Pollinator Pavilion structure is located at the entrance of the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center’s Butterfly Garden. With the help of McClure’s team, the students designed the structure to resemble butterfly wings. The structure has a double cantilevered structural steel canopy and an arched mesh canopy covering. The surrounding grassland is burned down yearly; therefore, the structure was made out of steel to be flame resistant.
“Working with the KU architectural students was such a rewarding experience. I had the opportunity to help budding architects understand member size implications of various architectural features,” said Isaac Cundiff, Structural Designer at McClure. “The students, professor, and our team had great discussions regarding member sizes and how to economize the design. Overall, it was fun to see a project come together, matching the students’ vision with the necessary engineering to have the structure stand for years to come. It was really an opportunity to implement our tagline – your vision, engineered here.”
About McClure
Founded in 1956, McClure is celebrating 65 years of making lives better and building relationships for success. McClure brings engineering expertise and a collaborative approach to identify the best strategies and solutions to bring client’s vision to life. McClure’s area of expertise is in guiding its clients on making long-term capital investments in the areas of aviation, bridge, community development, construction observation, development, environmental, geotechnical, GIS, landscape architecture, MEP, structural, survey, traffic, transportation and water. For more information on McClure, visit www.mcclurevision.com or email info@mcclurevision.com.
