School of Architecture

Students build center for Katrina victims

With the help of KU students, a community resource center will help hurricane victims rebuild their homes, one house and one street at a time. Seventeen seniors in the School of Architecture and Urban Design are working with their design studio professors to design and build the prototype to be located in New Orleans' Seventh Ward. The center would provide New Orleans residents information, technical assistance and resources to rebuild their homes.

Along with the Tulane University City Center and Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans, students and faculty will raise $270,000 to make the center a reality in phases over the next three years. If funding is available, Nils Gore, associate professor, Rob Corser, assistant professor, and their students could travel to New Orleans late this semester to complete phase one. Their assignment is to design and construct pre-fabricated panels to build a tool-lending library and a working space for the center.

"Anything we build will be pre-fabricated and shipped down as panels, then put back together down there." said Gore.  "How long it takes will depend on how big it is and which of the several sites we're considering end up getting chosen. The people there will decide on that."

Gore said a lot depends on funding. "We have several initiatives out for funding right now. But we will accept donations from anywhere." The project timeline is based on an academic calendar and will allow KU students to participate in different years as the center progresses. Of the total costs, about $10,000 a year will be needed to fund materials and transportation for KU architecture student design and construction teams to travel to and from New Orleans.

Gore and Corser learned about the project when Tulane architecture faculty members visited KU last fall. In January, Gore and Corser traveled to New Orleans to meet with Seventh Ward and other officials as the project began. The Seventh Ward is regarded as the quintessential Creole neighborhood in New Orleans that has been home to many Creole craftsmen, skilled professionals and laborers.

In fall 2006, phase two would include providing space for a staff of skilled crafts professionals to advise residents and help locate resources. In fall 2007, a third phase would further expand the educational effort by setting up classes, training sessions and resources to assist with neighborhood initiatives.

To donate to the project, contact Gore at ngore@ku.edu. All donations are tax-deductible.

The 17 seniors, all majoring in architecture, enrolled in the studios taught by Gore and Corsor, their hometowns, parents' names and previous schools attended are:

DOUGLAS COUNTY
From Baldwin City
April Oshanda Young, daughter of Kevin and Sandra Young; Baldwin High School

From Lawrence
Maryna Silchenko, daughter of Svetlana Silchenko; Lawrence High School

JOHNSON COUNTY
From Lenexa
Jon Isaac Red Corn, son of Raymond and Libby Red Corn; Shawnee Mission Northwest High School

SHAWNEE COUNTY
From Topeka
Brian Christopher Cay, son of Sarah Cay; Topeka West High School

ILLINOIS
From Bartlett
Kelly Jean Gregory, daughter of Charlie and Dawn Gregory; Bartlett High School

MISSOURI
From Ballwin
Laura Allison LaFoe, daughter of Ed and Bonnie LaFoe; Parkway South High School in Manchester, Mo.

From Florissant
Robert O. Korte, son of Mark and Olivia Korte; Desmet Jesuit High School in St. Louis

From Lee's Summit
Christopher William Wahl, son of David and Kerry Wahl; Lee's Summit North High School

From Manchester
Christine A. Goodwin, daughter of Gerald and Marian Goodwin; Parkway South High School

From Rolla
Suzanne Emily Petersen, daughter of John and Emily Petersen; Rolla Senior High School

From St. Louis
Patrick Thomas Knobloch, son of Thomas and Janice Knobloch; Lindbergh High School
Amy Lynn Scilligo, daughter of Jack and Mary Scilligo; Lindbergh High School

From Wildwood
Valerie Elaine Cantrell, daughter of Deborah Coleman and of James Cantrell of Ballwin; LaFayette High School
Lindsay Maureen Kenkel, daughter of Robert and Pamela Kenkel; LaFayette High School

NEBRASKA
From Omaha
Caroline Jenna Knoll, daughter of Kent and Kim Knoll; Harry A. Burke Senior High School

TEXAS
From Euless
Kenneth C. Simmons, son of Lloyd and Marilyn Simmons Jr.; Trinity High School

BURMA
From Yangdon
Maung Kyaw Htoo; Barton County Community College in Great Bend