Clopper Field

KU ARCH400 - Fall 2002

Working under the direction of KU Associate Professor Shannon Criss, a team of eleven KU students developed architectural designs for the redevelopment of Clopper Field, an aging community park in the Argentine neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas.

The studio project was undertaken at the request of community leaders and recreation groups with a stake in the future of the park as part of the KCDC's Community Design Initiative.

The fourth-year architecture students spent six weeks studying the park and its surrounding neighborhood. Students met with local agencies, schoolchildren at New Stanley Elementary and Argentine Middle School, and residents from the neighboring Crosslines retirement center. Students also consulted public officials, community leaders, and neighborhood residents to determine which community needs might be better served by revitalization of the park.

Based on their research, the students prepared three design concepts to improve accessibility and safety, provide new recreational features, and strengthen connections between Clopper Field and the Argentine neighborhood. The design proposals have helped focus community-led efforts to make the park a vital public space for local events and programs.

During the second half of the semester, three teams of students also designed and constructed three innovative benches, which were donated to the community and installed in the park by staff of the Wyandotte County Parks Department. The benches are fashioned primarily from recycled and donated materials, and have become an important symbol of the park's future potential as a neighborhood gathering spot.