Mattie Rhodes Cultural Center

This project was selected as a Merit winner in ARCHITECT's 2024 Architecture & Interiors Awards, Architecture: Cultural Building category.

“I thought this was a smart little building. In some simple ways, they made a big statement.” –Juror John Frane

The Center is a newly established facility in the heart of Kansas City’s Westside Neighborhood, an area undergoing gentrification. As Kansas City’s oldest social service agency, it is dedicated to the well-being of individuals and families through social services, behavioral health counseling, and the arts. The project primarily serves Hispanic and Latinx communities, hosting the client’s cultural programming, which includes arts education, public events, and the curation of the Hand-in-Hand Folk Art collection.

Due to demographic changes and gentrification, most of the client’s service facilities have moved to Kansas City’s Northeast neighborhood. However, it was crucial for them to maintain a presence in the Westside and make a strong visual statement of commitment with this project. They acquired the last commercially zoned property in the neighborhood, only to find it severely contaminated. The site design, as illustrated in the presentation diagrams, responds to the need for specific ground excavation for environmental abatement. The architectural form and color are simple yet significant gestures to establish presence. The building’s volume allows for generous artwork displays and potential future expansion with the addition of a second floor. Windows are limited and strategically placed. A custom-designed trellis of steel and wood, created by the architects, extends the program space outdoors and shields the large gallery window from direct sunlight.

Project: Mattie Rhodes Cultural Center
Location: Kansas City, MO
Client/Owner: Mattie Rhodes

David Dowell, AIA – partner-in-charge
Ted Arendes, R.A. – Project Architect; Fabrication Lead
Sean Slattery, AIA – former Project Manager
Charlie Vega – former architect
Construction Start Date: October 2018
Construction End Date: June 2022
Mechanical Engineer: Antella
Structural Engineer: LOK Engineering
Electrical Engineer: Antella
Civil Engineer: DuBois
Construction Manager: Pegah Karstens and Isaiah Blackmon
General Contractor: McCown Gordon
Size in Square Feet: 4,262 SF
Cost: $3.5 Million

MATERIALS AND SOURCES:
Acoustical System: Cardinal Acoustic Panels
Bathroom Fixtures: American Standard
Cabinets: Custom - C.S. Humphreys
Ceilings: Cardinal Acoustic Panels
Exterior Wall Systems: Hunter Panel XCI Ply
Flooring: Polished Concrete
Glass: Solarban 60
Gypsum: USG Sheetrock Panel
HVAC: Trane
Insulation: Johns Manville Batt
Lighting Control Systems: Lutron
Lighting: Lumen MAX
Masonry and Stone: Sto Power Wall
Paints and Finishes: Sherwin Williams
Roofing: Firestone Ultraply TPO
Windows and Doors: Kawneer Trifab 451