MOCK Studio http://mockstudio.com Building Sustainable Communities Wed, 29 May 2013 05:10:56 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.1.18 915 East Remodel http://mockstudio.com/?p=771 Wed, 29 May 2013 04:52:54 +0000 http://mockstudio.com/?p=771 In February 2013, MOCK Studio began its first start to finish investment property. 915 E 76th Terrace in Kansas City, Missouri’s Waldo neighborhood had all of the charchteristics we were looking for: close to transit and amenities, historic neighborhood, solid structure, and the opportunity to improve our immediate community.

In a 3 month time frame MOCK Studio redeveloped the entire property from top to bottom. This included all of the design work, project management, budgeting, a lot of sweat equity, and final prepaprtion for sale. At the end of the day we transformed this beautiful one and half story, 3 bedroom and one and half bath, 1,300 square feet dollhouse into a perfect starter home.

Before & After

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Project Utopia http://mockstudio.com/?p=737 Tue, 11 Sep 2012 01:26:17 +0000 http://mockstudio.com/?p=737

Project Utopia Final Presentation

Hosted by the Kansas City Chapter of the American Institue of Arhcitects, Project Utopia was a one-day charrette and community presentation held on Friday September 7. 6 teams of designers, engineers and planners were charged to re-imagine Kansas City’s West Bottoms neighborhood. Following in the footsteps of the Kansas City Design Center’s West Bottoms studio, Project Utopia sought to take the studio one step further with concentrated professional work and then present it to the community during the popular Crossroads First Fridays event.

As a member of Team Dystopia, MOCK Studio worked with other designers to develop a new plan for the 12th Street Viaduct as an iconic entrance to the Bottoms. Team Dystopia used a dramatic gestures to create and Urban Adevnture Park that would connect Downtown open spaces on the bluff with a rock climbing wall, an urban forest and garden on a viewing platform facibng the Missouri River, hanging sleeping pods for overnight camping, suspended solar panels for power, and a fishing hole that would also clean and percolate storm water.

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American Institute of Architects Disaster Response Guide http://mockstudio.com/?p=717 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:51:44 +0000 http://mockstudio.com/?p=717

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) hired MOCK Studio to develop a how to respond to disasters guide that will be used for all local AIA Chapters. Working with AIA National, Central States Region, and the local Springfield Chapter, MOCK Studio is using the AIA’s response to the May 22 Joplin tornado as a case study for the how to guide.

AIA National Disaster Response Guide (PDF)

Additionally, MOCK Studio developed a synopsis of the response process conudcted by the AIA Springfield Chapter in Joplin, including a detailed analysis and documentation of the overall process, testimonials, and lessons learned.

 AIA Springfield Joplin Charrette Report (PDF)

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South Kansas City Alliance Strategic Planning http://mockstudio.com/?p=685 Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:26:05 +0000 http://mockstudio.com/?p=685

South Kansas City Alliance Strategic Plan

Emerging from a hard loss against a recent City Council redistricting process, a loose coalition of affected neighborhood groups, business interests, social service organizations and school districts in South Kansas City has formed to ensure future prosperity and success through more effective coordination.

MOCK Studio is now working to bring together the myriad of organizations into a new, united front of southtown interests. The South Kansas City Alliance Strategic Planning process will help the new organization launch with a clear mission, organizational structure and action plan.

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MOCK Rain Barrel Workshops SOLD OUT! http://mockstudio.com/?p=371 Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:39:39 +0000 http://mockstudio.com/?p=371

Throughout the summer 2011 and 2012 MOCK Studio hosted a series of rain barrel workshops as part of a larger effort to bring back Hale Cook Elementary as a community school in the Waldo neighborhood.

NBC Action New Report at Waldo Community Market

MOCK Studio  rain barrel workshops is a part of a larger effort to build a growing movement for localized stormwater management, water conservation and quality.

For only $65 you can participate in a workshop that will teach you how to build, install and operate your own rain barrel, then put one together so that you can take it home with you! Class sizes can range from one on one courses up to groups of ten. You can pay below or at the event.

And if you just need a rain barrel, completed sets are also on sale for $65.
Official PayPal Seal

 

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rethinkLA; Perspectives on a Future City http://mockstudio.com/?p=271 http://mockstudio.com/?p=271#comments Wed, 03 Aug 2011 22:22:56 +0000 http://mockstudio.com/?p=271

MOCK Studio and rethinkLA, a collaboration of architects, planners, and artists have launched an exhibition, entitled Perspectives on a Future City, that re-envisions the future form of Los Angeles. The exhibit is on display at the A+D Museum throughout the month of August 2011. The exhibit will includes a timeline info-graphic of the historical growth of Los Angeles, a series of narrations that describe how LA arrived at its current condition, videos chronicling how people deal with this reality on a daily basis, and a discussion of how we can make policy and budgetary decisions now that will create a more sustainable future. The centerpiece of the exhibit will be 25 collages by local and emerging architecture professionals that illustrate this potential sustainable future, including Ashley Z. Hand with MOCK Studio, Rio Clemente Hale Studios, Fritz Haeg, Lehrer Architects, P-A-T-T-E-R-N-S, and more.

MOCK Studio also worked to form rethinkLA and assist in the production of this exhibit and many more to come. For more information on rethinkLA, click here. To see the MOCK Studio Collage for this exhibit click here.

KCRW’s Design and Architecture Interview

LA Weekly

Archinect

Huffington Post Article

Californian Planning and Development Report

Palisadian Post Article

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RETHINK LA: MOCK Collage http://mockstudio.com/?p=415 http://mockstudio.com/?p=415#comments Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:03:20 +0000 http://mockstudio.com/?p=415

Led by Ashley Z. Hand, MOCK Studio is currently designing a collage to be featured in the upcoming RETHINK LA: Perspectives on a Future City exhibition at the A+D Museum in Los Angeles, CA.

Selected architects and designers were chosen to develop a series of collages that represent a vision of Los Angeles in 2061. A series of 25 iconic photographs from around Los Angeles will be transformed into a vision of that same locale 50 years in the future.

The exhibit poses the question that if we begin to implement sustainable policies today, what will LA look like? MOCK Studio’s vision of LA in 2061 is one with personal rapid transit, reclaimed freeways, infill development, and on-site renewable energy generation.

For more information on MOCK Studio’s role in the development of this exciting exhibit, please click here.

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Switzer Community Farms Masterplan http://mockstudio.com/?p=466 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:41:42 +0000 http://mockstudio.com/?p=466 Working with a collboration of design professionals at the Eco Abet 2011 Summer Design Charrette, MOCK Studio has developed a masterplan for the ongoing development of the Switzer Community Farms in the Westside neighborhood of Kansas City, MO.

The client for the project is Westside Community Action Network (CAN). With their input, the design collborative conducted a quick planning process to understand existing conditions, community needs, and each others ideas, then spent the rest of the day developing a whimsical yet realistic design strategy for the community farm.

Switzer Community Farms Final Report (PDF)

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UMKC Rebuild Joplin Studio http://mockstudio.com/?p=464 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:36:05 +0000 http://mockstudio.com/?p=464

For the Fall 2011 semester, Gunnar Hand, AICP instructed the Urban Planning and Design 410 (UPD 410) studio at the University of Missouri, Kansas City.

As a senior-level studio, the students worked on the project with a real world client, the Harry S Truman Coordinating Council (HSTCC). HSTCC is the regional planning council for the Joplin metropolitan area. With its regional scope, the Studio worked with its client as well as the Cities of Joplin and Duquesne, the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, the Citizens Advisory Recovery Team (CART) and FEMA to assist with the development of a community vision for a more resilient Joplin.

The project focused on the development of three redevelopment alternatives, a two day CART sponsored design charrette hosted by the American Institue of Architects (AIA), a final jury review at the Kansas City Chapter of the AIA’s offices, and a final presentation to all stakeholders in Joplin. The final product of the studio was the development of the Rebuild Joplin Plan, a comprehensive vision for a more vibrant, sustainable and resilient Joplin.

The students were challenged to face the harsh reality on the ground of a disaster recovery site, navigate the local politics of rebuilding, and design a recovery plan that could go beyond a “new mormal”, but potentially shift the status quo of planning and real estate development in Southwest Missouri.

For more information about UMKC’s Architecture Urban Planning and Design Department (AUP+D) and this Studio, please click here. You can view the Rebuild Joplin Plan on the UMKC AUP+D website here.

Local news coverage of the UMKC Rebuild Joplin Studio:

KCUR Central Standard

WDAF-TV4 Kansas City

Planning Magazine (APA Member Log-in Required)

Fox News 14

KODE-TV 12

Joplin Globe

 

 

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MOCK City Blog Launch http://mockstudio.com/?p=357 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:14:30 +0000 http://mockstudio.com/?p=357 Outside of MOCK Studio, Gunnar Hand works hard to make his community a better place. Gunnar was not an Eagle Scout, he is an Eagle Scout. To track his progress on these small projects, acts of kindess, and general do-goodery, we have launched the MOCK City blog. To track his progress within the City, view the blog here.

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