June 12, 2024
K-State alumna Lauren Harness named new director of Kansas City Design Center
K-State alumna Lauren Harness has been selected as the new director of the Kansas City Design Center, or KCDC.
A key partnership for K-State's College of Architecture, Planning & Design, the Kansas City Design Center in the heart of downtown is a nationally recognized service-learning urban design program. The program operates as a nonprofit partnership among local civic leaders, professional designers, and the architecture and planning programs at K-State.
The center's mission is to promote design excellence within Kansas City's built environment. The program also introduces K-State students to design professions as viable careers for those wishing to make a significant social impact.
"Kansas City and the KCDC are essential to APDesign at K-State," said Michael McClure, dean of the college, "We are thrilled to have Lauren Harness as our new director. We welcome her back to K-State and look forward to the energy and leadership she will bring in improving Kansas City through applied planning and design research."
Harness brings a wealth of experience and a diverse portfolio of work to her new role at the center. She received a Master of Architecture from K-State in 2015 with a minor in regional and community planning. She is a registered architect and LEED Green associate.
Harness' impressive career includes roles at prominent firms such as William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc.; MASS Design Group; Ennead Architects; and El Dorado Inc. Her notable projects range from educational facilities and cultural centers to affordable housing and public parks, showcasing her commitment to socially impactful and environmentally sustainable design.
Harness is actively engaged in the professional community through various roles, including the Dean's Advisory Council at K-State APDesign and continued mentoring and volunteer work through her local American Institute of Architects chapters in both Boston and New York City.
The Kansas City Design Center focuses on design innovation, thought leadership, resiliency, environmental stewardship, and local and racial equity and inclusion. This mission is achieved through education and public service. The center engages university faculty and talented architecture and planning students in a unique learning laboratory that addresses real-world issues facing Kansas City's future development. KCDC also serves as an independent forum for critical dialogues about architecture and planning issues, providing technical assistance to public agencies and community organizations.