April 4, 2005

GSA Citations Spotlight Landscape Architecture
Mikyoung Kim and BNIM Architects are recognized by the government agency.

The Government Services Agency presented its 2004 Design Awards in late March, and although the agency does not give a citation for landscape architecture, two ASLA members, Mikyoung Kim, ASLA, and Jim Schuessler, ASLA, president Prairie Gateway Chapter, were recognized by the agency. Kim won a citation in the Art category for her stunning installation, “River of Light,” at the United States Court House in Wheeling, West Virginia, while Shuessler’s firm BNIM Architects was recognized for its participation in the GSA’s “First Impressions Program.” Schuessler was the landscape architect for the Richard Bolling Federal Building in Kansas City, Missouri, which was honored by the GSA.

Mikyoung Kim's "River of Light" Photo Courtesy of Mikyoung Kim

Mikyoung Kim’s River of Light
In bestowing the award to Kim, the jury wrote that “River of Light” establishes a “meaningful relationship between its own radiant form, the architecture, and the locations. The symbiosis it achieves with its setting is clear and concise as well as unusually compelling.”

The work consists of two parallel bands of glass set on broad, stepped layers of stone that edge a rise in a central courtyard of the building. Beneath the glass are rows of fiber-optic cable and acrylic rods that are choreographed to display a circuit of colors in four-minute cycles. The colors shift from deep cerulean blue to mulberry purple, to sea green. Symbolically, the installation represents the importance of glass-making and river life to the citizens of Wheeling.

The clients originally wanted a water feature to be placed in the courtyard, but after reviewing the budget, Kim knew this would not be possible. “They wanted a fountain, but they didn’t have the budget for it,” Kim says, “so we wanted to create a piece that was contemplative in the same way a fountain would be.”

Mikyoung Kim's "River of Light" as see from the side Photo Courtesy of Mikyoung Kim

Although Kim applied for and received the Wheeling project as an artist, she says her background in landscape architecture allowed her to understand the needs of the architect, Joan Goody, of Goody Clancy, and to easily create a dialogue with her in installing the artwork. This is the third GSA project Kim has undertaken, and she says that all have been “incredible experiences” for her. She is currently working as an artist for the Federal Court House in Little Rock, Arkansas, and has worked on an arts master plan for a Food and Drug Administration Campus in Maryland.

Kim says that GSA contracts foster a sense of collaboration among team members and contractors, who are often very open to working with her as an artist and a landscape architect. She adds that on a good project, team members ask the question, “Who’s to say when the art begins and the landscape architecture or architecture ends?” For instance, in Wheeling, Goody built the base of Kim’s piece into the architectural budget and ensured that Kim would have the proper electrical hookups in place for the sculpture.

“Collaboration and integration are things the GSA is really looking for,” Kim says, noting that “River of Light’s” seamless integration into the courtyard and into the building was key to the success of the project.

Front entrance view of the Richard Bolling Federal Building in Kansas City Photo Courtesy of BNIM Architects

Jim Schuessler’s first impression
The GSA also honored BNIM Architects with a citation in the “First Impressions” program for design excellence. The firm received the award for its work on the Richard Bolling Federal Building in Kansas City. The firm did extensive work on the building’s lobby and plaza to make them more secure and inviting to the public.

Schuessler, whose landscape also received an ASLA award from the Prairie Gateway Chapter, describes the project in broad terms as “creating a secured perimeter that doesn’t look secure.” In other words, keep the bad guys out, while inviting the public in. His role on the project was to define what constituted the public space and to design the new plaza, landscaping, fountain, and secured perimeter, as well as a streetscape allée.

Rendering of the Allee at the North Plaza of the building Courtesy of BNIM Architects

In designing the public spaces, Schuessler successfully reconnected the building with the urban fabric of the city, creating a new pavilion, reflecting pool, and plaza that dissolve the boundaries between the building and the street. The plaza itself was designed as an extension of the fronting street that “goes through” the building reconnecting its north side with the site. The plaza, and a connected canopy, also helps transition the large building to the street level. The site, located in the heart of the government district, complements revitalization efforts downtown. It sits adjacent to public transit, across the street from police headquarters, and among several local government buildings.

Schuessler’s features also created a hidden security barrier for the building. The plaza’s re-circulating fountain is an extension of the interior terrazzo floor and was designed as a vehicular barrier capable of suppressing heavy vehicles traveling at high speeds. An additional vehicle barrier was hidden within the site architecture through a series of bollards, light poles, flagpoles, benches, and a reflecting pool. These hidden barriers ultimately create a secure yet friendly environment for the building’s visitors.

Rendering of the plaza and landscape Courtesy of BNIM Architects

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