Vertical thinking

A new graduate studio led by a visiting professor in K‑State's College of Architecture, Planning & Design will put students in the middle of a rapidly changing Kansas City, giving them an opportunity to study how mixed-use neighborhoods could evolve along the city’s expanding streetcar line.

Alongside K‑State associate professor David Dowell, Vanessa Kassabian, design director at Henning Larsen's New York studio, will co-teach the fifth-year, two-semester graduate studio as the 2026–2027 Victor L. Regnier Distinguished Visiting Chair in Architecture.

The studio will examine a new urban form typology emerging in Kansas City along the recently expanded streetcar line, which now runs from Berkley Riverfront Park to the University of Missouri – Kansas City and links several of the city's most significant neighborhoods and landmarks.

With zoning allowing nearly unlimited heights and no parking requirements within two blocks of the line, students will study how very tall, mixed-use buildings can support resilient development, flexible economic growth and a distinct urban form in a city long shaped by the automobile.

"This is a rare moment to think seriously about what a new kind of vertical urbanism could look like in a horizontal landscape," said Vanessa Kassabian. "I'm looking forward to working with the students and with David to test ideas that are grounded in the realities of the site, the zoning and the community, while still pushing toward something genuinely new for Kansas City."

The fall semester of the studio will center on research, with the spring semester focused on design.

Vanessa Kassabian brings 'large-scale, design-led' thinking

Kassabian brings more than 20 years of experience in architecture and design to the studio. She most recently served as principal and global design leader at DLR Group, where her work included a new lab building for Vanderbilt University and the renovation of the Paley Center for the Arts. Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles at MVRDV and Snøhetta, contributing to internationally recognized projects including the Calgary New Central Library, the SFMOMA Expansion and the National September 11 Memorial and Museum Pavilion in New York.

At Henning Larsen, Kassabian works alongside Americas Director Eric Ball and Design Director Daniel Baumann to lead the design vision for the studio's New York office, with a focus on projects that strengthen connections between architecture, urban life and the natural environment.

"Vanessa's experience spans exactly the kind of large-scale, design-led thinking this studio needs," said Dowell, visiting associate professor. "She's worked on landmark cultural and civic buildings around the world, and she brings a real curiosity about how a project like this fits into the life of a city. That combination of rigor and curiosity is what will push our students furthest."

Kassabian holds a Master of Architecture from Pratt Institute and a Bachelor of Architecture from Tulane University. She is a registered architect in New York, Florida and Texas and a LEED Accredited Professional. An active educator, she has served as a studio instructor at Parsons School of Design and as a guest critic at Cornell University, Pratt Institute and the University of Pennsylvania.

Founded in 1959 by Danish architect Henning Larsen, whose legacy of creativity and learning continues to shape the design approach today, the Henning Larsen firm works across architecture, landscape, urban design and interiors. The international studio maintains acute attention to detail while never losing sight of the bigger picture. This holistic approach enables Henning Larsen to manifest lasting change by co-creating, innovating and cultivating desirable futures through design.

With more than 450 employees, the growing design community spans studios in eight countries, including Denmark, the United States, Singapore, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Australia and Hong Kong.

Bringing global design leadership to K-State

Established in 2003 by the children of Victor and Helen Regnier, the Victor L. Regnier Distinguished Visiting Professorship brings internationally recognized architects into K-State's classrooms each year. Previous chairs include Hiroshi Hara, Alberto Campo Baeza, Wendell Burnette, Alexandria Algard, Larry Scarpa and Angela Brooks, Fran Silvestre, and the partners of Estudio Macías Peredo.

Beyond the studio, the Regnier Chair contributes to the department's theory curriculum and delivers a public lecture open to students, professionals and the broader community.

Kassabian will give her lecture in fall 2026.

"Architecture schools have a responsibility to connect students with the ideas and practitioners shaping the future of our cities," said Michael McClure, dean of the College of Architecture, Planning & Design. "Vanessa Kassabian's appointment as the Regnier Distinguished Visiting Chair embodies that mission, giving our students the opportunity to learn directly from one of today's most accomplished design leaders while exploring transformative possibilities for Kansas City."