The Mud Hut Rebirth project builds on the earthen building legacy of KU Professor W. C. McNown, who was instrumental in creating the original rammed-earth-block Mud Hut building. Over time, changes in use left the building in need of renewal. In response to its lack of architectural identity and its cramped, dimly lit lobby, the studio designed and built a new entrance space anchored by an exposed rammed earth wall.

Five strategically placed bands of iron-stabilized, ferromagnetic rammed earth allow the wall to function as an informal magnetic display surface for presentations. This multifunctional feature reveals the building’s earthen heritage, which the original design largely concealed, and serves as the first of several earthen interventions planned for the Mud Hut Rebirth project.

A reclaimed-timber-clad enclosure defines the digital fabrication facilities housed in the building’s east wing. Subtle undulations in the timber surface express the capabilities of the digital fabrication tools within while acknowledging the impact of the earthen wall at the heart of the Mud Hut.