HOK-Designed ARTerra Tower Underway in MO
The community, developed by Altus Properties and Copaken Brooks, features design elements intended to make the building instantly recognizable in Kansas City and beyond.
By Jeffrey Steele
The first apartment high-rise to be developed in Kansas City’s eclectic Crossroads Art District has broken ground. The 12-story, 126-unit residential tower is designed by architectural firm HOK and developed by 
Altus Properties and Copaken Brooks. Its design was expressly created to reflect the vibrancy and creativity of the Crossroads, a district filled with galleries, boutiques and one-of-a-kind restaurants.
Rising at 21st and Wyandotte, ARTerra features design elements intended to make the building instantly recognizable in and outside the neighborhood. The structure’s rooftop will feature a social lounge from which residents and guests can enjoy unobstructed views of downtown Kansas City and districts encircling that hub. The glass lounge will glow like a lantern at night, helping ARTerra stand out along the city skyline.
Center of engagement
Upon its opening late next year, ARTerra will encompass more than 200,000 square feet, its residences a mix of studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Staggered balconies serve up a playful dappled pattern along ARTerra‘s north façade. Perforated and solid metal panels give its east and west exteriors a sleek, varied texture.
It is the first Kansas City structure to be constructed using the Prescient structural system, a prefabricated steel framing structure that trims framing time and expense.
ARTerra’s 2,000 square feet of retail space and glass-walled lobby counterbalance the rooftop lounge, severing as a center of engagement for residents, guests and passersby. The building’s attached parking garage features a rooftop outdoor pool and terrace, from which residents can savor perspectives on historic Union Station and the National World War I Memorial and Museum.
“We wanted ARTerra to respond to both the city skyline and the neighborhood streets,” said senior project designer Jonathan Wirth with HOK’s St. Louis studio. “We anchored the building’s amenities—pool, retail spaces, lobby—to engage Wyandotte Street to fit within the Crossroads’ urban fabric, while the social lounge hovers above as a beacon in the Kansas City skyline.”
Signature style
“HOK is thrilled to be working on this transformative project just a few steps from our office,” said Chris DeVolder, managing principal of HOK’s Kansas City studio.
“Altus and Copaken Brooks have an exciting vision for the Crossroads district, and we are proud to be helping them bring that vision to life.”
Added Josh Udelhofen, Altus’ managing director of development, “HOK’s design team consistently delivers great design with great value for our projects. Their attention to detail on unit design and amenities actually improved our pro-forma projections while creating what will certainly be a signature building within the Crossroads district.”
