There have been steady efforts to redevelop Downtown Kansas City and the rest of the metro area in recent years. The city remains the largest in the state and also one of the most populous in the US. This list of the best multifamily architects in Kansas City includes the firms who have played a key role in revitalizing its core, designing both new landmark structures and historic city icons repurposed to provide higher-density housing to the community.

HOK

300 West 22nd Street, Kansas City, MO 64108

HOK’s presence as an architecture, engineering, and planning firm includes 25 offices on three continents during 65 years in the business. The 1,600-strong team is led by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional for Building Design and Construction (LEED AP BD+C) Chairman and CEO Bill Hellmuth, FAIA, who first joined the St. Louis studio in 1991. He went on to lead the DC office before rising to firm-wide executive posts in 2005. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council. Carl Galioto, FAIA, joins him as President, with more than 40 years of experience working on large, complex, global projects. WELL Accredited Professional (WELL AP) Managing Principal Chris DeVolder, AIA, LEED AP, leads the Kansas City Studio with more than two decades of designing throughout the Midwest.

Drawing from the eclectic side of the Crossroads Arts District, HOK designed the Arterra Residential Tower with a mix of light-toned brick and metal panels across its two buildings. The taller one houses apartments of different configurations facing Downtown; the other houses parking space topped by a pool. There’s also retail space on the street level and a social lounge hovering from the top floor. All in all, it’s 183,000 square feet across 12 stories, supported by a modular light-gauge steel structure.

NSPJ Architects

3515 W 75th Street, Prairie Village, KS 66208

Designed by NSPJ Architects to continue the rich history of the River Market, 531 Grand also incorporates modern materials such as glass and metal panels across its 185 residential units and 10,000 square feet of retail space. Units range from 494-square-foot studios to 1,721-square-foot two-bedroom units with dens. There’s also a clubhouse with an internet cafe, a full kitchen and bar, a dining area, entertainment areas, a fitness room with towel service, a pool with a sundeck, a fire pit, and a grill area, as well as free WiFi in the common areas. 531 Grand won the 2019 Kansas City Business Journal Capstone Real Estate Award for Mixed-Use Project.

Established in the city in 1961, NSPJ has worked on over 7,000 projects across the Midwest. Today, it is led by AIA and NCARB Co-Presidents Timothy Homburg and Clint Evans. Homburg started his career as an intern working directly under founder Howard Nearing and is committed to continuing the firm’s rich history, which he has been a part of through his work on a diverse range of project types from multifamily to mixed-use neighborhood land planning. Evans has been with the firm since 2006 and also served as principal architect on many projects. He focuses on historic renovations and adaptive reuse as well as custom residential.

Rosemann & Associates, P.C.

1526 Grand Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64108

Headquartered in Kansas City, with projects in 32 states, Rosemann & Associates has cultivated decades-long relationships with clients it has built for since the firm was established in 1987. President and CEO Donald Roseman, NCARB, AIA, leads not just a firm, but a family — a foundation that has allowed the company to be part of over a thousand communities as it focuses on designing affordable and workforce housing, market-rate multifamilies, and mixed-use and commercial spaces. Kansas State University Architecture graduate Gabe Vogl, NCARB, leads the Kansas City office as Studio Director, providing resident-driven design for senior living facilities, dormitories, historic adaptive reuse projects, and more.

The reimagining of the Argyle on 12th is a melting pot of the firm’s specializations. The 133,000-square-foot landmark now houses 239 stacked flats that include one to three-bedroom mixed configurations. The original four-story structure was expanded to 10 stories and now also houses a movie theater, a yoga/pilates studio, a pet spa, a rooftop deck, a fitness center, and a community room—there’s even ample parking space and bicycle storage. The project was a finalist for the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City Cornerstone Award.

Hoefer Welker

11460 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Suite 400, Leawood, KS 66211

The winner of the 2020 Kansas City Business Journal Capstone Award for Multifamilies, The Vue in Overland Park is a 275,230-square-foot mixed-use development offering 219 luxury apartments. Hunt Midwest, one of Kansas City’s largest developers, partnered with Hoefer Welker to turn this 2.5-acre site into a dynamic space as part of the Vision Metcalf Corridor Plan. The Vue also houses 114,447 square feet of parking space, retail tenants, as well as a fitness center, and a clubhouse.

Photo by Bob Greenspan

The Vue is just one of Hoefer Welker’s award-winning designs since it started working in sectors from commercial to healthcare and higher education in 1996. With offices in Kansas City, Dallas, and Jacksonville, the firm has projects across the US.

Yaeger Architecture

8655 Penrose Lane, Lenexa, KS 66219

Committed to designing “beyond buildings,” Yaeger Architecture has been working in both the private and public sectors for 48 years.  President Carl Yaeger leads the team in truly understanding its client’s needs with a business eye, whether the goal is an exceptional customer experience, boosting sales, or becoming a market leader. Working on projects in the low-income areas of the city has also given the firm a deeper understanding of its culture and drawn its team to engage in volunteer efforts for the community beyond design.

Yaeger worked on Phase Two of CityView, an infill project to expand the apartment community that aims to be “a village in a town in a city.” The 28,000-square-foot addition offers 24 apartment units across three stories, as well as 30 more surface parking stalls. Yaeger designed the garden apartment building to continue the aesthetic of Phase I through improved use of materials and detailing. CityView is also pet-friendly and offers a 24-hour fitness facility, a coffee bar, a sand volleyball court, a swimming pool, and a bike share program.