The Garment District, in 4,000 square feet at 1350 Main St., includes eight locally owned boutiques and one nationally recognized jewelry designer.

“It’s a different concept — certainly unusual for Downtown,” General Manager Randall Schneck said.  The one thing missing was retail, and The Garment District will fill that gap for a broad demographic swath, he said. Offerings range from tailored and conservative to trendy and Bohemian, including men’s and women’s apparel and featuring price points that range from $25 to $400.  “The Power & Light District was already a destination from an entertainment perspective; now it’s a destination for the entire weekend,” Schneck said.  People won’t need to leave Downtown, he said.

The collective retail space will have a central concierge and bar area surrounded by the boutiques and designers, which include:

• City Girls, a clothing store that has locations in Gardner and Salina, Kan.

• Denim Couture, a men’s and women’s contemporary clothing store with a location in Overland Park.

• Imagery, which offers designer clothing and accessories for men and women, and has a Leawood location.

• The first location for Label, which will sell modern T-shirts and button-ups, designer denim and Label originals.

• Reign, formerly called Polka Dot Petals, which will offer creative clothing and accessories for both sexes.

• Two Chic Boulevard, a women’s clothing, shoes and accessories store with an Overland Park location, formerly called Two Chic Sisters.

• Urbantique, a “vintage-to-modern boutique” that had operated exclusively online and sells custom accessories and apparel mixed with vintage embellishments, as well as collegiate items.

The two new additions include:

• Christian Michael, a local designer of men’s neckties and reconstruction blazers.

• Zani, a jewelry line created by Zani Gugelmann, whose Santo Pendant has been worn by celebrities who include Jennifer Lopez.

The Garment District is expected to weave in a rotating display of artifacts from the Garment District Museum, which is five blocks from its retail namesake.

http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2010/02/22/daily15.html#

In a leafy residential area a few miles from downtown Kansas City, Missouri, an enterprising architect saw opportunity where others saw trouble. He took a sloping, triangular lot and designed a new home for his growing family—an open, tree house–like structure on stilts that hovers at the quirky edge of a conventional neighborhood.  Photo by Mike Sinclair

Read more in the March Issue or : http://www.dwell.com/articles/a-lot-to-love.html

A panel of speakers will be speaking regarding project experience and practical approaches to implement recycled/reused materials into sustainable projects:

- Common materials used in sustainable projects
- Unique or new-to-market materials and applications
- Tools and methods to ensure proper documentation for LEED certification application and approval
- Project examples and local Case Studies

The panel will include:

- Nathan Benjamin – Principal & Founder, PLANETREUSE
- Brian Alferman – Associate Director, Habitat Restore
- Brent Kroh – Vice President, Elmwood Reclaimed Timber
- Christian Arnold – Principal, Clockwork (architect for Studio Dan Meiners)

This varied representative of sustainability experts will share how you can design and implement recycled/reused materials into your projects on a professional and/or personal level. Optional tours of the newly opened Studio Dan Meiners, a large local floral and event design company that used many recycled/reused materials in their newly constructed headquarters, will be available immediately after the panel discussion. See more information regarding the Studio Dan Meiners operations at http://www.danmeiners.com/.

http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=6d6b05ab-46b9-4e4d-a955-8a0d5d9a3b6b

The new home for Studio Dan Meiners is nearly complete.  An aggressive schedule (5 months for a full building renovation) and some less than ideal winter weather proved no match for the team of experts.  Clockwork was selected based on their client-centric design services.  The 20,000sf building located at 2500 W Pennway and will feature great retail space, expanded production and office space.  The space is home to numerous reclaimed materials including beautiful cypress planks salvaged from the wreckage of Hurricane Katrina and reclaimed walnut wall tiles.  The building harvests daylight to illuminate the interior, high efficiency hvac and lighting were incorporated to reduce energy costs.  Stay tuned for some exciting events, including the USGBC tour in early March.

When The Mixx owner Jo Marie Scaglia prepared for expansion, she enlisted the services of Clockwork for site selection and evaluation.  The location in the Power and Light district was selected and an invigorating evolution of The Mixx brand was created.  Clockwork selected an organic collection of materials and colors to convey the message of healthy living.  The kirei board, made from sorghum, was used at the entry with low voc finishes throughout.  The abundant daylight is complemented by energy efficient lighting at night and the energy star rated kitchen equipment.

In addition to the improved design and energy saving features, the overall construction cost was carefully managed which resulted in an 11% cost savings over the previous location.  The new location is now open and ready to delight your senses.

Blanc Burgers + Bottles will open their doors to the public on The Country Club Plaza on Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Words can’t describe the transformation that occurred on Jefferson street.  The before and after photos give you a glimpse of the magic but you’ll have to see for yourself.  Beginning with a careful analysis of the existing space formerly occupied by a pizza restaurant set the stage for a brilliant renovation.  Clockwork partnered closely with the owners of Blanc to create a strategic solution that maximized the impact and minimized the construction budget.  A 52 foot long brilliant white bar greets you as you enter and the ‘bubble’ wall made of milled acrylic separates the large dining area.

The new location will serve their signature epicurean burgers and a vast selection of bottled beer and wine. They will also provide the plaza with a vibrant social meeting place.  “We are very excited to officially open the doors after so many months of preparation,” says Blanc’s co-owner Ernesto Peralta on the restaurant. “The Plaza an upscale, exciting destination in Kansas City and we are proud to become a part of it.”

This will still be the second restaurant clockwork has created for blanc burgers + bottles, the other location in Missions Farms, Leawood, KS.

This great article from Fast Company is a well crafted message that reinforces the trends Clockwork is facilitating in the built environment.  http://www.fastcompany.com/future-of-health-care Two recent projects capture this social networking that happens online and offline.

Exclusive MD, created by Dr. Michael Catausan http://www.exclusive-md.com/ is revolutionizing the troubled healthcare system.  The spa-like boutique Clockwork created for his medical practice removes the anxiety associated with a visit to the doctor.  Warm inviting materials and lighting create a pleasant environment and a variety of lounges make each visit a new experience.

SeniorCare, created by Jerry Pullins http://www.seniorcarehomesmidwest.com/ is sending the world of assisted living decades ahead.  Clockwork has worked closely with the team at SeniorCare on multiple locations to create sustainable, carefully arranged living and social spaces that blur the distinction between indoor and outdoor spaces.  Below is an excerpt from their website.

Our Homes

“You won’t be able to find a SeniorCare home by signs or large parking lots. Each home is carefully chosen and tucked beside real neighbors with secure patios and comfortable living spaces. The family atmosphere at a SeniorCare home can be observed as residents and Care Specialists help garden, stroll around the walking path or bake a resident’s favorite homemade recipe. Guests are considered family and find it easy to participate in daily life at a SeniorCare home.”

Clockwork is proud to be at the leading edge, and play a key role in improving peoples lives through the power of insightful design.

Construction is underway on Uhlig’s 75,000 sf headquarters!  The team worked closely with CEO Mark Uhlig to conduct extensive due diligence on various locations and conditions.  Clockwork’s multi-disciplinary approach was a perfect fit for Uhlig.  Acting as the designer and owner’s representative ensures that every detail will be executed with great precision.  The new facility will incorporate state of the art production facilities in addition to carefully planned training and workplace environments.

To learn about this fascinating company: http://www.uhlig.com

The team at clockwork recently visited Maine to review site conditions on two exciting new projects.  An 80,000sf mixed use development located on a beautiful river with the goal of generating all of its own electricity and a multi-acre residential development featuring traditional home designs in a breath taking environment.  Although there were no moose sightings, the Maine DOT does a great job of warning of the dangers!

The eco-home designed by clockwork will showcase the challenges and solutions of designing an eco-home on a steeply sloped and wooded lot. The article will share the owner’s experiences on obtaining construction financing of a modern home in a 30 year old development in today’s banking environment (…no comps!)