The College of Architecture, Planning & Design, or APDesign, at Kansas State University, in collaboration with the KSU Foundation, announces a transformative $500,000 gift from the Patterson Family Foundation to establish the Kansas State Design Center, part of the Institute for Community Design and Research at K-State — a new statewide hub for applied design, faculty engagement and community partnership.
Launching in 2026, the center will connect K-State’s design expertise with Kansas communities to address pressing challenges such as housing and infrastructure, main street revitalization and environmental resilience. The center will empower faculty and students to deliver practical, place-based solutions that improve quality of life and foster sustainable futures.
“The Patterson Family Foundation has long invested in the vitality of Kansas communities,” said Michael McClure, dean of APDesign. “This visionary gift empowers our faculty to partner with towns and regions across the state, extending the mission of K-State to create meaningful, practical, and transformative design solutions.”
The two-year launch, funded by the Patterson Family Foundation, will support a full-time director, graduate research assistantships, community engagement programming and essential startup resources. The center is designed to scale work already happening across APDesign, making it easier for faculty to lead impactful projects, pursue competitive grants, and extend design services to areas that often lack access to professional expertise.
“Faculty across APDesign are already making a difference in rural and small-town Kansas,” said Katie Kingery-Page, associate dean in the College of Architecture, Planning & Design. “The Kansas State Design Center provides the infrastructure to take this work further — to reach more communities and secure more lasting, tangible change.”
Through the Kansas State Design Center, students will gain real-world experience while helping communities envision new possibilities for their built environment. Over its first five years, the center aims to engage more than 25 rural communities, empower 50+ students in hands-on design work, and help secure over $2 million in additional grants and partnerships.
