Category Archives: 2000s

The first decade after the new millennium strengthened the maturity of the firm with numerous significant projects and a growing expertise both with green building and the transformation of existing buildings. The work also reflects the work and design approach of current principals Albert Garcia and Christine West, who joined the firm in 2002 and became partners with Bill Kite in 2008.

Narragansett Bay Commission Operations Building Addition & Renovation

In 2007, KITE completed a comprehensive Master Plan Study for the Narragansett Bay Commission Field’s Point Water Treatment Facility. An interactive and thorough programming process addressed the unique needs of each department including: Plant Operations and Maintenance, Pretreatment, Environmental Monitoring and Data Analysis (EMDA) Offices and Laboratory.

The first phase of the Master Plan included a 16,000 sf renovation and 7,000 sf addition to an existing operations building. The project houses the treatment plant control room, administrative offices, lunchroom and locker room facility. For the design of the EMDA Laboratory, KITE worked closely with NBC engineers, scientists and technicians, to develop optimal lab areas for water sampling and analysis. The design integrated state of the art HVAC systems and controls. Materials and finishes were proposed to provide optimum levels of chemical resistance and durability.

The site is designed to maximize reuse of existing site materials such as existing asphalt paving and concrete structures. Existing abandoned concrete ash tanks are reused as large planting beds that demonstrate technologies for controlling storm water and improving water quality. The use of native coastal plant communities minimize irrigation and maintenance requirements, and create a green oasis in the midst of an industrial landscape.

This proposed design was ultimately superseded by plans for new construction which was designed by KITE and completed in 2013.

Lippitt Hall, University of Rhode Island

Built in 1897, Lippitt Hall is one of the oldest buildings on URI’s Kingston campus and occupies a prominent position on the Olmstead designed Quadrangle. Originally constructed as an academic building and drill hall, additions and renovations over the years had compromised its grandeur. KITE was selected as the architects for the complete interior and exterior overhaul based on their ability to add new life to historic structures and technical expertise.

Involving a complete reimagining and renovation of the interior for academic programs, new spaces reveal the original timber structure and dramatic oriel windows. The building is the new home of the Department of Mathematics and the Honors Program, providing 36 faculty offices, 18 graduate student offices, and a variety of technology classrooms and collaborative learning spaces.

The historic exterior has been restored using the highest standards, including thermally improved windows, complete replacement of the slate roof, and rehabilitation of the stone and wood wall materials.

Improvements to the interior employ a light touch and reintroduce the delight of the original multi-story drill hall volume and exposed structure, as well as make the building accessible, address code deficiencies, and improve user comfort by replacing existing heating and cooling systems.

Carter Center for Music Education, RI Philharmonic

Conceived as a state of the art facility for music education and performance, the renovation to create the new Carter Center for Music Education houses the RI Philharmonic Orchestra and Music School. The only facility of its kind within 100 miles, the center is designed to serve 1400 students from their earliest years through adult instruction.

The building also boasts the Sage Performing Arts Hall, which provides two large rehearsal rooms for the RI Philharmonic Orchestra as well as large choral ensembles, and provides dramatic performance venues. The building houses dozens of studios designed for a wide variety of instruments, including group keyboard instruction, a rock and jazz wing, and dedicated Suzuki instruction rooms. A high-tech recording studio enables performances to be recorded either within the studio or remotely from the large performance spaces. A large central reception area hosts receptions and doubles as a gallery. Throughout, skylights and subtle color enhances spaces for parents to relax during lessons.

Technically, the Center is designed with utmost care given to acoustic performance. Cavanaugh-Tocci provided KITE with acoustic consulting services to analyze and help develop details ranging from walls, windows, doors and ceilings that reduce the transmission of sound between rehearsal spaces to adjustable baffles that optimize acoustics depending on the location of the performing group. As construction managers, E.W. Burman lead a group of skilled tradespeople to create a high quality finished project with exceptional value.

Photos by Warren Jagger, Illustration by M. P. O’Beirne 

The University Club

Ten years after completing a comprehensive restoration of the historic University Club in the heart of Providence, KITE was asked to re-conceive the public rooms to enhance its appeal to a new generation.

The centerpiece of KITE’s renovation plan was an audacious excavation and restructuring of a former internal courtyard, creating a new skylit bar area and informal dining suite that is showpiece for the tradition of craft that makes Providence special, The entire concrete floor was lowered to improve circulation and gain ceiling height between the newly connected rooms.  Paneled with exquisitely crafted mahogany,  features of custom glass, metal, stone, tile, and woodwork from the area’s most respected artisans create a warm and inviting destination for members to relax with their guests. Large new windows were cut in the exterior walls in sympathy with adjacent historic openings to engage the beautiful adjacent Frazier Terrace, bringing light and greenery into the room. Custom wood sashes were fitted with hand-made patterned glass and bronze springs to further the elegant look.

In the main dining room, columns from the exterior were brought in as interior accents to define the space along. An overhaul of the lighting, a new central fireplace, and a built-in host station completed the transformation.

Throughout the building, careful moves were made to improve circulation and create new function rooms. Working in concert with furnishings and finishes by interior decorator Susan Symonds and thanks to the exceptional effort by contractor E.W. Burman, Jutras Woodworking, and the entire project team, the club has an invigorated new spirit.

photography by Nat Rea; watercolor by Christine West, AIA

School of Architecture Art and Historic Preservation, Roger Williams University

In 2003 KITE created a master plan for the long-term growth of an enlarged School of Architecture, Art, and Historic Preservation at Roger Williams University, and a design for immediate expansion that built upon the success of their original 1984 design. The addition responds to the need for interdisciplinary interaction, creates studio and support spaces suitable for graduate work, and facilitates increased visibility to the University and community at large.

The new construction accommodated a modest budget and aggressive schedule while capitalizing on the functional and aesthetic opportunities. A high performance rainscreen cladding system, generous glazing, and simple geometric forms makes the addition clearly identifiable as new. The free-standing masonry piers integrate this new work with the original building and support shading louvers that employ sustainable, passive solar strategies.

The project was one of the first in the United States to use the now-popular Trespa cladding system, which is a rain screen that reduces air and water infiltration while providing a highly durable exterior panel.

A new 99-seat lecture hall, an indoor exhibition gallery, an outdoor sculpture court (including a rear projection digital media screen that has been integrated into the architecture), graduate architecture studios, art department faculty and review spaces, and dramatic public interiors promote cross-discipline collaboration.

Clarendon Residence

Sited on Providence’s East Side, this project takes cues from the original contemporary architecture to craft an addition that captures airy and open living space that retains a strong sense privacy. A careful hand with proportion, detailing and material selection are key components in the success of the project.

Smith-Buonanno Hall, Brown University

Renovation of the historically and architecturally significant 1907 Sayles gymnasium at Brown University combined meticulous restoration of the unaltered Tudor Revival exterior and judicious rehabilitation of the interior. The program’s six state-of-the-art classrooms of varying sizes and didactic uses required reconfiguration of the large gymnasium space on the upper level.

By using that volume for the large lecture hall and tucking smaller classrooms above it within the exposed trusses, KITE both respected the space and took inspiration from its utilitarian architectural vocabulary. This project sets an enviable standard for historic rehabilitation by handsomely proclaiming what the building was as well as what it now is.

College Hill Residence

KITE’s work at this historic house on Providence’s College Hill included an exterior restoration of the main house, complete renovation of the interiors, and a carefully detailed significant addition. Expanded and reorganized interiors and new outdoor spaces feature breathtaking views of the Providence skyline.

The project was subject to stringent review by the Providence Historic District Commission, and the completed home was featured in Providence Preservation Society’s Festival of Historic Houses. The careful integration of the addition and sensitive interior modifications illustrate how a historic home can be added to and modified to include spacious open-plan living areas without sacrificing the original character of the house.

Photographs by Neil Alexander

Alger Hall, School of Management, Rhode Island College

Alger Hall, a circa 1960’s modern building, is centrally located on the Rhode Island College campus and was identified by the college as an ideal location for the growing School of Management and Technology. KITE started with a simple recladding of the existing 1950’s structure and ended up transforming the use and image of the building inside and out with a pair of bold additions and reorganization of the interior.

KITE designed additions on the east and west ends of the building that engage significant places along the central campus road and student walkway. To the east, a large flexible community space is created for departmental assembly functions as well as larger campus-wide events. The west addition utilizes advanced glass coatings to control solar heat gain and provide visual privacy to the student and faculty lounges within.

An innovative, prefabricated GFRC (glass fiber reinforced concrete) wall system was developed in collaboration with industry leaders to suit the specific cost, schedule, and aesthetic concerns, while satisfying the structural and thermal performance requirements.

“Two years of careful design work has resulted in one of the finest teaching facilities in New England, certainly for the teaching of business and economics. Rhode Islanders will be proud to know the level of this facility and what RIC is doing to help prepare the workforce leaders of Rhode Island.” – James Schweikert, Dean of the School of Management and Technology

Saint James Episcopal Church

At its heart, KITE’s design for a new connector structure at Saint James Episcopal Church is intended to project the energy and vitality of the parish to the surrounding community.

Established in 1832, Saint James Episcopal Church is the first church built in Woonsocket, RI.  The original Victorian style structure underwent major alterations in the 1930s to conform to a Colonial style of architectum and in the 1960s, a Parish Building was added onto the existing Church. For years, the Parish struggled with accessibility, circulation, and safety issues that KITE’s new structure solves.

The most dramatic feature in the central gathering area is a skylight that runs the length of the space and washes the wall of the historic church in light, making the exterior architecture an interior focus.

A fully glazed south wall opens out onto a new south terrace.  A series of carefully considered landscape design elements on both sides of the buildings create enhanced entrances and gardens. The design focuses on a simple and refined palette of materials and construction details that maximize the potential of a limited budget.  Materials such as white-washed board and battens and copper accents bring rich texture to the project.