Krause Wins C40 Cities Reinventing Cities Competition in Arizona

The Zero Carbon, Net-Positive Facility, part of C40 Cities' Reinventing Cities Initiative, Will Transform the Underutilized Estrella Village and Protect Arizona's Waterways

PHOENIX, Jan. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Arizona-based architectural firm Krause was selected as the winner of the C40 Cities Reinventing Cities Initiative to develop Phoenix's Resource Innovation Campus (RIC). The initiative is a competition that invites professional multi-disciplinary teams to transform underutilized sites in cities across the world into beacons of sustainability and resilience. The campus will provide a platform for companies to further develop innovative manufacturing technologies that ultimately transform our waste into new resources.

Krause's state-of-the-art solution to the campus aims to revolutionize Arizona's economy for the next century. Through its design, Krause and their collaborators will target a fully carbon-positive building and Living Building Challenge certification, the most rigorous sustainability certification in the world. The campus's design will move the needle for the City of Phoenix's goal of achieving 50% waste diversion by 2030 and zero waste by 2050, becoming a lynchpin to Arizona's future, serving as an incubator for public-private partnerships and fostering sustainable business growth in the region.

"Our design approach to Phoenix's Resource Innovation Campus begins where the typical approach ends. Rather than seeking incremental improvements, we went beyond checklist-minded sustainability certifications in an effort to truly give back to the community and our environment through design," said Michael Krause, Partner & Senior Designer at Krause. "RIC's design will provide companies the opportunity to develop and research new technologies, ultimately creating a circular economy that benefits local business and residential communities alike."

"Phoenix has been a national leader in developing circular economy solutions that divert materials from landfills and turn waste into resources. This is an exciting step forward that builds upon this leadership and promises transformational, sustainable development in an important part of our city. Twenty acres of unused land at the 27th Avenue transfer station will be designed for the Resource Innovation Campus, redefining how the built environment and the circular economy can be interwoven in a transformation development that celebrates the beauty of the Rio corridor and provides amenities for our community to enjoy. Combining state-of-the-art technologies with an innovative, community-minded design creates a new vision for a resilient desert business park that our residents can be proud of," Mayor Gallego said.

The 20-acre site of the future RIC is just south of the central business district at the 27th Avenue Transfer Station campus in the Estrella Village community. Estrella Village has been a manufacturing hub in Phoenix for more than half a century. The RIC provides an opportunity for job growth and economic revitalization in this historic area. The RIC site intersects with Senator John McCain's legacy project, Rio Reimagined, which was created to restore and strengthen more than 55 miles along the Salt River and Gila River and create opportunities for education and promoting diverse programming to inspire the protection of the river's ecosystems.

The Reinventing Cities competition strives to promote the development of zero-carbon developments worldwide and support local economies by repurposing underutilized sites and integrating innovative solutions to environmental and urban challenges. The caliber of research and cutting-edge innovation anticipated for this world-class hub drew many participants to the design competition. After the first selection phase, the applicants were narrowed down to a shortlist of just three teams of finalists. Other than the winning team of Krause/JLG Architects/Studio MLA, the shortlist included team PhiX: Venue Projects and Richärd Kennedy Architects, and team Bending The Lines: DLR Group and J2 Engineering and Environmental Design.

Reinventing Cities is sponsored by C40 Cities, a network of mayors from nearly 100 cities worldwide, convening to collaborate on urgent actions to alleviate the climate crisis. C40 represents 700+ million people and one-quarter of the global economy. C40 Cities is backed by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Children's Investment Fund Foundation, and Realdania, among other leading climate change activists and environmental groups.

A comprehensive announcement detailing the development and technology partnerships planned for Phoenix's Resource Innovation Campus will follow in early 2025 when the project is slated to begin. Construction is slated for completion by 2028.

For interviews, images, and further information on the project, please contact Katie Breest of AgencyPR at [email protected].

About Krause: Krause has built a strong reputation for its diverse portfolio of work that aims to strengthen the community and better the climate. Celebrating over 25 years of experience, the firm has been recognized with numerous awards and accolades for its visionary designs. Krause's commitment to innovation and sustainability is evident in its work, which consistently demonstrates a high level of expertise and professionalism. To learn more visit krauseaz.com.

About C40 Cities: C40 Cities is a global network of nearly 100 mayors of the world's leading cities that are united in action to confront the climate crisis. Mayors of C40 Cities are committed to using an inclusive, science-based, and collaborative approach to cut their fair share of emissions in half by 2030, help the world limit global heating to 1.5°C, and build healthy, equitable and resilient communities. To learn more visit c40.org.

About RIC: The Resource Innovation Campus (RIC) is approximately 40 acres of city-owned land allocated in a strategic area near Phoenix's southern transfer station, material recovery facility, compost facility, and closed landfill site.

SOURCE Krause Architecture + Interiors