ART + DESIGN
GETTING INVOLVED Early on at Koch Hazard Architects, McMahan was involved in creating design-related non-profits with Jeff Hazard. Among
these were the South Dakota Architecture
Foundation , Chartreuse: Bright Green Research , Sioux Falls Green Project , and the Sioux Falls Design Center . Another was a series of conferences called Plain Green where the firm brought in speakers from the region, from California and other states, and even Zimbabwe to speak about environmental issues and design-related efforts going on in the world. Koch Hazard Architects hosted eight conferences, partnering closely with South Dakota State University .
Currently, Koch Hazard Architects is in the construction phase for the LifeScape Campus , which started in earnest with the non-profit in 2021. The late Jeff Hazard worked with them for more than 10 years prior doing facility assessments and helping them imagine a new campus facility. With his death in 2019, McMahan inherited the project as they began concept work and has been working closely with the LifeScape team, who she calls “a dream.” “This project has been challenging, but so rewarding,” she said. “LifeScape will provide medical, therapy, education, and residential services at this one specialty facility, and they have been essentially involved at every step.” The building, McMahan says, is Koch Hazard Architect's interpretation of the non-profit’s own design work, creating solutions for kids with disabilities. A few of the stories to help illustrate their needs included a young boy who could climb brick walls with his fingers and toes, regularly getting holes
in the walls from strong children with complex behaviors, staying away from long hallways so kids don’t run off, and avoiding fences around the playgrounds. Through many meetings and workshops, the firm was able to respond creatively to these constraints while working together with LifeScape. A solution to the playgrounds was to use the building as fences, having several courtyards serving as playgrounds. Koch Hazard Architects worked closely with HDR out of Omaha for planning and health design support, and for the design of the building shell as well. “There is a section of the facility called the Therapy District where therapists teach kids to live in everyday physical environments,” said McMahan. “It has fun elements in it, like the front portion of a bus where kids practice getting on and off, and also the back end of a car where they practice opening the rear door and getting in the back seat.”
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