Marvin Hall, the home of the University of Kansas School of Architecture and Design (Arc/D), was built in 1909. Built of load-bearing limestone walls (exterior and some interior), with cast iron columns and steel girders supporting heavy timber beams and decking, the original building was built to last. However, with the most recent renovation to the building occurring in the early 1980s, the studio spaces have not changed much for nearly forty years, despite significant transformations in the teaching and learning of the architecture and design professions.

The Dirt Works Studio was given the opportunity to redesign and renovate two architecture studio spaces, an office, and a common support area on the third floor west wing into a whole new interdisciplinary Makerstudio. This project is focused on improving upon the existing conditions of Marvin Hall and the critical studio culture that is becoming increasingly constrained by the physical infrastructure of the school.