James Bibens

James always knew he wanted to be in the field of design and has always had an interest in history. Historic preservation has offered the ideal blend of the two. Studying historic buildings in college and earning a historic preservation graduate certificate led James to where he is today. He is an architectural designer focused on historic preservation and has worked on several historic renovations.

James also believes in the value of cities and the power of architecture to enhance them. His interests lie in how buildings interact with each other, their surroundings, and their users, as well as the purpose and history behind their creation. He is passionate about urban and historic preservation projects and creative uses of form and material to produce buildings suited to their context and use. He loves site visits, where the project becomes “real,” and exploring existing buildings before their rehabilitation.

His most notable educational and professional experiences so far include completing the Studio 804 graduate program at the University of Kansas, which entailed building 12 shipping container tiny homes for a Lawrence homeless shelter. He also investigated the historic Oak Tower skyscraper in Kansas City and compiled his findings as a personal project. At Treanor, he worked on construction documents for the the Jesse Unruh Building and the Douglas County Kansas Commission Chamber, completed the Holy Family Catholic Church Historic Structure Report, and assisted on the German Consulate in San Francisco.