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Internal Revenue Service Kansas City Campus

Human-purposed and sustainable design strategies transform a 1.1M square foot campus into a cohesive, secure, and employee-focused workplace environment.

Information

Location Kansas City, Missouri
Size 1,191,878 SF
Completion 2007
Certification LEED Certified

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Kansas City Campus is composed of three 200,000 square foot processing wings, which occupy the western portion of the site and are connected with a “main street” that serves as circulation and support space. The existing historic Post Office building, a 475,000 square foot federal style building, anchors the northeast corner of the IRS Campus and serves as the public entrance to the building. Increased productivity through a quality work environment is addressed by providing access to natural daylight and improved workstation standards. Below grade parking for 3,800 cars is provided beneath the processing wings.

Three major goals guided the design process: integration of the existing Post Office, establishing a relationship with surrounding urban site, and developing an outdoor connection while maintaining the high security needs of the IRS. The historic Post Office became the structural anchor for the complex and placement of the new IRS buildings, following a pattern and scale that memorializes the previous grid of streets and alleys. To establish a human scale in the workplace, the processing wing was developed as three separate 200,000 square foot wings connected by a “main street” circulation corridor and courtyards that bring natural light deep into the facility. This organization allows building operations to operate at different capacities throughout the year.

Impact + Innovation

The IRS Kansas City campus creates a work environment that enhances the productivity and the flexibility of its employees. The facility provides daylight to 80% of the employees, and integrates secure outdoor courtyards for employees to connect back to the exterior. Many of these courtyards are “green roofs” constructed over the parking structure. A one-mile walking trail weaves through a landscape of native trees and grasses, providing an additional benefit for the employees.

Process

BNIM was responsible for the design of all site landscaping, courtyards, grading, irrigation, stormwater collection system and green roofs. BNIM worked with Kroll Security Group to design an aesthetically pleasing secured perimeter that also meets IRS, GSA and Homeland security requirements. The perimeter was secured by integrating natural limestone walls, ornamental and vinyl coated fencing, appropriate setbacks, ram barriers at key locations and vegetated buffers.

Additional sustainable site components include:

Amenities to improve the quality of life for employees of the facility.
Interior courtyards, green roofs, walking trail, natural lighting, and views to the outdoors where created all while maintaining the high security requirements of project.
A plant palette made up of 80% native species to reduce the water use by 93% from traditional practices.
Captured stormwater from the 70,000 square foot warehouse roof that is stored for irrigation and provides a pleasing water feature for IRS employees.
Green roofs covering 1.5 acres of the site to greatly reduce the heat island effect typical of such a large building footprint.

People

Team

Steve McDowell
Craig Scranton
Doug Stevens
Tobias Hathorn
Audrey Voorhies
David Bell
Phaedra Svec
Amy Battery
Mike Stofiel
Robert James
Emilie Hagen
Edward Krygiel
Barbara Cugno
Bryce Lawrence
Eric Morehouse

Client

Internal Revenue Service

BNIM’s work on the IRS Service Center in Kansas City was history-making in several ways, from the adaptive reuse of the old Post Office to the astounding innovative design of the processing area. BNIM breathed light and life into the old Post Office, while at the same time preserving its historic and significant architectural features. It stands as a monument to what can be done to make a historic building attractive, bright, efficient and functional. I spoke to many tenants who were thrilled with the new and the renovated facility. It is truly astounding.

Brad Scott, BM Scott & Associates, LLC

I have been working with BNIM Architects for the past four years on the IRS Kansas City Campus, and it has been a very positive experience. I have been very impressed with BNIM’s design and project leadership on this complex project, and the result is a building that has met the IRS’s expectations and includes sustainable features to optimize building performance from both an energy standpoint and also on the human health and productivity side. BNIM led the LEED certification process and a LEED Certified Rating [has been achieved].

Karen Gelling, Site Coordinator, IRS Kansas City Campus

The scale of this extremely large program (one million square feet) has been carefully mediated in the complex’s materials and details. The juxtapositions of volumes, the inclusion of a variety of common areas, the play of natural light, and the articulation of distinct ‘communities’ in the building.

2006 GSA Design Awards Jury Comment