The Kansas City Police Department’s new headquarters, designed by Helix Architecture + Design.
Helix Architecture + Design brought home four awards from the AIA Central States Region last week as part of the group’s annual Excellence in Design Awards. The ceremony highlights exceptional projects and firms throughout the five-state region of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma.
Helix was honored for its work on both the Kansas City Police Department headquarters and Kansas City University. The KCPD Headquarters renovation and expansion project received the highest award, an Honor Award in the Architecture category. The KCU Academic Center received a Merit Award in the Interior Architecture category.
Kansas City University. Photo courtesy of Helix Architecture + Design.
“Although they each have their own unique mission, both KCPD and KCU are cornerstone institutions within the Kansas City community,” Helix Principal Reeves Wiedeman said. “Their investment in these facilities reflects their commitment to creating a quality environment for the people they serve and their employees. We are extremely proud to see our work for both organizations recognized among the best architecture in the region.”
The renovation and expansion of the KCPD Headquarters was designed to re-position the facility for another 70 years of service to the community while respecting the character of the historic structure. An important goal of the project was to increase transparency and expand police interaction with the community, the company said. This involved extensive changes to the first floor including the addition of a community room, which allows the public to engage in the Board of Police Commissioners meetings and serves as a venue for Police community outreach programming.