PROJECT

Independence Utilities Center

The complex renovation of an existing medical building transformed the facility into a hub for a community’s utility services. The LEED Platinum-certified building is now an accessible, sustainable showcase and a welcoming connection point for customers of the municipal electric utility, and water and wastewater departments.

The 47,000-square-foot office building started as a 1970s-vintage steel and precast concrete superstructure built on a 14-acre site. It had been vacant for some time and had become susceptible to deterioration and vandalism. Independence Power & Light hoped to convert the building into its new customer services center within 12 months.

Our team worked as designer and builder to achieve that goal in just 10 months. Our design program manager collaborated daily with the construction team and was the primary point of contact through project completion, addressing the complexities of sustainable design elements and structural challenges intrinsic to renovations.

Client

Independence Power & Light, City of Independence

Location

Independence, Missouri

Region

Midwest

Services

Architecture

Workplace

Commercial Buildings

Construction

Sustainability

Office Buildings

Industry

Commercial, Retail & Institutional

Sustainability Driving Design

The new floor plan maximizes the availability of natural light, and the finishes include low-VOC flooring, paint and ceiling tiles. Much of the wood featured throughout was sourced through our material reuse program, bringing in fencing from a thoroughbred horse farm in Kentucky.

The facility features a 39.68-kW rooftop solar photovoltaic system paired with an efficient variable refrigerant flow (VRF) mechanical system with energy recovery, a large vertical axis wind turbine, LED lighting, low-flow plumbing fixtures, high-performance glazing and solar shading. The systems support operations and supply enough energy to power six homes for a year.

A Community Model

Lobby installations promote the building’s efficiency features, giving visitors a view into real-time data indicating how much energy the building is using, how much power its rooftop solar panels are generating, and water consumption totals. Educational panels also describe opportunities for public environmental engagement.

The new facility includes office space, drive-through payment stations, and vestibules on the east and west sides. Site enhancements include additional parking, open spaces, landscaping and security fences.