PROJECT

Park 39 Apartments

The adaptive reuse of a former high school offers a fresh approach to modern living. The Park 39 Apartments breathe new life into the vacant Westport High School Building, which had opened in 1908, closed in 2010 and was later added to the National Register of Historic Places. Our team provided design and consulting services for the reuse project.

The redevelopment project spans 16 acres and helps address the need for more housing in the heart of Kansas City’s thriving midtown. The building, which includes an addition from 1964, now houses 138 studio, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom units.

The design takes advantage of the tall ceilings and large windows original to the structure, placing living spaces on the perimeter and functional spaces to the interior corridors. Historical elements are retained and featured throughout the building, including original flooring, ceramic tile wainscoting, and ornate molding that speak to the building’s place in time. An era-inspired design for new interior spaces reflects the distinct styling of the original 1908 building and 1964 addition.

The historic auditorium has become a dynamic amenity space for tenants, using smaller capsule spaces to accommodate different functions within the larger volume. This concept maintains its historical function as a gathering place but supports the modern need for conference rooms, event spaces and library nooks, utilizing the existing seating to create micromovie viewing spaces.

Client

Confidential

Location

Midwest

Region

Midwest

Services

Architecture

Commercial Buildings

Construction

Industry

Commercial, Retail & Institutional

Amenities include a fitness center, flexible work areas, exterior gathering space and a lobby flanked by a leasing office and mail room. Additionally, more discrete rooms are hidden throughout the development, including a Green Room and a Detention Room, which reference prior functions of the building while offering a more unique, speak-easy feel for smaller events and gatherings.

As part of the renovation, new era-appropriate LED lighting has been installed throughout, while new mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire protection and fire alarm systems have brought the building systems up to modern-day efficiency standards.

The historical façade and front entry steps and walkways were restored in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation. Westport High School evolved over the course of a century, and the building’s design — and its transformation to an apartment community — pays homage to this with an eclectic mix of design styles represented throughout: arts and crafts, midcentury modern, and modern.