State of Kansas Robert B. Docking State Office Building Reconstruction

Project Name

Robert B. Docking State Office Building

Size (sq ft)

230,000

HEI Project Profile - Long

Across the street from the Kansas State Capitol in downtown Topeka, the twelve-story Docking State Office Building, originally built in the 1950s, had long served as home to various state agencies. Due to concerns around comfort and safety, the Kansas Legislature re-imagined the facility through a Design-Build competition, ultimately selecting a plan that demolished the twelve-story structure while preserving the basement and sub-basement levels housing the central plant. A new three-story building was constructed on the existing foundation, incorporating a heated outdoor plaza, event space, café, exhibit areas, a conference and training center, state agency offices, a health clinic, and a fitness classroom. The outdoor plaza reused several historic elements of the original building, including 100,000 SF of limestone and iconic sculptures. Henderson Engineers provided building systems design services for the complex project, leading the phasing and sequencing of infrastructure throughout demolition and reconstruction. The completed, highly sustainable facility incorporates innovative solutions such as electrochromic glass, transpired solar collectors, a thermal labyrinth, and high-efficiency ventilation, heating, and cooling systems.

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