Richard Bolling Federal Building
"...for the new millennium..."
The new paradigm requiring increased security around the federal office building presented the opportunity to create an inspiring environment for thousands of employees. Young + Dring revisited the site program looking towards the new millennium and embraced the goal to secure the property aesthetically. After fifty years of piecemeal site improvements, the landscape master plan was enthusiastically implemented as a single installation. Within the ‘super-block’, stout walls, moats, and custom bollards defined outdoor rooms. These security measures – beautifully integrated with a rich softscape palette – disappear. Massive cisterns provide irrigation and, during recent droughts, the Bolling Building was the greenest urban campus for miles. Additionally, Young + Dring paid careful attention to tree preservation and new installations creating shady havens and lush streetscapes. The award winning project is a welcoming oasis in downtown Kansas City.