Look Book Issue 3 | Be Well 20/20 | Community + Innovations

GRAND PLACE: CREATING A COMMUNITY OF WELLNESS AT THE HISTORIC KANSAS CITY STAR BUILDING

The Star building has been an iconic landmark in Kansas City for over 100 years. Its structure has sheltered thousands of occupants and various businesses over the decades. After quietly standing in the shadows of the Crossroads District’s more recently constructed or rejuvenated buildings, it is the Star’s turn to shine bright again, bringing along with it a pulsating new energy to the community and its future occupants. 
It truly takes a visionary to undertake the reinvention of a building like this. Vince Bryant of 3D development has spent the last decade reviving the Crossroads District one building at a time. An interwoven thread among his buildings, include the integration of sustainable design. It is no different with the Star’s restoration, but he wanted to take it even further and enhance the wellness of the building’s occupants through WELL certification.
We reached out to designer, Andrea Glinn, who partners with Vince and 3D Development on many projects. She shared more insight on the extensive dedication towards thoughtfully and thoroughly planning for Kansas City’s first WELL certified building. 

A behemoth legacy project like Grand Place at the historic Kansas City Star buildings—it’s two connected historic buildings and a sprawling quarter million square feet—takes a village to design and build, and a visionary to make it all happen. Vince Bryant with 3D Development is the man with the plan and the gusto to bring it to life. He has enlisted dozens of design professionals from the best of the local design community to make it happen, and to do it right.

The century old, iconic Kansas City Star building is being reimagined into a thriving mixed-use community featuring over 200,000 square feet of class A commercial office space, a 20,000 SF European-style food market, rooftop event space, private dining, a world class spa, and more. And while the amenities are unparalleled in the city, the additional focus on wellness and green building practices will make this not only a vibrant but a healthy place to be, for tenants and visitors alike.

To be the first WELL Core certified project is no small feat. The complexity of the buildings; program, as well as its massive and complicated architectural layout, requires endless problem solving, collaboration, and project management. That is why in addition to three design firms, two general contractors, and various lighting, code, and historic consultants, the team also has a LEED and WELL project manager. Sara Greenwood with Greenwood Consulting Group is the task master overseeing the various sustainability initiatives to ensure that no credit is slipping through the cracks and to hold the responsible parties accountable.

Creating a WELL building and community requires forethought into the architectural design and operations of a building. This type of planning impacts the building performance in all things: HVAC systems, lighting design, daylighting, ventilation, water filtration, building maintenance, and more. But beyond the quantifiable systems, to create a community of wellness the building and its functions are designed to encourage physical health, offer healthy food options, and provide ample access to daylight and outdoor spaces. Here are a few of these strategies being utilized to ensure wellness at Grand Place:

  • Central atrium stairs and interconnecting tenant stairs to encourage physical movement via stair use
  • Abundant access to daylight via large windows and three massive, multi-story building skylights which bring sunlight deep into the large floorplates
  • Rooftop patios, porches, and an outdoor plaza with green space and public art to encourage spending time outdoors
  • Breakfast and lunch for tenants and guests in building common Club Room and a 20,000 SF European-style market with dozens of local food vendors and a boutique grocery (with emphasis on fresh and locally sourced products) for nourishment.
  • The Market will also positively impact the local economy through job creation and retail sales.
  • Arts initiative to place artwork throughout the property to inspire contemplation, which fosters good mental health
  • On-site spa to include saltwater soaking tubs, lap pool, a sauna, and self-care services.
  • An abundance of shared spaces, whether for large group presentations, small team meetings, one-on-one collaboration, individual focus, or open lounge areas, available to all building tenants will encourage movement throughout the property and will accommodate a variety of acoustic, lighting, and thermal needs to meet desired comfort levels for different settings.
  • Ergonomic workspaces and a variety of modern furniture within the building common spaces will support various postures and choices for different work styles and preferences.
  • Location in one of Kanas City’s most walkable neighborhoods with access to six streetcar stops, five bike share stops, numerous bars and restaurants, and thousands of apartment units within a half mile radius, Grand Place is at the heart of the vibrant urban core and will provide the ability to truly live and work in the same community.
  • Concierge services will assist with everything from wayfinding to dry cleaning services.
  • On-site parking

Though a privately owned property, the amenities at Grand Place and the wellness community it houses, will likely draw in visitors from all over the city, and beyond, and become a destination at the pulse of our burgeoning downtown.

Project Team

  • Developer & Spearhead – Vince Bryant, 3D Development
  • Core & Shell Architect – Generator Studio
  • New Construction (Garage) Architect – BNIM
  • Interior Design – Andrea Glinn Interior Design
  • General Contractor (Core & Shell) – McCown Gordon
  • General Contractor (New Construction, Garage) – Turner Construction
  • Mechanical Engineer – Lankford Fendler
  • Electrical Engineer & Code Consultants – FSC
  • Structural Engineer – PMA Engineering
  • Lighting Consultant – Mercer Zimmerman
  • Historic Consultant – Rosin Preservation
  • LEED and WELL Project Manager – The Greenwood Consulting Group, Sara Greenwood

MORE LINKS:

GRA1276 Wellness Document RVS (filesusr.com)

by Andrea Glinn, Project Interior Designer

 

Andrea Glinn

Project Interior Designer

http://www.glinndesign.com/ 

 

A note from developer + spearhead, vince bryant:

 

Our reasoning behind WELL Certification: I have enjoyed designing and building LEED office projects, which are great for owners and tenant executives, but believe WELL serves the other 99% of people impacted; the tenant employees and occupants.  These are the people that use the space day in and day out.  This was our plan prior to the pandemic, starting 3 years ago, but now with workers contemplating return to office work environments, health and wellbeing are top of mind.  I believe office developers building new or completely renovated spaces should lead the way with WELL buildings as it is a matter of spending the time and not necessarily a large cost increase.  Water filtration and HVAC filtration are easy to accomplish with new systems.  The former KC Star redevelopment into Grand Place was an ideal candidate for WELL as it offered abundant natural light through large windows and skylights, an original active central stairwell with 2-3 floors up or down from the main entry and the opportunity to add art and healthy food options with our market.  There are also plenty of green spaces and common areas to escape the typical work environment; both indoor and outdoor. – Vince Bryant, 3D Development

 

Special thanks to Andrea + Vince for their participation in this edition of our Be Well 20/20 Look Book!
For more information on Grand Place KC, click HERE
To view the Grand Place Brochure, click HERE

 

 

 

FOR MORE OF OUR BE WELL 20/20 LOOKBOOK, CLICK HERE!

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