Kansas State Capitol

Client: State of Kansas

Site: Topeka, Kansas

After over 30 major historic preservation projects for federal and state governments in Kansas, tCi was well known to state preservation officials. When the state decided to undertake the study of a comprehensive preservation and restoration of the Kansas State Capitol (1866-1903), they requested a proposal from only five firms in the United States—tCi and four other firms, each of whom had completed capitol preservation projects in the last ten years.

Our firm teamed with Treanor Architects, of Topeka, Kansas. Our team was selected to complete the Historic Structures Report, including the Master Plan, the latter under the leadership of Lynch Consulting. This 1,800-page report was supplemented by an Executive Summary, a video, a Vision Room with exhibits, legislative tours, and over 50 meetings with the legislative leadership. These combined efforts communicated effectively the historic preservation technical problems and solutions, the at-risk situations, best practices of other capitol projects, and programmatic and space use changes.

In a year when the legislature reduced the budgets of many programs, they voted $40 million to begin the first phase of what is projected at be as much as $165 million project. The Collaborative was commissioned to continue its historic preservation services throughout the life of the project—to full completion of the restoration of this 315,000 square foot Capitol with its glorious finishes, maximum practical life safety compliance, and 21st century building systems efficiency.