Reconciliation Services - Master Plan and Renovation

Reconciliation Services’ Executive Director, Father Justin Mathews, challenged BNIM to imagine a version of 3101 Troost that was “neither janky nor swanky.” The existing facility had good bones, but they were obscured by decades of makeshift renovations and grandfathered code non-compliance. The design process started with stripping everything back to the exterior walls. The remaining plaster finishes were maintained but not completely restored, collaged within a patchwork of exposed brick. The wood flooring, damaged from water infiltration, was replaced with new tongue-and-groove oak. At each floor, the original mosaic tile hallways were restored as a trace of the building’s past life.

To better serve Reconciliation Services’ operations, the newly opened floor plates were zoned into areas for community gathering and private consultation. Offices and conference rooms are enclosed by glass walls with privacy film, optimizing daylight while limiting views of client appointments. The new addition provides staff, clients, and visitors with panoramic views of Kansas City, as seen from within an intimately scaled Greek Orthodox chapel and the rooftop self-care garden above Troost Avenue. Street level is occupied by Thelma’s Kitchen, Reconciliation Services’ mission-driven, nonprofit restaurant. The renovation expands the cafe to nearly 80 seats and pares down an existing mezzanine structure to provide the kitchen with improved daylighting. The existing basement was excavated two additional feet down, providing room for an auxiliary prep kitchen and storage, which will allow Thelma’s Kitchen to expand their catering service and hours of operation.