JE Dunn Construction World Headquarters

JE Dunn Construction, one of the nation’s largest general building companies, selected BNIM/360 to design its world headquarters office tower and adjacent 800-car parking structure. Located on the eastern edge of downtown Kansas City, Missouri, the design respects the architectural styles of the neighboring City Hall, Federal Courthouse and Department of Transportation buildings. The building opens onto Ilus W. Davis Park, embracing a connection to the outdoors and providing an opportunity to strengthen the building’s relationship with its urban community. The 6-story exposed pre-cast concrete tower houses 550 employees. Interior spaces include flexible and open workspaces, a full-service cafeteria, fitness center, training rooms, public spaces and various other support spaces.

To achieve the LEED Gold certification, the design team integrated a high level of sustainable building practices and the latest in sustainable technologies into the building’s design and building process. Key sustainable features include stormwater detention and reuse, daylighting, high efficiency artificial lighting, integrated raised-access flooring, low VOC emitting materials, thermal controls to minimize heat loss and gain and high-performance glazing.

The design team was challenged to express JE Dunn’s construction trade in the building’s exterior while remaining sensitive to the site’s built context. JE Dunn’s new headquarters also plays a key role in a larger civic effort to revitalize Kansas City’s urban core. The building completes the enclosure of a civic mall that will act as a catalyst for attracting new business to the area. Its presence marks the first of potentially many large tenant anchors that are necessary to the city’s East Village Development.