Underfloor air cools renovated Kansas City roundhouse
Today, the renovated structure provides 60,000 sq ft of air conditioned office space for DST Output, provider of paper and electronic statements and other documents to companies in the communications and financial industries. A new 230,000-sq-ft building constructed on property adjacent to the roundhouse is home to the company's printing operations. Together, these buildings comprise the Westside Business Park.
While not part of the original structure, air conditioning needed to be incorporated into the design of the renovated facility. The challenge for architect James Pastine of International Architects Atelier, and mechanical contractor Bill Fagan, executive vice president for The Fagan Company, was to introduce an HVAC system that provided comfort cooling even as it preserved the aesthetics of the building and adhered to the strict guidelines established by the U.S. Department of the Interior to protect properties listed in the National Register.