Evergy's Wichita Service Center

6 Years, 5 Phases, 1 Powerhouse Project

Affectionately referred to as simply “1900” by Evergy staff, the 102,000-square-foot brick building at 1900 East Central, Wichita, Kansas, was built in the 1930s. The original building plan included a 2-lane bowling alley on the second floor and a full baseball diamond to the north of the facility that would eventually become storage yard space for the line trucks and equipment trailers. Over the last century, the facility has housed several departments for Evergy, including offices, a large vehicle service bay, a fitness center including a full gymnasium, meeting rooms, restrooms, and common areas spread across three floors and a basement.

The facility has played a critical role in Evergy’s operations by supporting functions that kept fieldwork efficient and coordinated. It served as a space for testing and repairing equipment, salvaging parts from broken machinery, and storing operational materials. Trucks and trailers were stationed on-site to support daily crew activities. Crews typically started their day in the crew room, where supervisors outlined assignments before materials were gathered, trucks were loaded, and teams deployed to field locations.

Over time, much of the building became underused, with its systems showing significant signs of aging and requiring modernization. Additionally, Evergy wanted to reduce their leased space around the Wichita area by consolidating Wichita’s General Offices and Systems Control Center work groups into this location. WDM Architects was retained in 2018 to lead a phased renovation of the facility. Stan Landwehr, AIA, Principal at WDM led the project working with Dondlinger Construction as CMaR.

Programming and Space Planning

WDM Architects began the project by conducting extensive programming and planning sessions with the departments that would occupy the redesigned spaces. These meetings were crucial for gathering detailed information about the users’ specific wants and needs. The insights gained allowed WDM to craft environments that met the client’s functional requirements and aligned with their vision for the space.

“One of WDM’s greatest design strengths is our ability to adapt and respond to each client’s unique needs. By engaging directly with the people using the space, we gather valuable input to create spaces that meet the client’s vision. Its always our goal — because it isn’t about us, it is about you.” — Angi Womeldorff, IIDA, NCIDQ, Lead Interior Designer at WDM Architects

Space Planning Modules

A key concept employed during space planning was the use of modular design, which allowed for future flexibility and reconfiguration. Standard private offices were designed at 8 by 10 feet, with larger conference rooms occupying the equivalent of two office spaces. Small meeting rooms and phone booths, also known as huddle spaces, were planned as half-office footprints. Furniture on casters enabled easy reconfiguration of conference rooms for various training sessions and meetings. WDM’s team presented Evergy with three programming and planning options for the renovation.

WDM presented several options to Evergy when planning 1900’s renovation

Maximizing Natural Light

WDM strategically configured the office layout by placing private offices and enclosed rooms away from exterior windows whenever possible, allowing natural light to reach deeper into the open workspace and benefit more employees. Glass fronts on offices and conference rooms further extend this daylight into interior spaces.

The collaborative planning efforts culminated in a strategic five-year, five-phase renovation plan, where occupants were relocated to newly completed spaces for demolition and reconstruction in vacated areas.

Phase I: 3rd Floor Offices

The first phase of the renovation focused on transforming the third-floor offices, which were completely torn out and reconfigured to accommodate new user groups. Lateral file cabinets were strategically grouped in the center of the open space, creating convenient work surfaces for spreading out plans and facilitating quick, informal huddles.

WDM’s interior designers turned the building’s existing concrete structural columns into a defining design element. The columns feature large, tapering capitals several feet below the concrete deck, which posed a challenge for ceiling installation. To maintain ceiling height, designers created openings around each column rather than attaching framing to the rounded capitals. Within these openings, acoustic baffles were suspended between the ceiling and deck, cleverly concealing piping and conduit while adding visual interest. Both the rough-formed concrete columns and baffles were finished in a bright metallic coating, introducing bold industrial accents that elevated the space into a refined, open-office setting. This approach also helped break up wide expanses of ceiling, adding depth, texture, and character to the renovated interiors.

Phases II and III: Transforming the Entry Lobby and First Floor

With the completion of the third-floor renovation, employees relocated from the first floor to the newly updated spaces, allowing WDM Architects to begin transforming the first-floor offices for new user groups.

In a design approach respectful of the building’s historic character, WDM retained Art Deco-inspired details where possible. Notable features included elevator surrounds and a renovated lobby display case crafted in a modern Art Deco style using metal and glass, all while preserving the original decorative border. On the wall opposite the display case, a matching Art Deco element was repurposed as an entrance to a new conference room, enhancing the lobby’s symmetry and aesthetic appeal.

Unexpected design touches added vibrancy to the space, including a circular modern pendant light suspended at the center of the lobby ceiling. “We don’t think there is anything wrong with adding fun, unexpected elements to the design,” noted Womeldorff, WDM Interior Designer.

Corridors saw the removal of outdated suspended ceilings, revealing original plaster ceilings to create a more open, authentic feel. Sleek, modern light fixtures, matching the family of the lobby pendant, were added to these spaces. On the functional side, the first-floor crew room was revamped with relocated locker banks, while a service bay office addition provided flexible and efficient workspace solutions. Interior finishes were selected for durability and low maintenance to ensure longevity.

Additionally, WDM completed a build-out of second-floor restrooms and breakrooms, emphasizing durability and easy maintenance. Floors were finished with a color chip epoxy product, while walls featured full-height tile for enhanced functionality and a clean, modern appearance.

Phase III involved further renovations of first-floor offices along with the addition of a fully updated gender-neutral restroom, designed to provide an inclusive and modern facility for all employees and visitors.

Phase IV: 2nd Floor Renovations

The second floor originally featured a full-height basketball court that was infrequently used. Evergy saw an opportunity to repurpose the underutilized space to accommodate 100 employees from the Quality Assurance and Customer Care Groups, relocating them from the Wichita General Offices. To make this possible, WDM removed the gym ceiling and added a mezzanine level, allowing all workstations to fit within the existing volume. The exposed structure was coated in white paint to brighten the space, and sound-absorbing materials were installed on the ceiling—an essential feature for the busy call center environment. Large original window openings were filled with translucent fiberglass panels, bringing in bright, diffuse daylight to enhance the open workspace.

To improve health and efficiency and as a reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, a specialized floor-to-ceiling air circulation system was installed beneath a raised floor, promoting vertical airflow and minimizing lateral movement between workstations to help reduce the spread of airborne pathogens.

A ramp was added to access the raised floor, but instead of full-height walls along the ramp, WDM introduced random openings to create visual interest and continuity for light fixtures. This design decision turned a functional necessity into a striking architectural feature. As a nod to the space’s former use, the original basketball goals were preserved and reinstalled.

Call Center build-out included:

1. 9 Private Offices

2. 69 Workstations

3. 3 Huddle Rooms

4. Work Room with a mail station

5. File Storage areas

6. Break Area with fridges & microwaves

7. Conference Room for 8 people

8. Emergency generator

In this phase, the east wing of the second floor—demolished during Phase I—was rebuilt to house office spaces for the Customer Accounts, Human Resources, Energy Solutions, and Generations departments.

Second Floor build-out included:

1. 12 Private Offices

2. 34 Workstations (6’x9’)

3. 14 Workstations (5’x7.5’)

4. 4 Touch Down Spaces

5. 3 Huddle Rooms

6. 1 Conference Room for 12 people

7. 1 Training Room for 9 people

8. 12 Seats near break room

9. 3 File storage areas

New Parking Lot, Elevator Tower

To accommodate approximately 150 additional employees, the facility required a corresponding increase in parking capacity. An existing service yard located on the building’s northwest side could be repurposed, but, the absence of an entrance on that side posed a challenge. Call center staff would need to navigate around the building to access the main lobby and sole elevator, followed by a circuitous path through the facility to reach their workstations. To improve accessibility and convenience, Evergy addressed this issue by constructing a new exterior elevator and stair tower on the northwest side.

The parking area was designed to accommodate canopies covered with photovoltaic panels and EV charging stations at a future date.

WDM Principal Stan Landwehr took a creative approach to the staircase design in the tower. Rather than following the conventional layout of stair flights that hug the walls, each run is offset at a different distance from the exterior walls, creating a dynamic, three-dimensional experience. Minimalist cable balusters maintain open sightlines, while bright orange stringers draw attention to the sculptural form. A striking multi-story pendant light made of suspended tube lamps emphasizes the vertical space. For added durability, the stairs are constructed with precast concrete treads.

“As a subtle nod to Piranesi’s Gothic Staircase, I wanted to take full advantage of the three-dimensional space with the stairs and do something unexpected.”
— Stan Landwehr, AIA, Project’s Principal-in-Charge

To visually connect the new tower addition to the historic brick structure on the exterior, Landwehr incorporated cast stone at the base of the tower, continuing the appearance of the original concrete plinth.

Phase V: High-security Operations Group Moved to Basement

The majority of the basement of the facility, previously used solely for storage, was transformed to accommodate Evergy’s Distribution Service Operations group, relocated from the Wichita Systems Control Center at 777 W Central. WDM Architects designed a NERC-compliant high-security zone to meet stringent operational and security requirements. To ensure that employees could remain within the secure area throughout their shifts, dedicated restrooms ,training room, conference room, locker rooms, and a breakroom were included within the NERC zone.

Additionally, WDM incorporated a new Data Center and offices for IT staff, integrating advanced infrastructure to support Evergy’s critical technological functions within this highly secure space.

Before and After Photos