Three Helix Clients Recognized by Kansas City Business Journal

Helix was founded on the unwavering belief that great design can change people’s lives for the better. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue to partner with clients who share in this belief, and who see opportunity to make our community a better place to live, work, and play through the built environment.

The Kansas City Business Journal’s annual Capstone Awards program recognizes the best of Kansas City development. This year, three Helix clients were honored for their efforts to transform Kansas City.

Congratulations to our clients and the teams of designers, engineers, consultants, and contractors that all contributed to making these projects a reality.

Prominently located at the corner of 9th and Main along the streetcar route, McCownGordon’s new headquarters transformed an introverted, outdated office building into the ultimate modern workplace for its associates. Helix and McCownGordon developed a concept that replaced the existing façade with an aluminum glass curtainwall, drastically increasing transparency from the outside and daylighting for the inside.

To complement the dramatic architectural moves on the exterior, the interiors highlight the most successful tenets of progressive workplace design. Associates are offered a variety of options for places and postures to work in throughout the day, as well as a host of amenities that support wellness, foster interactions, and build community.

Client: Girl Scouts of NE Kansas and NW Missouri
Category: Community Impact

The Aquatics Center is the latest project at Camp Prairie Schooner, a growing oasis for the Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri. Sharing the architectural style set by the previous facilities, the Aquatics Center also brings in more elements of customization. Bespoke storage cubbies, coordinating benches, and thoughtfully designed support spaces physically engage Girl Scouts of all ages and abilities in a way that emphasizes choice and accessibility.

Adorning a vast wall of the new Aquatics Center is a vibrant and colorful mural created by Latina artist Emily Alvarez. The mural celebrates the strength of Girl Scouts of all ages, races, and abilities. Each element offers something that resonates with any Girl Scout who experiences the space.

In 2019, James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Smith opened his latest restaurant Farina, introducing Kansas City to his long-held love affair with Italian cooking. Italian for “flour,” Farina is the culmination of a vision that combines modern Italian cooking, rustic but warm design, and the grit of the Crossroads Arts District into one elegant whole. The restaurant was one piece of the gut renovation of the historic building that is in the heart of the Crossroads, acknowledged by pristine white walls that will feature rotating pieces of curated art.

The 5,500-square-foot restaurant features seating for 90 guests along with an intimate cocktail bar, a fresh oyster and charcuterie bar, and a 20-seat private party room. The restaurant layout capitalizes on large windows along the north and west walls to draw natural light into the space and connect patrons to the activity in the surrounding Crossroads Arts District.