Hufft has created the innovative design for the Kansas Health Institute located in Topeka, Kansas.
A non-partisan think-tank dedicated to health and wellness of Kansans, the Kansas Health Institute plays host to a revolving door of meetings and seminars throughout the week. KHI renovated the first floor of the historic Hayden Catholic High School in downtown Topeka to maximize the efficiency, hospitality and capacity of their conference center. The resulting design provides a collection of meeting spaces that accommodate a variety of group sizes and meeting styles.
Design elements reference the mission of the organization, promoting the seven social determinants of health, and the civic pride of a state institution. The ceiling is an abstraction of the connections between these social determinants. The design team fabricated a feature wall to replicate the contours of the Missouri River, the state’s most dynamic border. The parameters of the historic structure required keeping the original doors and central corridor from the building’s original use.
