“We’ve worked hard to build a reputation to deliver these kinds of projects,” says Manlove, referring to two of the firm’s recent successes, the H&R Block headquarters and the Sunset Drive office building in Johnson County. “We’ve consciously tried to develop a staff that has the diversity to be able to deliver different kinds of products. think these two buildings, especially, show the breadth of this firm.”

“It’s not often that a firm is asked to be the designer on 13 blocks of a city’s downtown vitalization,” says David Rezac, 360 Architecture principal and project manager on the H&R Block Center project. “We are excited and honored to have the opportunity to be the architect on the H&R Block Center, the KC Live Entertainment District and the Sprint Arena.”

Besides its headquarters in Kansas City, where 110 employees work, 360 Architecture has offices in Columbus, Ohio, and San Francisco. The firm designs civic and municipal facilities, sports venues, work environments and mixed-use entertainment districts.

“When we formed the firm, we wanted the name to encompass who we are, and I think 360 implies the ability to bring a wide range of ideas to the table,” says Manlove. “The name is purposely a little bit nebulous. We wanted to let the client decide what 360 means.”

360’s recent local projects include the Boulevard Brewing Company expansion, the Kansas City Power & Light District and the Sprint Center. Two recently completed projects that stand out as strong examples of 360’s talent for Manlove are the Sunset Drive office building and H&R Block’s new headquarters.

One of the challenges with the H&R Block headquarters was consolidating staff members to one location while supporting the downtown revitalization. The design of the project began with the development and evaluation of 12 building options based on H&R Block’s goals of efficiency, flexibility, connectivity, collaboration and community. The striking structure 360 designed makes a distinctive anchor for the surrounding Kansas City Live! outdoor stage.

If a building were to embody the direction in which 360 is headed for the future, it would be the Sunset Drive Office Building, an innovative, sustainable-focused facility that promises long-term value and also serves as an educational model. It is quite simply an outstanding example of environmental stewardship.

“It is our moral responsibility to deliver environmentally sensitive designs,” says Manlove. “We must be good stewards of the world’s resources. That has to be a cornerstone of what we do.”

This marks an important milestone for 360 Architecture, which now incorporates
environmental features into all of its projects. All 360 professionals will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accredited by the end of the year. And recently, the Sunset Drive office building was awarded the designation of LEED Gold-certification. This makes the Sunset Drive office building the second LEED Gold-certified building in the state of Kansas.

“This commitment emphasizes to our clients and communities that our staff is knowledgeable about sustainable design and dedicated to being good stewards to the environment,” says Manlove. “In addition to the environmental benefits, many studies show that a healthy building can actually increase a company’s bottom line.”

To that end, the Sunset Drive office building performs 40 percent more efficiently than a similar building, decreasing the cost of utilities and the amount of energy being used. Under floor air distribution gives a greater degree of thermal comfort and control to the occupants of the building, while southern exposure maximizes daylight throughout the building, reducing the number of light fixtures.

A primary focus of the building’s design was the approach to water conservation and treatment. Rainwater is captured from the roof and flows to a biogarden in the entry lobby, which naturally cleans the water and releases it back to the outdoors. There are 13 educational stops inside and outside the building with signage providing facts about water efficiency, treatment and conservation.

Finally, the building was constructed using regional materials. Reclaimed wood from a local deconstructed building was used, which in turn benefits the local economy. Neal Angrisano, Johnson County’s deputy director of facilities, worked closely with the 360 team throughout the design-build process.

“Rather than just go with the lowest bid, we were very specific with what we wanted,” he says. “We told the three finalists how the building should work, but also added other qualities, like efficiency. 360 used all their integrated team expertise to come up with highly innovative ways to give us the building we wanted.”

The Sunset Drive office building has won four awards with others pending including the national and regional awards from the Design-Build Institute of America.

“This is the best project we’ve ever done,” says Angrisano. “The integration of the team was phenomenal. We all had common goals, and everything went very smoothly. We’ve already had 2,000 to 3,000 people come from all over the country just to take a look at it.”

The economic impact of the building has been immediate; in its first year of operation, the structure will save Johnson County $638,000 in leasing costs.

“Our goal was to have a building that was the most economically responsible over time,” says Angrisano. “We’ve accomplished that. It truly is a quality example of public capital investment. And the 360 team was just great. Many of us have become very good friends through this project.”

“I’m really proud of the projects we’ve done and the people we employ,” says Manlove. “I always say, the next one’s going to be the best one. And I guess that’s my philosophy about the future.”

And that may be the biggest challenge yet for 360 Architecture—topping an already crowded roster of brilliant designs with even more cutting-edge, environmentally
conscious successes.