Butler Electric Cooperative
El Dorado, Kansas
In 2015, Butler Rural Electric Cooperative asked Gravity::Works to evaluate its existing facilities and assess their condition and determine feasibility and estimated cost of a comprehensive remodeling effort. As the Owner suspected, the original office space carried some historic struggles, including foundations and structural height. The assessment quickly turned into a Master Planning exercise, and the new vision for Butler Rural Electric was forged.
An interest in cohesive street elevation came out of the master planning process. Site planning was also key, with careful consideration for public, semi-public, and internal traffic interactions. Two existing buildings were scheduled to remain, and both were of vastly different construction types and materials. In the end, the combination of selective demolition, façade treatment and careful placement of a significant addition resulted in a comprehensive streetscape that tells a brand-new story.