The new Farha Roofing offices on Central and Woodlawn started as one of the historic “Nickell’s Armories” of the National Guard. Now adorned on the interior with complementary blues and oranges by our interior designer Lea Steiner, the building has transformed into a vibrant work environment for Farha. This new interior showcases hints of the past, such as the original wooden ceilings and brick walls.
Originally built in 1955, the armories were meant as a purely functional design to help Kansas get through disaster times and aid the general public. These buildings being a manifestation of the Cold War, we had to represent the history in the new office space. Farha Roofing was looking for a fresh look and more square footage to expand. The old armory was a great fit for reimagining their office. We took the layout of the armory and provided varying floor plans for Farha to choose from. One was working with most of the existing interior, and one was scraping out the old walls and making new ones. We settled with a mix of both, leaving the original bathroom layout and changing around some walls. Lea then stepped in to give the atmosphere a Farha branded look. She decided on a brilliant blue hue for the walls and a herringbone pattern with orange tiles in the lobby. Farha and Lea worked together to transform the old vault of the building into the conference room, and they decided they wanted to bring the existing wood ceiling back to its original state. Overall, the old National Guard Armory has been transformed into a new functional space for Farha roofing.
The exterior of the building has been left untouched, leaving a relic to the past, but also leaves an opportunity for Farha to remodel in the future. Here at 3ten, we loved collaborating with Farha to bring their vision to life.
See the before & after photos here.