The site is a light industrial office park of conventional box buildings primarily from the 1960s and 1970s located in Topeka, Kansas.  Cox Communications Distribution Center is the first building within the park to be renovated, as the owner has decided to revamp the entire park over the next several years.  With a limited budget, the architects of el dorado were asked to create an innovative, yet simple tone for future development.Photography: Mike SinclairWhen the owner of a Topeka-based contemporary furniture-sales company inherited an outdated light industrial and office park from his father, he set forth to update the park, one building at a time. His first opportunity was created by the park’s anchor tenant, Cox Communications. Due to increased sales in the greater Topeka area, Cox Communications required a new distribution center for their growing inventory. In order to remain within the parameters of renewed lease terms, the owner developed a budget constraint of $80 per square foot.Photography: Mike SinclairMany buildings surrounding the site are non-descript boxes. Determined to create a new architectural language for the property, the owner hired el dorado inc to design the warehouse. As a response to the budget constraints, el dorado inc immediately suggested to work with a pre-engineered metal building system. After careful research of the system’s constraints and capabilities, a design direction was proposed...