“The use of precast concrete for the Chestnut Street Parking Garage not only allowed our designers the ability to develop a beautiful design that strongly tied to downtown Olathe, but also allowed for an integrated team approach that married design decisions with actual building costs; this product allowed our team to win a design-build competition that was based upon design and best value to the client.”
Ken Henton, AIA, LEED AP Hoefer-Wysocki Architects
This Design/Build project is a total precast 5 level garage. The building was erected adjacent to the existing garage in downtown Olathe. One challenge was to add the new garage next to the original in a way that allowed traffic to flow smoothly between the two structures. Another was to dress up the existing garage to present a single and aesthetically pleasing facility. The design team chose precast panels manufactured to match the new facility and applied them to the façade of the existing garage. The Chestnut Street Parking project consisted of 415 pieces of precast, from the pre-topped double tees for the floors to the architectural infill pieces on the exterior. The East 
elevation of the garage utilized load bearing walls instead of columns. The “spandrels” were then supported on the interior side of the vertical walls. Infill panels were added between the spandrels to create an elevation that blended naturally with the architecture of the surrounding downtown business district. The exterior members incorporated three different thin brick colors cast into the load bearing walls. Exposed concrete with a buff aggregate and heavy sandblast was also used to complement the brick. The ramp and stair tower of the existing garage were also extended to allow for traffic and pedestrian flow between the two structures, further integrating them into one new parking facility. All the modifications to the existing garage were accomplished without interruption to the Owner’s parking business, allowing the facility to remain in operation throughout construction.