How do you bring a California aesthetic to the middle of Kansas? That was the challenge MKEC Engineering, Inc. faced when they were approached in 2020 by a data infrastructure company to design the site of their new building on Wichita State University's Innovation Campus in Kansas.

NetApp, a tech firm headquartered in California's Silicon Valley, wanted to bring the integration of indoor and outdoor spaces their West Coast employees enjoyed to their new building in the Midwest. They were especially conscious of providing plenty of access to sunlight and nature, as their previous Wichita location had limited windows, and thus little natural light. The unique location also played into the design, as this building is strategically located to attract nearby university students looking for a job or internship. The client wanted it to be a working space with an outdoor area that employees and students could enjoy. MKEC provided civil and site electrical engineering, surveying, and landscape architecture services for the project.

Pond with a Purpose
Access to water was a key feature of NetApp's request, and making a water feature the centerpiece of the property also solved a stormwater issue by reducing runoff entering an already overtaxed city infrastructure. But NetApp wanted more than a pond; they envisioned their employees interacting with the water in multiple ways. One wish was that users would hear rushing water, leading to the creation of a waterfall and a bubbling water basin. Guests entering the main plaza are greeted by a water basin that flows through a linear runnel, pours into a reflecting pool, and cascades into the pond below. This pond was specifically designed to be within sight of the building's main corridor so those within could also enjoy the water. A railing-less deck area with views across the longest expanse of water allows visitors to get close to the pond while remaining accessible for those with mobility challenges.

 

Group and Individual Spaces
NetApp wanted employees to use the outdoor portion of its site in multiple ways and asked the design team to create spaces for both group and individual activity. The northwest pedestrian entry continues through the building and opens to a large plaza and activity space in the east. Much of the building's perimeter is surrounded by a rain garden that collects and transfers roof water runoff to the detention pond. The large plaza and turf areas can be used as gathering spaces for sizable group events, while the seat terrace and deck area are convenient for smaller groups or individuals. A sport court for pickleball and basketball facilitates group physical activity. The spaces are all connected by looping pathways for those simply wanting to take a stroll.

Going Native
The client wanted a space full of lush vegetation similar to that of the company's headquarters in California's milder climate. This desire might be thought impossible with the hot summers and cold winters in Kansas; however, the Landscape Architects were up to the challenge, turning to resilient native prairie plant cultivars and adaptable plants to populate the landscape.

The planting plan consists of 110 trees, 600 shrubs, and more than 27,000 ornamental grasses and perennials, some of the latter featuring wetland plant species along the pond edges and rain gardens. In addition to creating a beautiful landscape, the native and adaptable plants also serve an environmental purpose. Once established, many of these prairie species have root systems that allow water to reach deep during the dry summers. Every year, part of those root systems dies off, establishing open routes for stormwater to penetrate deeper into the ground and thereby lessen runoff. The plants also provide food and a habitat for pollinators and a host of other insects, birds, and small mammals. The swale around the building serves as a rain garden nurtured by runoff from the roof. Any water not absorbed by the roots is funneled through the swale and back into the pond. On rainy days, employees cross over the swale on a low bridge where they can see the water running underneath.

Hardscaping with a Message
All campus entrances use pavers set in a pattern that mimics binary code, highlighting the client's position in the technology industry. The pavers are also pervious, allowing water to seep down through the joints into the soil underneath. In addition, the Landscape Architects used native limestone blocks within the structured paver grid to emphasize the mathematical nature of the company's business. These blocks serve as seating and a type of blockade to protect the building entryways from vehicles.

The water crossings feature bridge decks constructed with an architectural metal grate surface that is somewhat opaque and supplies the design with a distinctive textural contrast material as a repetitive component. While the hardscaping near the building is linear to evoke the idea of technology, the landscape elements take more organic shapes.

People at the Heart
NetApp's initial design requests highlight their desire to provide an exclusive, nourishing space for their employees and university students. When the landscaping was finished in 2022, it established an outdoor environment that fulfilled those requests while tying the design to the client's core business.