[3] The design of the new Kansas City federal building was the product of a joint-venture collaboration of four firms: Voskamp and Slezak, Everitt and Keleti, Radotinsky Meyn Deardorff, and Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergendoff.

Many architects used this combination of built components for federal building design during the 1950s and 1960s, possibly in emulation of the Headquarters of the United Nations.

[3] As of 2015, 16 federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Health and Human Services, occupy the building.

Long vertical strips of aluminum tube cladding are original to the building, but sections of it were removed and reinstalled in a wave pattern during the 2000 renovations.

A bas-relief stone sculpture called The Builders (1966) by Costantino Nivola forms the exterior base of the Twelfth Street elevation.

BNIM Architects developed designs for the facility that included a new entry pavilion, corridor renovations, and plaza improvements.

Completed in 2003, the renovations to the building and plaza were part of GSA's First Impressions initiative, which strives to improve the entrance experience for both tenants and visitors.

A covered walkway leads to a new two-story, glass-enclosed entrance pavilion and lobby that is connected to the lower building, but also provides access to the office tower.

Dunn Construction, received an Honor Award from the Kansas City chapter of the American Institute of Architects for these renovations and alterations.

BNIM Architects also received a 2004 GSA Design Award for its innovative entrance and landscape plans that incorporate state-of-the-art security while maintaining a welcoming atmosphere.