KSC Headquarters Building

The Kennedy Space Center Headquarters Building is an eight-story office building that houses the administrative offices of NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Completed in April 2019, the structure, also known as the Central Campus Headquarters Building,^[1] contains the offices of the center director, management staff, personnel, procurement, and several hundred contractor and support employees. It also accommodates the KSC Library, travel office, film and photo archives, photo processing facilities, the Engineering Document Center, print shop, mail room, credit union, and security offices.^[1] The 200,000 square feet (19,000 m²) building features modern offices designed to evoke the décor of the former headquarters, with all major administrative functions consolidated under one roof. It is equipped with air conditioning and energy-efficient, adjustable LED lighting throughout.

Kennedy Space Center Headquarters
The new KSC Headquarters Building as of April 2019
Alternative names	Central Campus Facility
General information
Status	Completed
Type	Office
Location	John F. Kennedy Space Center industrial complex
Coordinates	28°31′27″N 80°39′4″W
Groundbreaking	October 10, 2014
Completed	April 3, 2019
Management	Kennedy Space Center Operations Directorate
Height
Roof	104 feet (32 m)
Top floor	95 feet (29 m)
Technical details
Floor count	8
Floor area	200,017 square feet (18,582.2 m2)
Lifts/elevators	6
Design and construction
Architects	Steve Belflower, Kirk Hazen (HuntonBrady Architects of Orlando)
Main contractor	NASA
Website
Official website

Background

As part of NASA's recent directives to expand and modernize the space center industrial complex to allow greater potential in the next space exploration programs, the Kennedy Space Center management office (including Robert D. Cabana) contracted Orlando-based architects and engineers to design and build a new headquarters building to replace the deteriorating original building adjacent to the site.

The center's Master Plan directive spans a 20-year horizon and details the land uses, business policies and infrastructure needed for the center to remain the prime launch site for the rising industry of government and commercial providers.^[2]

Original building

Plaza view of the original building

Headquarters Building
Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Former U.S. National Historic Landmark
Aerial view of the original KSC Headquarters looking south
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Location	John F. Kennedy Space Center industrial complex
Nearest city	Titusville, Florida
Built	1965
Architect	Charles Luckman
Architectural style	International
MPS	John F. Kennedy Space Center MPS
NRHP reference No.	99001644[3]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	January 21, 2000
Removed from NRHP	c. 2019

The original headquarters building was a three-story, six-wing concrete structure located. Designed by architect Charles Luckman in the International Style, it was officially opened on May 26, 1965, and contained 439,446 square feet (40,825 m²) of floor space.^[4] Luckman, who also designed NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, designed the structure to reflect the modernist aesthetics of the era. The facility was vacated in April 2019 following the completion of the new headquarters building. Although initially considered for renovation, the structure was ultimately deemed too costly to modernize due to material degradation, asbestos contamination, and rising maintenance costs. The building was demolished in January 2022.^[5][6]