FLEXsystems, a self-storage facility in Topeka, Kan., has been recognized with a design award by Architectural Lighting magazine. The 24,000-square-foot project, commended for proving "that the mundane can be beautiful," was planned by El Dorado Architects of Kansas City, Mo.; lighting designer Derek Porter Studio, also of Kansas City; and manufacturers ACE Ballast and H.E. Williams. A landscape consultant was also used.

The site represents a reclamation of an old strip mall, and overall construction costs were $60 per square foot. According to the award submission form, the facility was intended as "a symbol of renewal, as well as a catalyst for redevelopment and revitalization."

To read more about the FLEXsystems project, read the "Above and Beyond" spotlight published in the May 2005 issue of Inside Self-Storage magazine. The online archive is available at www.insideselfstorage.com/archives.html.