Thyra Thomson State Office Building

Conceived as a consolidation of 11 state agencies and nearly 350 employees, this civic complex centralizes public access to government services in one visible, easily reached downtown site. The 11-acre parcel, a former rail yard predating Wyoming statehood, anchors the project in local history and provides inspiration for the design of the building.

The design reinterprets the rail yard with a contemporary architectural language. Spatial planning and material detailing echo the former roundhouse and track geometry. In the main lobby, a custom chandelier abstractly maps this layout, while historic imagery etched into glass between the sky lobby and meeting rooms creates a layered visual connection. Rail-inspired elements recur throughout the building and landscape, grounding the facility in its context.

A single secure entry lobby forms the heart of the project, welcoming approach from all directions. Agencies are organized by frequency of public use: high-traffic departments on lower floors, less-visited offices above. Thin floor plates place workspaces at the perimeter, and a fenestrated façade frames views of the city and Wyoming skyline. Daylight penetrates deep into the interior, supporting wellness and productivity. The facility connects directly to the rails-to-trails bike path, encouraging multimodal access and active, pedestrian-oriented urban life.

The façade combines modern and traditional cues: stone expresses permanence and civic identity, while red brick recalls historic masonry in the Old Yellowstone District. Repetitive window patterns and rhythmic bays evoke early 20th-century industrial architecture, reinforcing continuity within the urban fabric.

Letter of Reference from Liz Becher
Letter of Reference from Jim Chaput

Location
Casper, Wyoming

Owner
State of Wyoming
Keith Brown,
(Former) Owner's Representative
307-262-4613

Contractor
FCI Constructors
Ross Choate,
Project Manager
307-778-3085

Role
Architect
Interior Design

Personnel
Lyle Murtha,
Principal Architect
Anthony Jacobsen,
Project Manager

Scope
New Construction
Design-Bid-Build

Size
127,000 Square Feet

Cost
$45 Million (total project)

Completed
2022