Iowa Utilities Board / Office of Consumer Advocate
BNIM
Des Moines, Iowa
Located on a six-acre site that was once moldering landfill in Des Moines, a new complex for the Iowa Utilities Board and Office of Consumer Advocate is defying notions about what civic buildings look like, one sunlit, sustainably designed office at a time. This was all part of the two state agencies' plan to become models of energy efficiency and educate the community at large. The Des Moines office of Kansas City, Missouri'based BNIM was hired to accomplish these goals. 'Our general design philosophy is 'resolve, rigor, and restraint,' ' explains project architect Carey Nagle, describing the approach the firm took for this building, which came with a tight budget.
The result of BNIM's judicious strategy is a 44,700-square-foot building comprising two wings joined by a central lobby. The north wing, the larger of the two, contains the offices of the Iowa Utilities Board; the Office of Consumer Advocate occupies the south wing. BNIM designed the building to achieve an energy savings of 60 percent over the region's code baseline requirements and for optimum user comfort: the precast-concrete panels cladding the building are punctuated by large windows that allow daylight in and views out. Long and low, the office building has a quiet aesthetic that is meant to respect the older buildings in the nearby capitol complex, all while presenting a modest face for the agencies. 'We tried to meet the client's needs simply, with sustainable and traditional design,' explains Nagle.
For employees of the utilities board, the benefits are quantifiable: 98 percent of spaces have access to views and daylight, and 100 percent of occupants can get to a manually controlled window to let air in. The building's smart green systems have also made a mark: after two operational years, the annual energy savings amounts to nearly $42,000. At this rate, the utilities board will recoup its investment in these sustainable measures in less than four years. 'And we've heard that the building has greatly facilitated collaboration,' says Nagle. 'Folks don't see themselves as working individually anymore.'
Architect:
BNIM
317 6th Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50309
515-974-6462
816-783-1501
Completion Date: April 2011
Gross square footage: 44,700 square feet
Total construction cost: $10.1 million
PeopleOwner: State of Iowa Architect: Personnel in architect's firm who should receive special credit: Architect of record: BNIM Interior designer: BNIM Consultant(s): Landscape: BNIM Lighting: KJWW engineers General contractor: J .P. Cullen Photographer(s): Farshid Assassi, Mike Sinclair Renderer(s): BNIM CAD system, project management, or other software used: Revit | ProductsStructural system Exterior cladding: Roofing: Windows/Curtainwall: Glazing: Doors Metal doors (aluminum framed glass doors): Wood doors: Upswinging doors, other: SkyFold Classic by SkyFold Hardware Pulls:Rockwood, Sargent Interior finishes Wall technology's New Dimensions panels Millwork: Paints and stains: Solid surfacing: Corian Special surfacing: Flooring: ground and polished concrete by Retroplate www.retroplatesystem.com/ Floor and wall tile: Dal Tile 1”x1” Keystones (restroom walls) Carpet: Furnishings Reception furniture: Herman miller, www.hermanmiller.com/english.html Chairs: Allsteel www.allsteeloffice.com/ Tables: Bernhardt www.bernhardtdesign.com/ Lighting Downlights: architectural lighting works www.archltgworks.com/content/products/ Task lighting: Herman miller, www.hermanmiller.com/english.html Dimming System or other lighting controls: Johnson Controls www.johnsoncontrols.com/content/us/en.html Conveyance Plumbing Energy Photovoltaic system: Solar World www.solarworld-usa.com/ Other unique products that contribute to sustainability: Add any additional building components or special equipment that made a significant contribution to this project: |
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