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Iowa Utilities Board - Office of Consumer Advocate

A demonstration of proven, cost-effective energy efficiency measures for new construction

Information

Location Des Moines, Iowa
Size 44,640 SF
Completion 2011
Certification LEED Platinum

BNIM designed this energy efficient office building to house the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) and the Office of the Consumer Advocate (OCA). An infill development on the State of Iowa Capitol Complex in downtown Des Moines, the project was developed on a challenging, awkwardly proportioned landfill site and serves to create a gateway to the complex at its southeast corner. The building is organized into two wings: the north wing comprises the IUB, while the south wing is comprised of the OCA on level two and common space on level one. The building’s common space includes a hearing room, conference center, and lounge space. Linking the two wings is a two-story lobby housing vertical circulation and service functions. An entrance courtyard sits between the wings and a plaza space is located off of the south wing.

Impact + Innovation

The building serves as a testament to the sustainable stewardship of the State of Iowa. It is a model office building demonstrating proven, cost-effective energy efficiency measures for new construction. The IUB-OCA was designed to integrate replicable sustainable strategies, serving as a demonstration project for other government facilities at the state and local level, and also for the general public and private enterprise. While many of the employed strategies are “off the shelf” to various degrees or have been used elsewhere, what makes this application particularly significant is the multitude of strategies integrated together to truly achieve a building of exemplary energy performance. The project presents a simple “Net-Zero Ready” approach for other projects to adopt, allowing for the integration of minimized on-site renewable energy in the future and providing a pathway for broad scale net-zero implementation. The facility consumes 75 percent less energy than a code compliant building.

Process

The core goal of the IUB-OCA project was to achieve an energy use intensity of 28.0 kBTU/SF per year, equivalent to 60% energy savings beyond the energy Code baseline (ASHRAE 90.1–2004). As home to the regulator of utilities, leading by example is an appropriate mission. Every decision was made with the goal of exemplary energy performance in mind. The design team implemented sound and affordable strategies which, when innovatively maximized for efficiency, are a model for replication in other facilities. An integrated team process was employed to deliver verified results — from building placement, to assessing open office vs. enclosed office relationships, to material selection and configuration, to the complete integration of all strategies and systems. In particular, the team pursued innovative designs in the envelope and daylighting strategies to further the goal. Over 95% of regularly occupied spaces have daylight and views due to the vast glazing at the northern and southern elevations.

People

Team

Rod Kruse
Carey Nagle
Sarah Hirsch
Chad Walters
Thomas Hilton
Celine Armstrong
Elif Tinney
Matthew Nugent
Ramana Koti
James Schussler
Laura Pastine
Gretchen Holy
Cheung Chan
Jennifer Ross Buck

Client

State of Iowa

From the beginning BNIM was active in achieving our goals for the highest levels of energy efficiency. Our headquarters building demonstrates that an elegant, high performance workspace that also inspires high performance among its occupants can be achieved on a state budget. The success of IUB/OCA is a testament to integrated design and close collaboration with a focused architectural partner, such as BNIM.

Judi Cooper, Deputy Executive Secretary

The team saw the impact of their work was bigger than just the building. It was to set an example for other government buildings. It was obvious that every design decision that needed to be made in support of the climate strategy was really made. There was a rigor and focus to the execution that you don’t see in most projects.

2012 AIA COTE Top Ten Projects Selection Committee, Jury Comments

The BNIM team stressed collaboration from the start of the project and involved the State of Iowa and the building occupants in every aspect of planning. They have been excellent to work with and delivered a successful project which has exceeded our expectations.

Joan Conrad, Executive Secretary/Chief of Staff, Iowa Utilities Board