Looking Ahead – BNIM Projects in 2026
From a nature-immersed experiential kitchen inspiring visitors to lead nourishing lifestyles, to an adaptive reuse initiative transforming a historic elementary school into high-quality affordable housing, to a welcoming new airport terminal enhancing passenger experiences and regional identity — exciting work is happening across our design studios at BNIM. As we kick off the new year, we’re highlighting a handful of our projects in 2026, both in design and nearing completion, that are creating positive impact for our clients and the communities they serve:
Des Moines International Airport
Des Moines, IA | 265,000 SF | Under Construction, Completion in January 2027 | BNIM with HNTB
The Des Moines International Airport Terminal will serve as a front door to Metropolitan Des Moines and the surrounding Iowa region. BNIM in collaboration with HNTB is leading this significant project for Des Moines, focused on creating welcoming and comfortable passenger experiences and enhancing intuitive wayfinding, generous daylight, and views. The new terminal will also feature significant arts integration, featuring five major public art installations — one of the largest initiatives of the Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation.
Diagrams ©BIG/Bjarke Ingels Group, Rendering ©Kilograph
The University of Kansas School of Architecture and Design Renovation and Expansion
Lawrence, KS | 48,000 SF (Maker’s KUbe) 174,000 SF (Total) | Design Ongoing | BNIM with BIG
The School of Architecture and Design Expansion and Renovation will bring students together into a connected hub of creativity and innovation. BNIM is currently serving as collaborating architect and Architect of Record with BIG on the project’s three interconnected buildings, including the existing Marvin Hall constructed in 1908, Chalmers Hall constructed in 1978 and the new light-filled, mass timber ‘Makers’ Kube,’ which will house architecture and design studio space and applied learning labs. Marvin Hall’s stone façade and interior spaces will be historically restored with strategic renovation of the interior to create new collaborative space for students and faculty, renewed office space, and much needed building life safety, systems, and MEP improvements. The renovation of Chalmers Hall will enhance accessibility and connectivity, creating a more intuitive, welcoming experience and bringing more natural daylight into the facility. The three buildings will work together to showcase sustainable construction, employing adaptive reuse strategies, historic restoration, and low carbon design.
Foreword at The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum
Oklahoma City, OK | 10,400 SF | Under Construction | BNIM with BAU
Foreword is an addition to the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, providing space for expanded programming and enhancing the visitor entrance experience. Embodying the concept of a foreword to a book, the project welcomes and orients visitors upon their arrival to the museum, which documents and honors the personal stories of those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever by the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing. Foreword introduces a new light-filled circulation stair and glass elevators that connect visitors to place, providing views of the surrounding Memorial and other important sites affected by the bombing. The entry level is paved with salvaged granite from the former Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and will showcase artwork from the building’s collection. BNIM is honored to work alongside lead architects BAU, who were originally selected to design the Memorial in an international competition in 1996, and have continued as design stewards of the Memorial since then.
Ladd School Redevelopment
Kansas City, MO | 61,000 SF (existing building), 40,000 SF (new building) | Design Ongoing, Completion Estimated in 2028
The Ladd Project is a Net-Zero Energy, mixed-use redevelopment of the historic Sanford B. Ladd School that delivers high-quality affordable housing while restoring a vital community anchor and demonstrating equitable development in Kansas City’s Oak Park neighborhood. Guided by historic preservation standards, the adaptive reuse project will transform the building’s upper floors to serve as 28 apartment units, alongside four new buildings adding 56 additional homes. The school’s existing auditorium will be transformed into a flexible community and event space, and the former gymnasium will become a ‘Resilience Hub’ offering emergency services, cooling/warming center, internet connectivity, recovery assistance, as well as community meeting space and other everyday programming.
The Nutrition Nest
Douglasville, GA | 24,400 SF | Under Construction, Completion Estimated in Spring 2026
The Nutrition Nest is part of the new 1200-acre Preserve Life Campus just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. The campus is envisioned as a world class restorative environment, featuring rolling hills, soothing lakes, and creeks within the Piedmont forest. The new Nutrition Nest will host unique experiences and lessons in experiential kitchen spaces designed to share new culinary techniques, ingredients, and technologies, guiding and inspiring visitors in leading nourishing lifestyles. The Nutrition Nest was informed by design strategies to support human wellness as well as sustainability and resiliency, aligned with Preserve Life’s focus on mental, emotional, and physical health and reflecting the campus regenerative and restorative ethos.