Iowa Utilities Board - Office of Consumer Advocate
A demonstration of proven, cost-effective energy efficiency measures for new construction
Information
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
Awards
AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE)
Top Ten + Award
2014
IIDA Mid America
Mid-America Design Awards – Silver Award, Civic & Government
2013
ASHARE Iowa Chapter
Technology Awards – First Place
2013
Architectural Record
Good Design is Good Business
2013
CoreNet Global
CoreNet Global Innovator’s Award Nominee
2012
AIA Iowa
Merit Award of Excellence
2012
AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE)
Top Ten Green Projects Award
2012
Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC)
Environmental Impact Awards – Commercial Winner, Built Environment Category
2011
AIA Kansas City
Merit Award
2011
AIA Kansas
Merit Award
2011
AIA Iowa
Merit Award
2011
AIA Central States Region
Merit Award, Excellence in Architecture
2011