2 projects receive AIA Iowa Excellence in Design Awards

Two OPN projects were given Honorable Mention Awards by American Institute of Architecture Iowa Chapter this year: a Colorado public library, and an ag building at College Community School District.

Projects were selected based on excellence in architecture with an emphasis on its importance in the community.

Douglas County Libraries Philip & Jerry Miller Library

As a center for gathering, life-long learning, and discovery, the new Philip & Jerry Miller Library in Castle Rock, Colorado, simultaneously complements the aesthetic of other buildings in the seven-location system while also imbuing a design and presence unique to its surroundings and community. The new library meets the urban edge to establish a civic presence and reveal program spaces within to both vehicles and pedestrians as a gateway to the rapidly developing downtown. By interweaving natural textures and biophilic elements to merge indoor and outdoor spaces, the library creates a distinct sense of place in a changing downtown.

College Community Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Building

The need to prepare all learners for the future has led to increased investment in Career and Technical Education (CTE). To support AFNR education and programs, the 6,400 square foot College Community Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Building on a 155-acre farm site located just north of Prairie High School contains three main elements: a science classroom, a conference room/ICC-500 storm shelter, and a greenhouse. Sited north of the high school on a former family farm site with its quintessential cluster of barns, bins, sheds, and coops, the design seeks to respond to the remaining structures on site while also relating to the future working environments of the students.