Insights

Insights

11.22.23
Historic courthouse and fire station win Justice Facility Review awards
Polk County Historic Courthouse and Marion Fire Station 1 have been honored by the American Institute of Architects Academy of Architecture for Justice with a 2023 Justice Facilities Review Award. The Justice Facilities Review documents best practices in ...
08.15.23
Innovative technology restores University of Iowa’s Old Capitol to golden glory

Built between 1840 and 1842, the Old Capitol at the heart of the University of Iowa campus is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the state of Iowa. Throughout its long history, the building has served as …

05.12.21
Innovative strategies preserve historic copper clocktower

To restore the historic and iconic clock tower, OPN married new technology with the original building system. The four-story Webster County’s Historic Clock Tower has looked over the town of Fort Dodge, Iowa since September 1902. Added to the National …

04.22.21
Create a Sustainability Action Plan that works

Architecture firms that made the commitment to the 2030 challenge were asked to create a Sustainability Action Plan within six months of joining the program. The process, which includes reevaluating priorities, workflows, and strategies, can seem like a …

12.02.20
Justice projects honored with AIA Justice Facilities Review Award

Polk County Criminal Courts and Madison Fire Station No. 14 have been honored by the American Institute of Architects Academy of Architecture for Justice with a Justice Facilities Review Award. These projects demonstrate quality of form, functionality, and current architectural …

12.02.20
Madison Fire Station No. 14 wins USGBC Award of Excellence

Madison Fire Station 14 has been honored with an  Award of Excellence in Innovative Design, New Construction by the USGBC West North Central Region’s 2020 Community Leadership Award program. Fire Station 14, completed in the last few days of …

12.02.20
Library Journal features three OPN libraries

The pandemic closed many library’s doors this year, including two designed by OPN within days or weeks of opening for the first time. Despite these challenging times, we’re excited to see three of our projects featured in this …

12.02.20
2030 Commitment: More Needs to be Done

There is less than a decade remaining for the firms who committed to the American Institute of Architects’ 2030 Challenge to follow through on their pledge to achieve carbon-neutral buildings. This year’s numbers show there’s a need for firms …

10.06.20
Power Plant of the Year

DTE’s new Central Energy Plant, designed by OPN, on Ford Motor Co.’s Research and Engineering campus in Dearborn, Michigan goes beyond the envelope of modern distributed gas power by integrating heat and thermal energy storage to fulfill Ford’s …

09.30.20
Carbon in Architecture: Connecting the Dots in the Tool Kit

In 2019, AIA adopted the Framework for Design Excellence, which declared an urgent imperative to reduce carbon in the built environment. OPN Architects’ Sustainability Director Tate Walker was the lead author of the COTE Toolkit, which formed the foundation of …

09.14.20
OPN helps State of Wisconsin set new sustainability standards for capital projects

It’s not a coincidence that the State of Wisconsin and city of Madison are setting the example for municipalities and states who are committed to addressing risks to our communities’ health, safety and welfare through building projects and programs. …