Insights

Insights

03.07.23
Marion Fire Station 1 featured in March issue of Architectural Record
Marion Fire Station 1 is highlighted in the March issue of Architectural Record magazine. The civic issue showcases public buildings in Nova Scotia, Milan, Zurich, San Francisco, and Marion, Iowa.   The two-level 21,000-square-foot fire station reduces response ...
03.23.23
College of Pharmacy earns LEED Silver certification

The University of Iowa’s new College of Pharmacy building has earned LEED Silver certification. Complete in December 2019, the building was officially dedicated in 2021 due to COVID-19. The new 210,000-square-foot building replaced the 1960s College of Pharmacy …

03.07.23
Marion Fire Station 1 featured in March issue of Architectural Record

Marion Fire Station 1 is highlighted in the March issue of Architectural Record magazine. The civic issue showcases public buildings in Nova Scotia, Milan, Zurich, San Francisco, and Marion, Iowa.   The two-level 21,000-square-foot fire station reduces response …

03.07.23
Trauma-informed design shapes community for human trafficking survivors

The impact of human trafficking ripples across the fabric of our communities.  Through force, fraud, and coercion, human traffickers violate a most basic right – to be free. Understanding that access to stable housing is critical to preventing …

02.08.23
Adapting a 100-year-old library for the future

Owatonna is a community of around 30,000 located one hour south of the Twin Cites. Built in 1901, the Owatonna Public Library has high ceilings and big windows that pull natural daylight deep into the library collection and programming …

02.07.23
Marshall County Courthouse restoration a symbol of resiliency

A symbol of resiliency for a community devastated by a EF-3 tornado in 2018 and again by an inland hurricane in 2020, the Marshall County Courthouse was re-dedicated on Nov. 19, 2022, exactly 136 years after the building …

08.27.21
Johnston Town Center incorporates public art

The intention of the new city hall was always to be a community anchor surrounded by public amenities, and it is exactly that. The Johnston Town Center is finally complete after the installation of their public art pieces, down …

04.22.21
How re-using buildings reduces embodied carbon

Designers make many decisions that directly affect a building’s impact on the environment.   One of the first – and potentially the most important – questions should be: “Is there an existing building we can use instead?” This is …

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
How Architects Can Drive High-Performance Office Fit-out Projects

Architects have an essential role to play in ensuring the tenant fitouts they design are as sustainable and energy efficient as possible. ULI’s Tenant Energy Optimization Program (TEOP) is a proven replicable approach that helps tenant space design and construction …

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. …