A quarter of a century after its founding, a regional bank in a mid-sized midwestern city had outgrown its flagship building.  Planning for the future and committed to keeping staff downtown, bank leadership chose to build a second building to create an urban campus for its headquarters. In doing so, the bank also embodied its commitment to service and community by turning a former parking lot into a gateway into the downtown district, thus investing in the city’s core.

Prominently situated one block from the original building, the new three-story building complements rather than replicates its neighbor.  Relationships between the brick mass and glass volume of the first company headquarters are interpreted with a more modern and forward-looking approach, reflecting the bank’s evolution.  In the new building, the solid mass is clad in terra cotta instead of brick. The glass volume is more refined, and the entire building meets the ground with a base of Iowa limestone.

With an urban street presence to the south and an employee entrance to the north, the building has no back.  A landscaped plaza and stairs between the building’s main entrance and employee parking uses system of terraces to mitigate the grade change with intentionality.

On the interior, a steel and walnut monumental stair hangs from the roof structure, defines the building entry with a clear circulation path, and visually connects the upper floors.  The walnut clad building core separates open office areas from communal employee gathering spaces.  A roof terrace is carved out of the third level and is wrapped in terra cotta baguettes that provide shade while affording views of the surrounding city.

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“I am proud to recommend the services of OPN. The staff at OPN has become a valuable asset, as we have developed our expansion plans… they were extremely competent and easy to work with. Their work has been timely, accurate, and thorough.”

— Larry J. Helling, Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust