Integrated DNA Technologies — an international producer of custom DNA and RNA for research with 11 offices on four continents — needed space to expand its growing company in Coralville, Iowa. The company found a solution in the 18,000-square-foot former Harley-Davidson showroom and maintenance shop directly adjacent to its Coralville office.

The first floor was renovated into open office space, a break room, project rooms, a conference room, private offices, and engineering lab space. The basement level was converted to house the machine shop, where custom DNA synthesizing machine prototypes are manufactured.

The focal point of the design is a three-dimensional DNA strand that forms three private project rooms. The DNA strand created an axis that aligns with the main entrance and separates the open office area from the design engineering labs. The custom-fabricated structure was carefully engineered with input from OPN, contractors, and structural engineers. Both sides of the project rooms are fully glazed, creating transparency from one side of the building to the other. Visual transparency was important to the client because it puts the work on display for visitors while also creating a sense of openness and connectivity throughout the facility.

The company’s culture and mission is visually represented in a wall graphic in the break room, which features the company’s new branding, released in the summer of 2016. The break room serves multiple functions — as a spot for lunch or for a casual group meeting — and features various seating options. The space is also sized to accommodate a full staff meeting or lecture.