Des Moines, Iowa, USA
Neumann Monson has completed the first new multi-story office building in North America for JSC Properties that employs dowel laminated timber (DLT), a mass timber system relying on a friction-fit bond between softwood dimensional lumber and hardwood dowels.
111 East Grand was recently awarded the 2021 American Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
The 65,000-sf building anchors a high-visibility 265’ x 65’ site two blocks from the river. Retail spaces activate the street level with three floors of office space above.
Spruce glulam beams and columns frame the 40’-0” x 6’-8” DLT panels that serve as floor and roof decks.
The system facilitates quick erection time and a smaller site crew, minimizing disturbance to the neighborhood during construction.
A precast concrete service core buttresses the south of the building functionally and structurally.
The wood construction’s refined aesthetics enable the structure to remain exposed as an interior finish.
This minimizes tenant improvement work and the potential for chemically impregnated finishes while providing visual, tactile, and olfactive stimulation to its occupants.
Operable windows within each structural bay allow natural ventilation.
Balconies on the west take advantage of downtown views.
Natural Accoya wood soffits and columns complement the exposed wood interior.
Black Zalmag panel rain screen clad the east, north, and west elevations.
The project is innovative in both design and project delivery.
The core design team of architect, civil engineer, and structural engineer collaborated closely with the mass timber engineers and general contractor from the onset of the project.
This relationship enabled the project to push the boundaries and convey the accessibility of sensible material.
Project: 111 East Grand
Architects: Neumann Monson Architects
Client: JSC Properties
Contractor: Ryan Companies
Photographers: Mike Sinclair, Cameron Campbell Integrated Studio
