Iowan to See Great Architecture: 10 Projects from the Hawkeye State

While the vast majority of Iowa is devoted to agriculture, you can still find great works of architecture quietly hidden between the fields and tractors. The state’s architecture is unique, both formally and spatially, but also in terms of the context and communities that these buildings emerge from. At once pragmatic and contemporary, the architecture is a result of careful problem-solving and thoughtful response to environmental conditions. While not always agricultural in nature or program, they are heavily influenced by the rhythms, structure, and logic of these practices.

The following projects represent contemporary architecture in Iowa. Showcasing a wide variety of programs and scales, the projects are drawn from a diverse array of firms and locations throughout the state. Whether private or public, each design critically investigates the relationships between space and place. Building upon traditional material, formal, and programmatic organizations while reinterpreting them, these projects quietly represent a sensible, and surprisingly dynamic, architecture.

House on Lake Okoboji by Min | Day, Lake Okoboji, Iowa

The private residence was designed as a vacation home in rural Iowa. It makes use of a simple footprint and spatial frames that focus views to the lake and away from the neighbors. The house was also designed around oak trees separating the lake from the cornfields and a variety of intense colors throughout the interior.

University of Iowa P. Sue Beckwith Boathouse by Neumann Monson Architects, Iowa City, Iowa

This boathouse was designed to house the University of Iowa’s largest women’s sport. Located along a main thoroughfare, the architecture embraces the Iowa River and the surrounding context. A state-of-the-art rowing tank was also designed in collaboration with the University of Iowa’s hydraulics’ lab for the new building.

Iowa Utilities Board-Office of Consumer Advocate Office Building by BNIM, Des Moines, Iowa

This office building was an infill development created on a former six-acre landfill site. Energy usage drove the design of the project at all levels, with an energy use intensity goal of 28.0 kBTUs per square foot per year. The building was created to serve as a testament to the sustainable stewardship of the State of Iowa.

UNI Multimodal Transportation Facility by Substance Architecture, Cedar Falls, Iowa

This multimodal facility was designed for the University of Northern Iowa. It includes vehicle parking, an enclosed passenger waiting area, and a solar panel array. The building was created with the hope of achieving net-zero electricity use.

Iowa Prison Industries Outlet Building by ASK Studio, Iowa

This unique building was designed as a showroom for products made by prisoners in the State Prison System. The building was created near the historic state capitol with limited resources and a tight construction schedule of six months. However, a variety of simple moves, from slit windows to polycarbonate panels, allowed the space to gather light and showcase the prison wares. In the firm’s own words, “while the building remains a shed in form, structure, and purpose, it is a good neighbor.”

Federal Courthouse by William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

This courthouse is located on the Cedar River in downtown Cedar Rapids. The program includes bankruptcy, district, and magistrate courts, as well as court judge chambers. Windows in every courtroom and a 100-foot-tall glass gallery help express the “open nature of the judicial process.”

West Campus Transportation Center by Neumann Monson Architects, Iowa City, Iowa

This transportation center was designed to merge dispersed parking and transportation functions. The program includes offices, maintenance, a bus interchange, and a raised passageway to a nearby hospital building. With a small footprint, offices were raised above the bus interchange below.

Midwest Retreat by BNIM, Iowa

This residence is located on a private, 700-acre restored prairie site. The building was designed with materiality and form that echoes the region’s agrarian typologies. Three unique elements define the functional heart of the project: a large hearth, antique bar, and low kitchen.

East Side Recycling Center by Shive-Hattery, Iowa City, Iowa

This recycling center was designed for Iowa City to consolidate recycling and landfill programs. It was created to display construction strategies in harmony with the surrounding landscape. The building lightly hovers over adjacent bio-swales while linking the interior and exterior space via materials.

UIHC AirCare Hangar by ASK Studio, Iowa City, Iowa

This hangar is the replacement of an existing air-care hangar for the University of Iowa. Programmatically, it includes a hangar for helicopters, maintenance shops, sleeping quarters, office, and lounge. The careful design solution makes use of solar orientation and easy accessibility while resisting the elements.

Author: Eric Baldwin

Based in New York City, Eric was trained in both architecture and communications. As Director of Communications at Sasaki, he has a background spanning media, academia, and practice. He's deeply committed to trying as many restaurants as possible in NYC.