iowa prison industries outlet building, des moines, iowa
ask studio
des moines
A wholesale showroom for products made by prison inmates, this building transcends its utilitarian program. Taking his cue from a neighborhood pattern, architect Brent Schipper, AIA, LEED AP, designed a simple structure with an elaborated façade. Standard metal components form the body of the building, while a randomly textured brick wall anchors the street elevation. Narrow windows and translucent polycarbonate panels discreetly address the client’s security concerns. The result, one judge noted, is “good architecture … using very few moves. Architecture can be simple.”
project credits
principal in charge: Brent Schipper, AIA, LEED AP, ASK Studio; design team: Nathan Klinge and Asa Westphal, ASK Studio; general contractor: Jason Ceretti, Edge Commercial, West Des Moines, Iowa; engineers: John Rhodes, Raker Rhodes Engineering, Des Moines, Dave Chongo, KJWW Engineering Consultants, Des Moines, and Erik Nikkel, Snyder & Associates, Ankeny, Iowa; project size: 8,600 square feet; site size: 0.45 acre; construction cost: $83 per square foot; photography: Cameron Campbell/Integrated Studio.
product details
bathroom fittings and fixtures: Kohler, www.kohler.com; exterior siding and roofing: Star Building Systems, www.starbuildings.com; hardware: Yale, www.yalecommercial.com; hvac equipment: Mitsubishi, www.mitsubishielectric.com, SEMCO, www.semcohvac.com; insulation: Owens Corning, www.owenscorning.com; kitchen fittings: Kohler; lighting fixtures: Lithonia Lighting, www.lithonia.com; paints: Pittsburgh Paints, www.ppgpittsburghpaints.com; range and refrigerator: General Electric, www.geappliances.com
