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
