Owner: EMC Insurance Companies
Architectural and Engineering Design Services: BBS Architects | Engineers
Construction Completed: 1997
Project Data: 430,000 SF
Construction Cost: $53,000,000
Client Need:
EMC expanded their downtown Des Moines location by adding this corporate high-rise adjacent to their existing headquarters building. They sought to achieve a bold and sophisticated image through the building design.
BBS Approach:
The sculptural expression was developed to take advantage of the building’s location within the skyline. Viewed from the west, the angled roof acts to counter the gradual decline of heights from north to south along the downtown skyline. Viewed from the south, the higher tower face establishes a strong figural identity for the EMC complex.
Project Results:
- 430,000 SF expansion
- 20-story office tower plus three-story support facility
- Addition of three new skywalks
- Two-level underground parking facility
- Sophisticated cladding technology
- Cutting-edge mechanical/electrical system
- Advanced energy-conservation design:
- Thermal storage
- Low temperature air distribution
- High-efficiency (R-7) windows
Industry Recognition:
- When constructed, the EMC tower was the largest US installation of innovative “rainscreen” system
- Awarded First Place in regional technology by the American Society of Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)