DMU’s new campus sets new standards in educational facility design and contributes significantly to the region's environmental sustainability efforts. RDG's design incorporates energy-efficient buildings, innovative rainwater solutions, and a restorative panorama that includes trails and outdoor gathering spaces. The campus offers an inclusive and intuitive environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors to connect.
"Achieving LEED Silver for such a significant project underscores a collective dedication to creating meaningful environments that positively impact our communities and the planet," said RDG Senior Partner and Architect Benjamin Kroll, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB. "Through this certification, DMU and RDG set a new standard for how educational institutions can advocate for thoughtful, sustainable design."
Located in the West Des Moines Innovation Corridor, DMU’s new campus opened in 2023, coinciding with the university’s 125th anniversary. Designed with the future of health care education in mind, it features technology-rich, flexible educational spaces that promote innovative teaching methods, expand research activity, and enhance clinical services. The new campus includes four buildings totaling 382,000 square feet of conditioned area connected by elevated pathways. Each structure houses a variety of classrooms, offices, research labs, a simulation center, a cafeteria and dining area, a wellness center, and a covered open-air parking ramp with varying energy intensity, all served by a central high-performance geothermal system.
“Des Moines University’s mission is preparing future professionals to help individuals and communities achieve and maintain good health," said Angela L. Walker Franklin, Ph.D., President and CEO. "We strive to contribute to the planet’s health, too. That’s why incorporating energy-efficient buildings and features has always been a priority as we planned, designed, and built our new campus."
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RDG worked closely with MidAmerican Energy through its Commercial New Construction Program to maximize energy efficiency. DMU’s West Des Moines campus incorporates several energy-efficient measures, including a ground-coupled heat pump system that handles simultaneous heating and cooling loads, an efficient lighting design that reduces energy use by 50 percent and dims automatically with sunlight, regenerative elevators that convert braking friction into electricity, an occupancy-based automatic ventilation system, and a system to recover and repurpose heat from exhaust air.
These measures have significantly reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions, achieving a 41 Energy Use Intensity compared to the 90 EUI baseline, a 56 percent reduction in electric usage, and a 65 percent reduction in embodied carbon. Verified electric savings have also led to rebate savings for the university. Additionally, the campus is powered by over 88 percent renewable wind and solar energy generated in Iowa, thanks to MidAmerican’s GreenAdvantage program.
“Our Commercial New Construction program is designed to help our customers build energy-efficient buildings, and we are proud to partner with Des Moines University to help it have state-of-the-art facilities," said Kathryn Kunert, Vice President of Economic Connections and Integration at MidAmerican Energy. "Through our energy efficiency programs, DMU will see immediate savings via incentives, and the university will also save energy and money for years to come."
LEED Silver Certification is a recognition awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council. It signifies that a building has met significant sustainability milestones across multiple areas impacting environmental and human health. For a building to be eligible for LEED Silver certification, it must comply with regional environmental laws and the USGBC's minimum requirements and demonstrate excellence in sustainable design and construction practices.
