Contract - October 2016 - 61

PHOTOGRAPHY:

Commercial office buildings from the 1960s
and 1970s that were initially considered to be
architecturally progressive and modern, but now
may seem outdated, exist in cities large and small
across the U.S. and worldwide. Some of these
structures constitute highly notable architecture
of the era and others are fairly nondescript. Today,
one may say that they are outmoded, designed
for a different time, and ill-suited to contemporary
needs. Yet, structural integrity, embodied energy,
embedded history, and other considerations compel
owners and their designers to apply ingenuity to
adapt such structures-capturing the best attributes
and transforming them into both highly functional
buildings and captivating neighborhood anchors.
My colleagues and I at the architecture and design
firm BNIM relish the challenges of transformative
reuse. Superior, human-centered, high-performance
spaces can be created within almost any context.
Keeping people first in mind leads us to craft spaces
that support well-being by providing generous
volumes allowing for flexibility and individual choice.
Two projects-both of which are the renovations
of midcentury modern office buildings for new
workplace uses-illustrate how we put people
first in design for reuse.

One year ago, BNIM completed the renovation
of the American Enterprise Group (AEG) national
headquarters, a prominent building in Des Moines,
Iowa, designed by Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore,
Owings & Merrill and completed in 1965. The
eight-story, 154,000-square-foot redesign by BNIM
was planned for AEG's 330 employees at the time of
the renovation, as well as the 150 additional hires
anticipated through 2017.
AEG had amassed an impressive art collection
over the past 50 years and, while some of it was

displayed, it had never before been fully integrated
into the interiors. Therefore, an important aspect of
the renovation was the consideration of all surfaces,
views, and spatial experiences with respect to the
art to honor the high-quality collection.
Advanced for its time, the AEG building's
minimal internal structure is open with a 90-footwide clear span, allowing for few obstructions.
As part of the renovation, transparent or
unobtrusive design elements, including custom
sliding glass door office enclosures and a new
modern open-office system, were designed to
preserve the expanse. The company's previous
taller and incongruous furniture system panels
were removed and replaced with low-profile
furniture systems, allowing all employees to have
views. Workstations throughout include sit-stand
desks and task lighting.
Due to the exposed nature of the structure,
technology integration has always been challenging
within the AEG building. Therefore, one renovation
solution was to more seamlessly integrate new
pathways for wiring and technology to both support
current needs as well as to provide flexibility for
making adaptations over time. Contemporary
life-safety standards were met in a nondetrimental
manner, which was challenging, though, with the
sprinkler system integrated within the exposed
structural ceiling.
The 50-year-old building previously had very
limited environmental controls. We installed new
control options to create an interior that responds
to localized occupancy comfort needs. Nearly 230
thermostats now control the building's systems,
giving quadrants on each floor the ability to adjust
temperatures. In addition, window replacement,
insulation upgrades, and new mechanical, electrical,
and plumbing systems deliver significant energy
savings. Prior to the renovation, the building was
consuming 171 kBtu/sf/yr. The interiors now operate
on 59.25 kBtu/sf/yr, representing a 65 percent
contract

Contract - October 2016

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