 Small Firm Takes Big Steps with Stimulus-Funded Projects
The three economic stimulus package-funded projects that small firm substance architecture in Des Moines is working on this summer represent a broad swath of the legislation’s design and construction goals, from public transportation infrastructure, to energy efficiency retrofits, to park grounds and public amenities. The construction of a new $15 million bus transit hub for Des Moines Area Rapid Transit (DART) system (the city’s public transit agency), a $10 million renovation of the Neal Smith Federal Building, and a café kiosk at the Principal Riverwalk are all moving forward thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and will leave lasting civic impressions on the downtown of Iowa’s capital city. 
 School Expansion Sustains Common Grounds
EE&K | AE, a joint venture of Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects and two engineering firms, will transform a currently cramped school by providing new teaching and common spaces, including a gym, cafeteria, and media center. The sustainably designed school will share the 6.5-acre site and the newly expanded facilities with the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation to create an intergenerational community center and maintain its significance as an urban neighborhood landmark.
 Urban Re:Vision Competition Brings Urban Farming and Net-Zero Energy to Texas
John Dillinger said he robbed banks because that’s where the money was. Urban Re:Vision has chosen a sprawling, freeway-choked Middle American city for their first full design competition because that’s where the most typical urban design problems are.
 AIA West Virginia Recognizes Design, Awards Scholarships
AIA West Virginia recognized seven firms in its 2009 Design Award Program, “Good Design Makes a Difference.” In addition, AIA West Virginia’s Scholarship Program awarded $14,750 to six students, due in part to a $4,000 grant from the AIA.
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