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substance Architecture

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substance Architecture

Substance Architecture is a collaborative Midwest architecture firm dedicated to improving lives and communities through thoughtful design.

substance has a staff of 25 seasoned professionals and can assemble and lead a diverse consultant team tailored to the demands of any project. As our name implies, we are committed to enduring architectural values rather than ephemeral notions of style. We are passionate about architecture and are committed to advancing the discipline in service to our clients.

05/08/2026

Congratulations to the finalists and winners of the 2026 Substance Design Forum Student Award. It was a privilege to recognize such thoughtful, provocative, and ambitious work from the 2025 studios at Iowa State University.

Special congratulations to Dismantled Origins by Aiden Hodge and Michael Hull, this year’s winning project.

Thank you to the jurors, faculty, and students for making this year’s forum such a strong exchange of ideas.
arch Iowa State University

05/05/2026

We’re always inspired by opportunities to learn from the best in design.

Thanks to our friends at Pigott, two members of our interiors team visited the MillerKnoll headquarters and archives—home to over one million objects from Herman Miller, Knoll, and more.

From iconic furniture to rare prototypes, the experience offered a powerful look at the evolution of modern design—and where it’s headed next.

Yasmine and Samia returned to the studio with fresh inspiration and a deeper appreciation for how great design continues to shape the way we live and work.

Thank you, Pigott and MillerKnoll , for the warm welcome!

04/22/2026

This Earth Day, we’re reminded that design has a responsibility beyond the building itself. Thoughtful architecture can conserve resources, support human well-being, and strengthen our connection to the natural world.

At Substance Architecture, sustainability is not a layer added at the end, but a value embedded in how we think, design, and make.

Today we celebrate the planet that inspires our work every day.

04/21/2026

3LP Residence

This project is a focused renovation of a 1980s home set within a wooded, exurban site. While the house offered generous volume and daylight, its interior had become compartmentalized and disconnected from its surroundings over time.

Rather than reworking the home entirely, the design builds on what was already there. Existing structure and organization were retained, while selective removal of interior partitions opened the plan into clear, continuous “slices” of space from front to back.

Strategic interventions, including new wall-to-wall openings, windows, and doors, reconnect the interior to the wooded site and redefine the entry experience. Inserted elements such as the stair, loft, and kitchen bring clarity and precision to the existing volumes without competing with them.

A restrained palette of oak, steel, and quartz unifies old and new, allowing the renovation to feel cohesive while still revealing the transformation.

The result is a house that maintains its original character but performs in a more open, contemporary way.

03/26/2026

We are pleased to have the Carpenter Building recognized as one of the Historic Preservation Projects of the Year – Commercial by the Des Moines Heritage Trust.

A former industrial warehouse reimagined for today, the project focuses on retaining the building’s original structure and character while introducing flexible, modern workspace. The result is a durable, adaptable environment that extends the life of a key piece of Des Moines’ built history.

Read more via the .
Client: Rypma Properties.

Substance Architecture led the core & shell renovation, with tenant improvements by , , and .
Design team: , CEC , .engineers
General Contractor:

03/24/2026

UNI Multimodal Transportation Center
Designed through collaboration and shaped by its context, this project reflects a careful balance between infrastructure and campus life.

Located on a former parking lot and residential site, the facility is integrated into the natural slope to reduce its visual impact and align with adjacent residence halls. A palette of brick and perforated copper-toned screening reinforces continuity with the surrounding campus while giving the structure a distinct identity.

Beyond parking, the center strengthens connections—linking students, faculty, and visitors to campus, the Panther Shuttle, regional transit, and adjacent trail system. Enhancements to West 23rd Street further extend the project’s impact into the broader Cedar Falls community.

Developed in collaboration with the Federal Transit Administration and the City of Cedar Falls, the project demonstrates how coordinated partnerships can support functional, context-sensitive infrastructure.

03/17/2026

Originally built in 1918 for the Carpenter Paper Company, this heavy-timber brick warehouse has been transformed into a multi-tenant office building while preserving its historic character. The renovation restored the masonry façade, reopened original steel warehouse windows, and added new windows where an adjacent building once stood.

Inside, the exposed timber structure remains the centerpiece. A raised access floor conceals modern mechanical, electrical, and data systems while allowing the historic windows and ceilings to remain intact.

Today, the revitalized building is home to six office tenants, bringing new life to one of the last remaining warehouses from this era of Des Moines’ industrial history.

Photography by

03/09/2026

Iowa State University East Gateway Bridge

Iowa State University Iowa State Athletics Iowa State Football

MEPT Engineer
MODUS
Structural Engineer
Raker Rhodes Engineering LLC
Civil Engineer
Snyder & Associates, Inc.
Lighting Design
Trivalent Lighting Studio
Steel Fabrication
Johnson Machine Works, Inc.
Precast Concrete Supplier
Wells
General Contractor
Henkel Construction

Photography: Corey Gaffer Photography

03/04/2026

Growth creates opportunity.

Substance Architecture designed a 68,613 SF workplace expansion for Holmes Murphy & Associates in the R&R Realty renovated Arcadia Building in West Des Moines. The new office supports collaboration, flexibility, and future growth, accommodating 250 employees today with room to nearly double.

The space includes open work areas, private offices, conference rooms, and collaborative zones, all within a campus offering amenities like walking trails, pickleball courts, a putting green, and on-site daycare.

Designed to support both productivity and well-being, the Arcadia office expands Holmes Murphy’s presence while their Waukee office, also designed by Substance in 2017, remains the company’s headquarters.

R&R Realty Group
AV Consultant: MODUS
General Contractor: ICON Construction
Photography: Chris Boeke Studio

02/27/2026

Two Rivers Marketing's new two-story office in Des Moines' East Village embraces the building's industrial bones while creating a warm, flexible home for the 2RM team.

The goal: reflect the company’s creative culture, adapt to their hybrid work style, and make the office worth the commute. A new internal staircase links the two floors, supported by distinct work zones and a hospitality-driven entry for staff and clients.

Douglas fir. Marine-grade plywood. Raw steel railings. Illuminated pin-up panels. Every material choice tells a story of continuity, bridging the old space with the new, and the building's history with 2RM's future.

MEP Engineering (Design/Build): Baker Group
Structural Engineer: -Des-Moines
General Contractor: Hansen Company
Photography:
Two Rivers Marketing

Address

1300 Walnut Street, Ste 201
Des Moines, IA
50309

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

Website

http://www.substancearchitecture.com/

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