New Academic Campus

IMEG provided engineering design services for a 350,000-sf new Des Moines University campus for health sciences education in West Des Moines, IA, with a focus on flexible learning, health and wellness, and community collaboration. Located on 88-acres, the greenfield project started with a master plan and was built in phases. The owner, architect, general contractor, and MEP contractors were all on the team prior to completion of design documents and worked together to maintain the budget while meeting the project goals, which include LEED Silver certification and WELL Gold standards. IMEG provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection engineering and design for the project.

The new campus includes classrooms, teaching labs, gymnasium/fitness center, and administrative areas, as well as a parking garage and central utility plant. The learning environment is flexible for active learning and small group work and immersive simulation areas reflect modern care facilities to give students real-world experience. Additionally, a mix of open and enclosed collaboration spaces meet at the heart of the campus, an open learning commons and food service area for students and staff to connect.

The campus’s central utility plant includes a 1.0 mW generator with the option to add a second 1.0 mW generator in the future, 1,300 tons of cooling and 10,300 MBH of heating provided by water-to-water heat pumps connected to the geothermal well field, primary and secondary variable speed pumps, a campus fire pump, and campus domestic water softeners and water heaters.

Sustainability was a high priority for the university, so the design included a 700-well geothermal system for heating and cooling of all buildings on campus. The facility is anticipated to have 48% energy savings compared to the ASHRAE 90.1-2010 baseline and 35% water savings compared to the LEED V4 baseline.