Muscatine County Outreach and Extension Headquarters Renovation and Relocation

The Extension opted to purchase and renovate the building to relocate from its previous location in a 7,000+ s.f. lease space. The primary design challenge was defining a layout to house Extension staff, public meeting space and provide sufficient storage space to support the myriad programs and services that the organization provides. Additionally, the group had a fixed budget and timeline for the renovation to make the transition prior to the end of the lease period.

An original hope was that a good deal of the existing building interior construction could be reused. After a detailed survey, it was clear that the 5 unit separation and deferred long term maintenance would require near total demolition of all interior spaces and that none of the existing plumbing or mechanical systems could be reused. The design process worked closely with the staff to define requirements for the new space and craft a layout that would meet their needs with a nearly 50% decrease in space.

The final layout of the building incorporates a large public meeting room that can also serve as a leased events space, securable from other portions of the building while maintaining access to restrooms and kitchenette. The storage space is located with easy access to the exterior, the large meeting room and from staff support spaces. A spacious foyer and reception area is visible from the director’s office with staff offices and a dedicated conference room filling out the non-public areas.

Exterior improvement included minor repairs to the roof and the addition of the new “Cyclone Red” band on the front façade to tie into the branding guidelines and define the new facilities character. Careful oversight of the budget along with a clearly defined scope of work brought the project in on budget and on time. This project was completed in 2019.

Client: Muscatine County Outreach and Extension

Consultants: Innovative Engineers provided Building Engineering Services

Contractor: Peak Construction Group