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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.

09/02/2026

Last week, we kicked off the Substance Studio at Iowa State University’s College of Design.

Led by Tim Hickman and Dakota Smith, this fall’s ARCH 403 studio brings professional practice and architectural education together. We’re excited to work alongside the students and see how their ideas develop throughout the semester.

08/20/2026

Help us welcome Logan Jacobs to the Substance team!

A native of Houma, Louisiana, Logan earned his MArch from Louisiana Tech University in 2025 before relocating to Des Moines. Outside of architecture, Logan is interested in hand-drawings, typography, collages, fashion, graffiti, and music. He brings these interests into his work, experimenting with layered compositions and unexpected methods of representation that enrich the design process. To him, the most rewarding part of architecture is watching a collection of ideas and perspectives evolve into meaningful built work. Logan believes the best architecture responds to its context, is grounded in its materials and scale, and adapts over time to create places that grow alongside the people who inhabit them.

We’re glad to have you at Substance, Logan!

07/31/2026

Des Moines Fire Station No. 4 reimagines the modern fire station by placing firefighter health, operational readiness, and long-term resilience at the center of every design decision.

The 21,000-square-foot facility includes four drive-through apparatus bays, a multi-story training tower, specialized rescue training infrastructure, living quarters for 12 personnel, and dedicated training and administrative spaces. Clean and contaminated zones, advanced decontamination areas, pressurized living spaces, and carefully planned circulation help reduce carcinogen exposure while supporting the health and well-being of the crews who serve our community every day.

The building's brick and precast concrete exterior draws inspiration from Des Moines' civic architectural tradition, creating a facility that is both rooted in its neighborhood and built for the future. Combined with high-performance building systems and sustainable design strategies, Fire Station No. 4 demonstrates how thoughtful architecture can strengthen public safety, enhance the workplace, and serve the community for generations to come.

Project Team
Architecture
Substance Architecture
Fire Station Design Consultant
WSKF Architects
Structural Engineer
Raker Rhodes Engineering
MEPT Engineer
Design Engineers, MEPFT
Civil Engineer
LT Leon Associates Inc.
LEED Consulting
C-Wise Design and Consulting LLC
Landscape Architect
Genus Landscape Architects
Construction Manager (CMR)
Ryan Companies US Inc

06/22/2026

Lakeshore House | Okoboji, Iowa
Designed for a growing multi-generational family, Lakeshore House balances openness, privacy, and a constant connection to the landscape. Carefully sited among mature Bur Oak trees, the home preserves open space while framing views of the lake from both the street and interior living spaces. The result is a year-round retreat that brings family together while remaining deeply connected to its surroundings.

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.

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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