The design of the Union at River’s Edge is based on capitalizing on the qualities of a site: it affords proximity to Des Moines’s city center and extraordinary views the Raccoon River with an urban backdrop, including Principal Park.   It is visible from the buildings of the city’s center and thousands of vehicles exiting downtown every day. The design is also guided by the principles of new urbanism. Fundamentally, the project increases the density of the city core, advancing the discernable center. It creates river edge that focuses on the building rather than parking.  It engages the street with diversity of purpose and great care to movement across the river by pedestrians and bikers with an anchoring green space.   It’s introduction to the community is a reclamation of the river’s edge.

The Union at River’s Edge meets the 1,000 Friends of Iowa’s mission by promoting responsible land use in a community and utilizing smart growth principles - the use of an underutilized site which was industrial and sustainably incompatible with the river and development of the core.  The highest and best use of this site is the fundamental tack in preserving the importance of a city center and making sound choices in use of an existing infrastructure to reconnect the residential and commercial scenes. The completed building reinforces the live/work relationships for Des Moines residents for years to come.

The project consists of two buildings: one building has a parking base with 5 stories of dwellings above and the other is a three-story walkup reinforcing the sidewalk engagement and the language of the neighborhood.  The goal was to maximize the density of the site, while affording views and daylight for residents.   The project sits on a site of only 3.81 acres, yet will be home to 216 households with a density of 57 units per acre.  The building beckons the city with attention grabbing geometry and familiar scale at the sidewalk.   It engages the neighborhood through a human scale with public balconies and park space at the terminus of the Jackson Street pedestrian bridge and engaging views from the autos on Indianola Avenue. 

Focusing on site attributes and density has produced buildings that will be a success as a development.  Equally as important it serves a community on a micro scale and a macro scale. It brings affordable living to the core of the city; while providing residents a river view location, which until this project was not part of the City’s affordable lexicon. 

Beauty achieved through density for those with less.

Location: Des Moines, IA

Program: Apartments

Area: 247,379 SF

Photo Credits: Joseph Kastner