Master Builders of Iowa

On March 26 the Des Moines ACE affiliate held its annual awards banquet at the Des Moines Art Center.  More than 200 industry professionals, teachers, students, and family members learned from the ACE students about their designs for the River Walk project.  Four scholarships totaling $8,000 were awarded to students for the study of architecture, engineering and construction management in college. Winners of the four scholarships, each worth $2,000, are: Cort Widlowski, Urbandale High School, Rebecca Baldus, Valley High School, Chase Dennis, Southeast Polk High School, Kari Sicheneder, Lincoln High School

Donors of the scholarships are the Des Moines Construction Breakfast Club, Neumann Brothers, ACE Mentor Program of Iowa, Luke Altmix Simmons Charitable Foundation, and Master Builders of Iowa.

The team project this year was to develop designs and construction plans for a canoe, kayak, and bicycle rental facility intended to be part of the Principal River Walk in downtown Des Moines.  They developed these plans as part of the Architecture, Construction and Engineering (ACE) Mentor Program. During the school year, 28 local architects, engineers, and construction professionals mentored 48 students in this afterschool program whose purpose is to attract more youth into pursuing careers in the design and construction industry.

Three teams of students working with mentors created designs for the seasonal rental facility situated on the east bank of the Des Moines River just south of the newly completed pedestrian bridge and dam.   
 
“The variety of the students’ proposed projects is remarkable,” commented James Britt, secretary of the Des Moines ACE affiliate and architect with RDG Planning and Design.  “Students have implemented green strategies such as skylights to reduce electricity consumption and high volumes to maximize natural ventilation.  Dramatic rooflines, including ‘butterfly’ roofs and blue arches relating to the nearby I-235 pedestrian bridges, define the students’ designs.  Students also engineered their structures to address the challenges of the riverside soil conditions and seasonal flooding.”

	Team North
	Team South
	Team West

• View End of Year Press Release
• Project Introduction
• Team North Project
• Team South Project
• Team West Project

For more information on ways to be involved in the ACE Mentor Program of Iowa, contact Monica Worheide at the MBI office – (515) 657-4386 or email.