OPN Architects is a regional, knowledge-based design firm with more than 100 designers working on projects across the Midwest. OPN has studios in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, and Iowa City, Iowa, and Madison, Wisconsin. Our award-winning work spans a wide variety of client types including corporate, civic, higher education, health care, and libraries.
OPN Architects has an intentionally diverse portfolio of project types, but our work for municipalities, counties, states, and the federal government has made up a large portion of our work over our more than 40 years of practice.
We have been privileged to work with multiple fire departments throughout the Midwest. From these men and women, we have learned much about characteristics and considerations critical to the design of a contemporary fire station. We understand the needs of a fire department are unique and our design solutions will consider the mental and physical health of the firefighters who may experience PTSD, Shift Work Sleep Disorder, circadian rhythm imbalances, and other increased risks.
Central to our philosophy is our belief that public spaces must be responsive. A public building or space is part of the larger civic and social fabric and therefore must strengthen the sense of place for the community. This is why you see a wide variety of architectural styles in our portfolio of civic work. No two communities are the same, therefore neither should our approach to the design of their projects. Our designs are a reflection of our client’s goals and objectives and the influence of the environment and community needs.
On any project, but particularly for our civic clients, we work diligently to ensure the imperatives of time, budget, and schedule are met. We are proud of our track record of completing complex projects on time and budget. We take our job as the stewards of tax payers’ dollars very seriously.
We understand that physical space can foster or inhibit collaboration and innovation, and we believe passionately that success lies in bringing people and perspectives together. We encourage open dialogue and, as a team, we find the optimal design solution for our clients. We’ve been repeatedly described as excellent listeners—a comment we take pride in because it means our clients know that we care, we pay attention, and the end result is work that exceeds our clients’ expectations.
At OPN Architects, we believe that the success of a project is predicated on our understanding of our client—who they are, where they are today, and where they want to go tomorrow. Our designs are a reflection of our client’s goals and objectives and the influence of the environment and community needs.