Grefe & Sidney, PLC is a successful law firm located in Des Moines Iowa. The Firm had grown into an adjacent building meaning duplication of common areas and additional footsteps for staff. The decision to move was to simplify their professional lives and attain efficiencies of reorganization.

The organization of the Firms new 17,800 sq. ft. Capitol Center Complex is simple. The east side of the space is a conferencing center. The west side is attorney offices and support. The two sides are defined by a sequence matched maple veneer datum wall that runs across the floor.

Conference rooms are created by full height frosted glass walls. The glass permits light into the central corridor and a translucent interlayer allows the recognition of activity inside the conference rooms without loss of privacy. That visual activity animates the corridor with movement and light rather than static art.

The reception desk pivots away from the all glass elevator lobby allowing groups meeting to flow uninterrupted from the elevators to the conference rooms. Patterned granite illustrates that rotation and use of geometry to decorate the floor.

The entire conference center reception area has exposed structure and mechanical systems. The desire was to take advantage of cubic feet rather then square feet. Gypsum board “lily” pads were hung to organize lights and camouflage air handling units.