Junction Lofts / 304 5th St.

304 5th St. ("Junction Lofts") is a mixed-use three-story commercial building in the historic Valley Junction neighborhood of West Des Moines, Iowa. It features glulam columns and beams and mass plywood panels for the decking. The first floor consists of two restaurants and the upper floors are a mixture of 11 studio and one-bedroom units as well as two offices.

Junction Lofts is Iowa's first residential mass timber building as well as the first building in the state of Iowa to be awarded the US Forest Service Wood Innovation Grant For Environmentally Progressive Design.

The building is oriented in such a way that it activates the streetscape along a Historic Main Street and provides outdoor patio space along the south side of the building for use by shoppers or residents. The glass storefront highlights the exposed mass timber columns, beams and decking on the first floor to diners and passerby alike. The residents and office tenants in the second and third floors also enjoy the benefits of the exposed glulam beams and MPP decking in each unit. The one-bedroom units feature MPP sliding barndoors, and the shared stairwell uses MPP for the stair treads and landings. The exterior cladding is a natural Vermont slate tile. 

This video provides insights from the design of two mass timber multi-family projects in Des Moines, Iowa, focusing on their approach to fire-resistance and acoustics of the mass timber floor systems. One of the projects featured in this video is this project, the other is Star Lofts. 

See the Mass Timber in Affordable Multi-Family Housing Paper by WoodWorks.