Des Moines University Carved Stone Feature Walls

Rooted in the concept, From the Ground Up, campus leaders established a bold, new vision relocating DMU’s campus to an integrated single site nestled into the leading edge of a historic glacial advancement. This custom-carved stone element incorporates the site’s geological story, showcasing craftsmanship honoring the land’s history while creating a tactile and visual connection to its natural origins. The design begins with regionally sourced 4” thick natural stone material, then carving away small linear depths into the stone face, an angular edge produces a shadow, creating movement and connection. This element is introduced at the front door to campus, grounded on the first floor spanning two stories linking program space. The stone feature walls reoccur at key destinations throughout campus to provide visual cues to users guiding horizontal and vertical movement across the four buildings. The team carefully coordinated with structural to support the weight and lighting to accentuate the carved face, showcasing depth and texture. Multiple iterations and physical mock-ups were reviewed to finalize the size, depth, spacing and texture. This element symbolizes the cutting edge of advancement, tying back to the University’s mission of leading the way in innovation, inclusion, and sustainability.