Strand Associates Builds New Office in ISU Research Park

Early this year, Story Construction and crews completed a new 30,000 SF office building for Strand Associates, Inc. in the ISU Research Park, capping off 15 months of construction.

Strand Associates, Inc. established itself in Ames in 2022 after acquiring FOX Engineering, a civil engineering firm local to Ames. As the firm grew its Ames presence, it became clear to leadership that a new office building was needed to allow further growth. They soon settled on a parcel of land offered by the ISU Research Park that met its space requirements.

“The ISU Research Park is a vibrant area with a wonderful trail system, a mix of established and emerging businesses, and amenities that are attractive to our employees and beneficial for recruiting,” said Jim Ternus, Director of Practice for Facilities at Strand. “The expiration of our lease at our existing location then created a pretty firm deadline for completing this building. This needed to be incorporated into the construction schedule, all while navigating variables such as adverse weather, unforeseen subsurface soil conditions, and material procurement delays.”

Construction began in the fall of 2024 with earthwork and 437 Geopier Rammed Aggregate Piers to increase soil load-bearing capacity. These were completed in October 2024, allowing construction to begin in earnest in November. Concrete foundations and walls were completed through the winter months and completed in early spring 2025, while steel and joist erection was finished by May. Building enclosure was achieved in September, allowing drywall and finishes to advance throughout the fall and early winter in preparation for move-in by the Strand team in January 2026.

Story Construction crews self-performed concrete foundations, structural steel erection, placement of precast deck panels, blocking, hollow metal doors and frames, wood accent panels, and specialties. The Story team also self-performed a poured concrete retaining wall that featured a limestone block texture by using a liner panel within the formwork, requiring precise alignment of the liner panels. 

“Story was excellent to work with,” added Ternus. “The construction team – Darren Milliken, Steve Massa, and Sam Vorrie – kept me informed of the schedule on a weekly basis through construction progress meetings and reviews of the phase pull production schedule. Adjustments were made to address challenges, and those were communicated clearly and resolved through team discussion and consensus.”