GAB Report event briefing

Tour of Junction and Goldfinch Lofts in Des Moines, IA

  • DateOct 22, 2026 · 2:00 pm GMT-0500
  • FormatIn Person
  • LocationWest Des Moines, IA

About the event

This educational tour examines two pioneering mass timber multifamily developments in Iowa. Participants visit Junction Lofts, the state’s first residential mass timber building and a US Forest Service Wood Innovation Grant recipient. The program also visits Goldfinch Lofts, a mass timber and light-frame hybrid multifamily project certified Passive House and pursuing Zero Carbon Certification on a Low Income Housing Tax Credit model. Project team members share practical strategies for code compliance, structural connections, installation efficiency, and material choices, followed by a local networking happy hour.

What you’ll learn

  • Discuss typical construction practices for mass timber projects, including safety best practices, installation efficiency, and coordination with follow-on trades.
  • Highlight a variety of structural and architectural uses of mass timber and light-frame wood in hybrid design through an in-person tour of both an under-construction and completed project, highlighting the biophilic benefits of exposed mass timber and sustainable benefits of wood framing for occupants and visitors.
  • Demonstrate connection detailing techniques used in code-compliant mass timber buildings to ensure appropriate structural capacity, fire resistance, and consideration of the project construction type.
  • Explain the diverse methods of project development and approaches used by the design team, including owners, contractors, architects, and engineers, to achieve a successful mass timber project.

Attendance notes

Bus transportation is provided between projects. Public parking is available throughout Historic Valley Junction, including street parking and public lots accessible from 4th and 6th Streets. A networking happy hour takes place after the tour at St Kilda Collective.


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