University of Iowa Memorial Union Renovation

Renovating and expanding an important campus building can be challenging, especially when it needs to remain open to more than 10,000 staff and students every day while under construction. To complete this major renovation of the Iowa Memorial Union — the building that typically makes the first impression on visiting students — Knutson’s team demonstrated great flexibility in building a patio and amphitheater, adding bookstore space, restoring the historic main lounge and strengthening foundation and footings to support the building. Crews shut down their activities when the building held educational conferences and classes, and completed noisy work during off-hours. Knutson’s teams worked six- and seven-day weeks during the final two months to complete this project in time for dedication.