Stories
Featured Stories
Healing Ground, Living Values
Written by Justin R. Wolf and produced by Ecotone Publishing, the book explores our collaborative approach to designing and constructing a biophilic and regenerative building aspiring to meet the most robust building standard in the world, known as the Living Building Challenge.
April 23, 2024
Acknowledging and Respecting the Land
Acknowledging the connection of the history of this land to the present reminds us that in our role as occupiers of the space—we are caretakers with an obligation to current and future generations.
November 16, 2020
LBC Petal – Place
According to the Living Building Challenge, the Place Petal seeks to realign how people understand and relate to the natural environment. The Place Petal challenges project teams to understand their site, its history and ecology, and the cultural and social issues impacting the surrounding community.
November 29, 2023
Learn more through recent press coverage, stories, and videos.
Video Series
Stanley Center’s Living Building Story
The primary goal of the Stanley Center's Living Building is to educate and inspire others to be mindful of the planet, the opportunities for action, and the importance of diverse perspectives.
June 20, 2023
Episode 1 – A Living Building
What does it mean to take on the Living Building Challenge? In this video, the first of three episodes, find out how the Stanley Center plans to transform our new home into a living building in Muscatine, Iowa.
December 3, 2021
Episode 2 – Seven Petals
What are the seven petals of the Living Building Challenge and how have the imperative requirements of each one guided the design and construction of Stanley Center's new home?
April 22, 2022
Episode 3 – A Living History
Episode 3 describes the living history of the Stanley Center home in Muscatine, from the Meskwaki villages that flourished on the land to the original Musser Library building that we are in the process of renovating.
November 22, 2022
Building Progress
Healing Ground, Living Values
Written by Justin R. Wolf and produced by Ecotone Publishing, the book explores our collaborative approach to designing and constructing a biophilic and regenerative building aspiring to meet the most robust building standard in the world, known as the Living Building Challenge.
April 23, 2024
Living Future Mural
The Stanley Center wants to know: what does sustainability look like to you?
April 3, 2024
Join Us for the Sustainability Fair on June 2!
The Stanley Center for Peace and Security invites our local community to attend the Sustainability Fair in celebration of the Grand Opening of our new home at 304 Iowa Avenue.
May 10, 2023
Moving into a Living Building
In March and April 2023, Stanley Center staff moved into our new Stanley Green Home at 304 Iowa Avenue.
April 12, 2023
Tree of Accountability
This artwork will represent our efforts to reconcile our dwelling in Native lands and bring awareness to the colonial history and ongoing injustices faced by Native people.
April 6, 2023
Time Capsule Expanded and Returned
The time capsule from 1901 and 1971 discovered during renovations at 304 Iowa Avenue has been returned to the building with the addition of new artifacts from the present day.
February 23, 2023
Episode 3 – A Living History
Episode 3 describes the living history of the Stanley Center home in Muscatine, from the Meskwaki villages that flourished on the land to the original Musser Library building that we are in the process of renovating.
November 22, 2022
My Engineering Internship at a Living Building Project
Emily Moffit, an engineering student at Iowa State University, shares her experiences as a field engineering intern at the Stanley Center's living building construction project.
October 22, 2022
Recycling and Repurposing Materials
Graham Construction finds new ways to repurpose and recycle existing materials while renovating 304 Iowa Avenue.
August 15, 2022
Time Capsule Found From 1971, 1901
A time capsule was discovered by Graham Construction at 304 Iowa Avenue that contained items from 1971 and 1901 illustrative of the building's history as a public library.
July 14, 2022
Episode 2 – Seven Petals
What are the seven petals of the Living Building Challenge and how have the imperative requirements of each one guided the design and construction of Stanley Center's new home?
April 22, 2022
Demolition and Waste Diversion
The first phase of construction—demolition—is well underway. At least 80% of waste from this phase of the project will be diverted from landfills.
December 21, 2021
Recognition
American Institute of Architects COTE® Top Ten Award
The American Institute of Architects COTE® Top Ten award is the industry’s best-known award program for sustainable design excellence.
June 5, 2025
Metropolis Planet Positive Award
Metropolis awarded a 2024 Planet Positive Award (Workplace Category) to the Stanley Center's Living Building project.
November 22, 2024
Honorable Mention: American Architecture Awards 2024
The Stanley Center's Living Building project received an honorable mention for American Architecture Awards 2024.
November 15, 2024
Iowa American Society of Landscape Architects Honor Award
IAASLA awarded the 2024 Honor Award (Built Design Category) to the Stanley Center's Living Building project.
September 17, 2024
Master Builders of Iowa Masters Award
Graham Construction received the Master Builders of Iowa (MBI) 2024 Masters Award ($10-25 Million Category) for their work on the Stanley Center for Peace and Security building project.
February 27, 2024
1000 Friends of Iowa Best Development Award
1000 Friends of Iowa awarded the 2024 Best Development Award (Innovative Leadership Category) to the Stanley Center's Living Building project.
January 27, 2024
AIA Iowa Architecture Awards
Neumann Monson Architects received a 2024 AIA Iowa Impact Award and a 2023 AIA Iowa 2023 Design Award for the Stanley Center for Peace and Security building project.
October 1, 2023
Green Good Design Award
Neumann Monson Architects received the 2022 Green Good Design Award for the Stanley Center for Peace and Security building project.
May 19, 2022