VOA ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF SCHEMATIC DESIGN FOR CORDOVA CENTER ON THE ROCK: VISITORS CENTER & PERFORMING ARTS THEATER, DES MOINES, IOWA

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1 June 23, 2009 VOA ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF SCHEMATIC DESIGN FOR CORDOVA CENTER ON THE ROCK: VISITORS CENTER & PERFORMING ARTS THEATER, DES MOINES, IOWA ORLANDO, FL -- The Orlando office of VOA Associates Incorporated, an international architecture, planning and interior design firm, announced that a fully-developed Schematic Design has been completed for Cordova Center on the Rock, a new $50M environmental, cultural and entertainment center located on the shores of Lake Red Rock, Cordova, near Des Moines, IA. VOA is providing Planning, Architecture and Exhibit Design services for the project as lead consultant for a team that includes exhibit designer Jack Rouse Associates, Cincinnati, Ohio, and theater designer Schuler Shook, Chicago, IL. Cordova Center on the Rock is a partnership project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Marion County Conservation Board, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Central College. Plans call for the Center to incorporate sustainable design features to qualify for LEEDS Gold Accreditation. -more-

2 Page 2 of 5/ VOA...Completion of Schematic Design for Cordova Center on the According to Jonathan F. Douglas, AIA, Managing Principal with VOA and Principal-in-Charge, the project involves a series of interrelated educational, interpretive planning, entertainment and cultural components that encompass a large portion of Lake Red Rock s north shore. All buildings will evidence a natural materials palette, integrating a generous use of stone with glass to convey a strong connection between the visitor experience and the outdoors. The project s hallmarks include a 30,000-square-foot, interactive, multi-use Visitors Center / Environmental Learning Center and a 500-seat outdoor Performing Arts Amphitheater; additional components include rental cabins and outdoor education exhibits as well as trail extensions. "This project is all about land and water stewardship," Douglas states. Our charge is to connect people with nature by design; to 'tell the story', so to speak, about uplands watershed management and flood control of the Des Moines River, so that the citizens of Iowa and all visitors here have a legacy of understanding and appreciation for their natural resources. In light of the recent flooding in Iowa this past summer, there is a dramatic need for public education regarding the role that soil conservation and watershed management play in the natural environment. -more-

3 Page 3 of 5/ VOA...Completion of Schematic Design for Cordova Center on the The Environmental Learning Center, which expands over 70,000 square feet of space near the park s existing observation tower and is dedicated to engaging the visitor into the Story of Water through a variety of interactive exhibits and displays that demonstrate how a watershed works. The Center includes an indoor studio theater, a 400-seat meeting and banquet hall, a creative arts space and gift shop, and a café. Additional components of the Lake and Forest aspect of the project include a Performance Amphitheater as well as a series of trails and play areas, an exhibit on water stewardship, facilities for the administrative offices for Cordova Park, Lake Red Rock, Marion County and the US Corps of Engineers, and a community learning component that allows for flexible performance space accessible for community use when not engaged by Park activities. Throughout all buildings are subordinate to the landscape view, with parking areas embedded into the landscape. Another important aspect of this project involves further development of recreational opportunities in the area. Our charge is to create a destination that offers an extended amount of activities that appeal to a larger segment of the public, Douglas summarized. To do that, we must engage people in a variety of ways; to provide a series of connections that make for a compelling journey via an assemblage of attractions and activities that are all connected to the landscape. With this project, every aspect of the plan, from topography, site

4 Page 4 of 5/ VOA...Completion of Schematic Design for Cordova Center on the planning and landscape issues to building design, exhibits and signage, substantiates the message of land stewardship, thus providing value for both the guest and the operator. VOA is a professional design services organization committed to sustainable development and offering services in master planning, interpretation, architecture, interior planning and design, programming, strategic planning, and technology integration to clients worldwide. The firm's portfolio of interpretive design projects / visitors' centers / destination attractions includes the new Marine Science Center at Lighthouse Point Park, Ponce Inlet, Florida; new Barrier Island Sanctuary Management & Education Center, Brevard County, FL; and master planning and implementation design for the State of Washington at Deception Pass State Park. VOA is consistently ranked among the design industry's top firms, including Architectural Record s Top 150 Architectural Firms (#64); Building Design & Construction's Top 300 Design Firms (#26); Hotel Business' Top 25 Hotel Consultants (#6) and Top Architects & Designers (#12); Hotel & Motel Management's Top 100 Design Firms (#14); Hotel Design Magazine s Top Hotel Design Firms (#25); Interior Design s Hospitality Giants (#18) and Top 100 Interior Design Firms (#40); ENR s Top 500 Design Firms (#243); and World Architecture's Top 100 Interior Design Firms (#40) and Top 300 Architectural

5 Page 5 of 5/ VOA...Completion of Schematic Design for Cordova Center on the Firms (#30). With a current staff of over 200 worldwide, VOA specializes in creating environments for hospitality, leisure and themed entertainment; cultural; commercial; higher education; public/government; healthcare; science and technology; and Department of Defense facilities throughout the United States and internationally. VOA maintains offices in seven locations: Orlando, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; Washington, D.C.; Seattle, WA; Highland, IN; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. For more information, please visit the firm's website at ### Cutline: The Orlando office of VOA Associates Incorporated, an international architecture, planning and interior design firm, announced that a fully-developed Schematic Design has been completed for Cordova Center on the Rock, a new $50M environmental, cultural and entertainment center located on the shores of Lake Red Rock, Cordova, near Des Moines, IA. VOA is providing Planning, Architecture and Exhibit Design services for the project as lead consultant for a team that includes exhibit designer Jack Rouse Associates, Cincinnati, Ohio, and theater designer Schuler Shook, Chicago, IL.