A four-story, 65,000 square foot retail and office building, 111 East Grand is the first multi-story office building in North America to use dowel laminated timber (DLT), a mass timber system relying on friction-fit wood connectors for strength and durability. All of the timber framing is left exposed and many exterior windows allow an abundance of natural light into the interior to create an aesthetically pleasing environment for tenants. The many windows also serve to express the unique wood structure externally to the surrounding streetscape. Located just two blocks from the Des Moines River, 111 East Grand serves as a connector between the retail and shopping activity in the East Village to the riverwalk and the rest of downtown Des Moines.