Students in Civil & Environmental Engineering evaluated a historic structure and created plans for renovating the building and repurposing it for city offices and apartments.

The Old Stone School in Lansing, Iowa, is a a two-story structure constructed in 1864 using locally quarried limestone. It is on the National Registry of Historic Places. The building has had multiple purposes over its lifespan, most recently as a school. It has been empty for about 50 years. The City of Lansing is interested in renovating the structure and using part of the space to house city offices, including the police and the city council.

As their capstone project, senior students in Civil and Environmental Engineering analyzed the current state of the building and made recommendations for repairs and structural renovations necessary for the building to be safely repurposed. They also drew up plans for the first floor to serve the purposes requested by the city and a second floor that would contain income-generating apartments. The plans are divided into four phases to aid with the substantial costs of this project. Challenges to the project include limitations that can be made to the facade, due to the building's recognition by the National Registry; decline of the interior structure; and increased safety measures that come with inclusion of police offices.