PROJECT

The Key Hotel .

Dubuque, Iowa

The Key Hotel

project details.

Client

DLR Group

Location

Dubuque, Iowa

Services

Engineering
Land Development
Land Survey

Origin Design is partnering with DLR on a seven-story, 90-room hotel and rooftop restaurant for Q Casino + Resort.

The Casino + Resort is located on Schmitt Island in Dubuque, Iowa. Origin employees have performed services for the casino for 38 years and is very familiar with the both the facilities and Schmitt Island. The island previously served as the City of Dubuque’s landfill and is prone to settlement. To reduce the negative impacts of the settlement, extra precautions are needed including deep foundations.

The project included site design for a 90-room hotel and improved flow in & out of project site.

The site circulation also needed attention. Numerous options were presented to Q to modify the parking lot. The final design includes reconfiguration of the existing parking lot to allow for better flow in and out of the project site. The design included new water, storm sewer, and sanitary sewer services. An interim parking lot design was also created to allow Q to operate until full funding becomes available for the complete parking lot reconstruction.

The addition of the hotel represents Phase 4 of a multi-year, $83 million-plus renovation and expansion effort being undertaken by Q Casino + Resort. Origin Design provided land survey and civil engineering services for the project.

Follow our journey.

We’re excited to welcome Derrek Hall to Origin Design as our newest Field Survey Technician!

Derrek will play a key role in supporting our growing survey team through comprehensive fieldwork and document-based surveying responsibilities. Please join us in welcoming him to the team!

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Join us in congratulating Mark Fassbinder, the 2025 Waugh Award winner! This award, named for our co-founder Dennis Waugh, recognizes employees who truly embody what Origin Design stands for. Way to go, Mark!

Read more about Mark’s recognition: https://origindesign.com/newsroom/fassbinder-accepts-waugh-award

These smiles represent just a few of the 63 reasons we celebrate Origin Day. Every person plays a part in the story of Origin Design—today, we’re celebrating them and enjoying Founder’s Day cookies by Nick Rettenberger.

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Today our offices are closed as we celebrate the day we were founded—February 1, 1982!

We’re proud to take a moment to reflect on our journey and to thank our incredible staff and clients who have helped us grow and thrive over the years. We couldn’t have built something so lasting without you!

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We’re still buzzing from last week’s Chamber Business After Hours!

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At Origin Design, we believe every project teaches us something valuable. That’s why we hold an annual “Lessons Learned” discussion!

Virtually bringing together our Dubuque, Davenport, and remote employees, this open forum is all about sharing experiences, both wins and challenges, so our team can grow together. By learning from each other, we can improve processes and move forward smarter and stronger. Here are just a few of the 41 employees that were able to attend this valuable conversation.

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What a cool weekend in Downtown Davenport!

Our Davenport office team had a blast at Icestravaganza, enjoying amazing ice sculptures, live carving, fun activities, and warming up with a little hot cocoa.

We’re proud to be a sponsor of this annual winter event and love seeing our community come together to enjoy it!

Origin Design is excited to welcome two new talented professionals to our IT team: Cameron Steffens (IT Infrastructure & Systems Specialist), and Adam Waggoner (IT Support Specialist). We look forward to the contributions they will make, shaping the future of Origin Design.

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Join us in welcoming Austin Pettlon to Origin Design! Austin recently joined our Architectural Team as a Revit Designer. We can’t wait to see the amazing impact he’ll make in this position!

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Cheers to 5 years! We’re proud to celebrate Mat Townsley and all his incredible contributions over the years. Here’s to many more!

We’re thrilled to welcome Luke Althaus back to Origin Design! Luke previously interned with us, and after graduating in December, he’s now a full-time member of our Structural Engineering Team. We can't wait to see all that he will achieve in this role.

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As we welcome 2026, we’re grateful for the amazing people who make our team shine—and for the trust you place in us. Here’s to another year of working together and creating something great!

We’ll be closed January 1 to celebrate New Year’s Day!