The Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research has its offices in the Iowa Advanced Technology Laboratories on the main campus of the University of Iowa.

The Iowa Advanced Technology Laboratories is a relatively new addition to the University of Iowa campus, completed in 1992. Located along the Iowa River, this $25 million building is the state's first example of the futuristic designs of California architect Frank O. Gehry. The core building is clad in matte-finished stainless steel while a second attached building is made of Anamosa limestone from the Stone City, Iowa, quarry. A third attached building, located behind the other, is copper-clad. These buildings house office spaces and research laboratories along with a conference room and various support facilities.
In addition to CGRER, other occupants of the IATL buildings include laboratories for part of the Center for Computer-Aided Design, and laser scientists from the fields of physics, chemistry, and engineering.
Another Gehry designed building located in the upper midwest is The Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum located at the University of Minnesota (completed in 1993). It also happens to be sited along a river and bears a striking resemblance to the IATL.