By Les Ong on February 27, 2026
When James Machamer was recovering from a medical emergency in early 2024, a viral social media post caught his attention at precisely the right moment. An innovative architectural consulting firm offered something he and his wife, Lorie, desperately needed while designing their next home: the ability to visualize a space before it’s built.
That discovery sparked an entrepreneurial fire that led James and Lorie to open Walk Your Plans Des Moines in June 2025, becoming the 13th licensed location of this groundbreaking service in the United States. Independently owned and located in Grimes, Iowa, their studio offers something remarkable: the ability to walk through your construction project at full scale before a single nail is hammered.
James brings an impressive background to his role as co-owner of Walk Your Plans Des Moines. His 23-year career in the United States Navy as a corpsman, combined with 13 years serving on the Des Moines Fire Department, instilled in him a commitment to service and attention to detail. He also holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration and has worked in commercial construction safety and business development.
This diverse experience gives him unique insight into the challenges faced by everyone involved in the building process, from architects and contractors to end users. Lorie continues to work in her corporate role as a district manager for a global company while supporting the business as co-owner.
Walk through the doors of Walk Your Plans Des Moines, and you enter a space unlike any other. The studio features a massive 1,650-square-foot projection floor and two 500-square-foot projection walls. This isn’t about looking at blueprints on a computer screen. This is about standing in your future kitchen, walking through your planned manufacturing facility, or experiencing your medical or hospitality space exactly as it will be built.
James takes two-dimensional blueprints for any type of project and projects them at life size. Clients can literally walk through their entire plan, experiencing the spatial relationships, flow, and functionality before construction begins.
“A very large percentage of the population has difficulty visualizing space and volume from traditional blueprints,” James explains. “Rather than going through it blindly and hoping things work out fine, why wouldn’t you want to see it before you build it?”
The studio also features a Vibe smart board, allowing James to create color-coded overlays of suggested changes without altering original plans. Once a walkthrough is complete, these modifications are sent to the appropriate stakeholders.
In just their first six months of operation, Walk Your Plans Des Moines helped clients identify potential changes that have saved over $3.5 million in change orders. The average residential change order costs approximately $4,000, while commercial change orders average $8,000. In a White Paper soon to be released, totals for the first six months in business tell a striking story. In all the residential (including multi-family) projects, 386 changes were made during planning sessions. 253 changes were realized in all Commercial (including Healthcare) projects.
COST BREAKDOWN FROM WHITE PAPER:
Residential & Multi-Family Projects
Commercial & Healthcare Projects
The studio has accumulated now more than 50 five-star Google reviews in just six months. Review after review emphasizes the same sentiment: you shouldn’t build anything without going through this process.
One of the studio’s first clients, a couple from north of Des Moines building their own home, discovered a critical issue during their walkthrough. The husband dreamed of having a pool table in his basement, but the structural beam specified in the original plans would have required multiple floor jacks, making his dream impossible.
During the walkthrough, James identified the issue and suggested alternatives. By switching to a steel beam instead of the planned double laminate wood beam, the homeowner could support the structure without floor jacks and have plenty of space for his pool table. The home is now nearly finished, complete with that coveted game room.
“Had they not come in here at all, they would have never known that,” James reflects. “They would never have made that change, and he would never have his pool table. To me, that’s a win.”
Stories like this unfold regularly at the studio. Clients discover that their kitchen island is too large, that door swings need adjustment, that window placement could be optimized, or that entire room layouts should be reconsidered. These aren’t minor tweaks. They’re substantial improvements that dramatically enhance the final product.
While residential construction represents a significant portion of the business, Walk Your Plans Des Moines serves a remarkably diverse client base. Industrial clients use the studio to plan machinery placement and optimize production flow. Healthcare facilities design patient spaces that maximize functionality. Restaurants plan kitchen layouts and dining spaces. Manufacturers coordinate complex systems.
“Everything from window symmetry, door swings, kitchen layouts, ceiling heights, and lighting. It’s infinite,” James says. “We want to make sure everything is working functionally for current needs and future owners as well.”
The studio has worked with projects ranging from small residential remodels to a 150,000-square-foot industrial facility.
James sees Walk Your Plans Des Moines as a collaborative partner in the construction ecosystem. Builders, architects, designers, and contractors typically accompany their clients to walkthroughs, working together to identify opportunities for improvement.
At Walk Your Plans Des Moines, the future of project collaboration is no longer theoretical. It is operational.
By integrating CAD and complementary design platforms into a real-time, life-size environment, the studio has created something Iowa has never seen before: a space where projects do not just get discussed. They get experienced.
Here, owners, architects, project managers, builders, and stakeholders step inside the design together. Walls rise. Hallways stretch. Sightlines reveal themselves. Decisions that once relied on imagination are now grounded in presence.
This implementation transforms Walk Your Plans Des Moines beyond visualization, positioning it as a true full design and build collaboration studio. From early concept to construction readiness, teams can align in one shared, immersive reality regardless of project size, scope, or complexity.
And the breakthrough is not just in using advanced tools. It is in using them simultaneously.
When CAD, visualization software, and spatial walkthrough technology converge in real time, friction disappears. Misinterpretation fades. Late-stage surprises shrink.
The power of end-stage visualization has arrived, and with it, a new standard for how projects move from idea to build.
“Not one person’s vision, not one person’s drawing is perfect,” James emphasizes. “We’re not looking for fault. We’re just making sure the end user has the product they want.”
The studio has begun offering augmented reality and virtual reality services, continually exploring how emerging technology can better serve clients. James is also working on a multi-year feasibility study exploring whether the studio’s technology can assist in rehabilitation therapy.
James recently joined as an ambassador for the Home Builders Association of Greater Des Moines, driven by a desire to give back to an organization that has supported his business. James and Lorie are also members of several other industry organizations and chambers throughout the area.
As Walk Your Plans Des Moines looks ahead, James envisions continued technological advancement while maintaining the core mission: helping end users get what they want from their construction projects. He’s working to engage earlier in the design process, partnering with architects and designers from the very beginning.
The studio is also exploring new partnerships and co-branding opportunities with builders and contractors across Iowa and beyond. “Whatever I can do to help other people succeed and become better at what they’re doing and offer a better product to the ultimate end user, that’s our only goal at Walk Your Plans Des Moines.”
Walk Your Plans Des Moines exists because James understands the frustration of building regrets. Everyone knows someone who has said “I wish I would have…” about a construction project.
“You don’t have to wish for anything anymore,” James says. “You come here and you can make those changes. You get exactly what you’re wanting, both now and for the future.”
Whether you’re building your dream home, expanding your facility, remodeling your practice, or designing your restaurant, Walk Your Plans Des Moines offers something invaluable: confidence. Confidence that your investment will deliver exactly what you envision. Confidence that you’ve explored every option. Confidence that you won’t be among those saying “I wish I would have known.”
Ready to see your project before you build it? Walk Your Plans Des Moines invites you to discover how life-size visualization can transform your construction experience and save you thousands in potential change orders.
Visit their studio at 1500 SE 19th Street, Suite 255, Grimes, IA 50111, explore their website at www.walkyourplansdsm.com, or call (515) 293-7858 to schedule your consultation. Don’t build another project without walking through it first.
Where dreams, passion, and superior planning meet.
Website: www.walkyourplansdsm.com
Phone: (515) 293-7858
Email: James@WalkYourPlansDSM.com
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