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After helping to revamp this building back in 2010, Valspar asked HCM architects and the rest of the design team to provide more design services to relocate and enlarge the Polymer Lab within their VAST campus. The project includes additional specialty hoods, bench top and researcher office space.
Quarry Park--a new park in Shakopee, MN--is an exceptional example of reclaiming an industrial site by providing public access, a community building and pavilion, and re-introducing nature through intensive landscaping--all the while maintaining a sense of connection to its colorful past. HCM is working the City of Shakopee and its Parks & Recreation Department, as well as WSB Engineers to provide a comprehensive site design, which includes unique event and picnic venues.
HCM turns 15 on February 2nd and will celebrate with an Anniversary Party on Friday, February 8th! Thank you to all of our families, friends, clients and consultants for a wonderful string of years, hopefully with many more to come!
HCM has focused on providing viable master plans to determine the best utilization of the county's existing North Shop site as well as the potential South Shop Campus. The Master Plans considerall the Public Works Divisions including the divisions currently located in the Government center – Building Services and Survey and Land Management.
Delkor recently teamed up with HCM to consolidate all their operations. Delkor is a leader in the design and manufacture of packaging equipment, especially for food-related companies such as Kraft, Cargill, Frito lay, General Mills and the list goes on. HCM is eager to provide creative solutions to both their production and office needs.
Roosevelt Library is moving fast; with last month’s City of Minneapolis Historical Preservation Committee approval construction documents went underway and were just completed last week. Meanwhile the Library was closed in Feb. and completely cleared out and all hazardous material was abated. The project will soon go out to bid with construction starting this summer. Maintenance and improvements are critical to keep this library as a community anchor and resource. With an old aging building in the twenty first century; Roosevelt’s key upgrades include full code compliances, accessibility routes and restrooms, new energy efficient mechanical and electrical systems, exterior restorations and collection updates. The sustainable approach at Roosevelt is the long-term preservation of the building itself, and rehabilitating the building to fit its future needs. Roosevelt’s original masonry construction was designed to last over a hundred years. The proposed ehabilitation treatments will help the building continue to fulfill its original purpose as well as adapt to new opportunities. Repair and replacement of deteriorated features are necessary in keeping with the spirit and intent of the property; along with the new addition.
HCM is exploring some design options to innovate and highlight a client’s existing vestibule and entry sequence.
HCM has another airport project going through concept design review. Chick-fil-A has steadily grown to become the second largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain in the United States, this proposed restaurant will be the third in MN and the first one at MSP International. Chick-fil-A has set itself apart by pioneering innovations and delicious products, evolving design and branding.
Community Meetings and Participation
A third community meeting took place early November to review the Schematic Design for the renovation and expansion of the Hennepin County - Roosevelt Library located in south Minneapolis. Two community meetings took place early this summer during the concept design phase. Attendance for all three community meetings were open and included neighborhood organizations, current library users, neighboring residents, and local elected officials. The first meeting focused on participant’s use, thoughts and experience at Roosevelt Library. Participant input was then compiled to create key design ideas. The following Key Design Ideas/Concepts were developed based on community input.
1. Open sight lines, open library layout
2. Cozy, intimate and warm place
3. Flexible multi-purpose gathering space
4. Natural light – quality of light from multiple sources
5. Exterior reading spaces
6. Family-friendly place
The second community meeting presented concept images that demonstrated design ideas. The third meeting went into more detail on the proposed design and how the design continues to reinforce these design concepts. The goal of the recent meeting was to get community input on the overall layout as well as the 2 exterior options.
The schematic Design package for the project is currently being reviewed by the county commissioners, hopes to start design development and CDs through the winter with cConstruction start in Spring 2012.
General Building Background
The existing Library building was constructed in 1927 and is a 4,320 SF (footprint) single-story building, with a small basement utility space. The building was designed by Minneapolis architect, Jerome Paul Jackson as a community library that would serve the adjacent Roosevelt High School and Roosevelt neighborhood. The building was placed on the National Historic Register in May, 2000 and has been designated a Building of Cultural Significance by the city of Minneapolis through its Historic Preservation Commission. The library is one of the 14 branch buildings built pre-1960 by the Minneapolis Public Library System led by Gratia Countryman.
The main level is comprised of one large intimate reading room that contains no dividers or partition walls. The main floor is open and naturally lit by numerous large windows. The exterior walls are lined with open shelving aimed at easy access. One goal of the project is to strengthen these successful attributes while revitalizing the overall experience.
Maintenance and improvements are critical to keep this library as a community anchor and resource well into the future. Roosevelt’s key upgrades include full code compliance, accessibility upgrades, new restrooms, new energy efficient mechanical and electrical systems, exterior restoration, collection updates, technology upgrades, increased seating/lounge areas and an efficient staff area. There is a need to provide space for group gatherings, teens seeking homework assistance, children attending story time and more flexible leisure reading space.
The goals of the renovation and expansion project are as follows:
In addition to the work listed above, the project must incorporate the following efforts:
Yesterday HCM presented the Roosevelt Library Concept Design to various Hennepin County Librarian Staff (including Roosevelt Staff). Design items included:
After reviewing the design the rest of the meeting was open to discussion for feedback about the design proposed, existing likes about Roosevelt, critical items that need to be changed etc. HCM felt the meeting was very successful and informative. It was a great milestone to start the schematic design phase.
Some example comments were:
What do you currently like about Roosevelt?
What is critical to change at Roosevelt?
Finishes, materials and lighting selections for Colossal Cafe.
HCM and Colossal Cafe have been neighbors for years. This past spring HCM had the pleasure to design and document a second location for Colossal Cafe located across the river in Saint Paul. The overall design and layout was based on the below Brand and Design Concepts:
A. Brand Concepts:
a. Restaurant operations – self-order, self seat with table service.
b. Breakfast and lunch menu – identical to Minneapolis
c. View of food prep and kitchen staff is critical to the concept presentation and brand.
d. Seating to be for 50-60 people
e. Space to be very casual, comfortable, clean & friendly.
f. Develop ties to local neighborhood (i.e. meeting room, neighborhood postings, etc).
B. Design Concepts:
a. Make the order process and route easy to understand and navigate for the customer (distance, open views, etc).
b. Create a cozy and casual neighborhood gathering place.
c. The kitchen to be open to the customer to promote casual interactions and display the quality and craft of the product preparation.
d. Maintain natural light through existing openings (increase glass at storefront and glass block at north wall).
e. Community Room to be visually open to the public area but maintain “out of the way” location.
f. Second exit will divide rear service spaces – develop a logical separation of spaces
g. Menu board to be easy to see and understand.
h. Space to have varied seating types
i. Café counter and its configuration promotes the brand and customer interaction with staff.
Materials and Millwork were designed to provoke an Overall Feeling of: “Farmlike” kitchen, Fresh, Comfortably Used, Funky yet Traditional. While the Furniture selections focused on: Wood/Rustic, Cleanable, Not precious, Relaxed, Natural, Dark Bottom(Chairs) with Light top (Farm-table). Finishes and Key design strategies consisted of: Playful yet sophisticated tiles, Venetian’ painted wall with bold colors (Red), Rhythmic Scones and table features, Rustic stone kitchen window wall (exhibit kitchen). We introduced a sturdy, cleanable floor with Vinyl sheet striping with slight textured, 3 colors. The one partition wall that divides the community room and dinning area was designed to be a sheer wall divider, curtain like. Translucent barrier that will provide semi-privacy while keeping the cafe 'open'.
This project completed CD's in June and is currently being priced.
HCM is currently preparing a presentation for the second community meeting for the Hennepin County - Roosevelt Library renovation. The renovation will include basic accessibility and ADA building code requirements, restrooms on the main floor, new furniture throughout and exterior maintenance work such as masonry tuck-pointing and roof replacement. The renovation will also provide the opportunity to reconfigure existing space to better accommodate library patrons.
At the last meeting Preliminary design concepts were discussed by attendees and are depicted in the document below. The project budget does allow for the addition of a meeting room. Meeting attendees were asked to provide feedback on community discussion questions including how they currently use the library and what they would like to see in the renovated Roosevelt Library.
The second meeting's goals are to focus the responses from the last meeting through selected images and key words as well as presenting more detailed diagram space plans to obtain more specific feedback from the user groups.
On the Anoka County Highway Dept. project (photos below) you can see that the existing building has long corridors that are exactly that – corridors! We recognized the opportunity to open these corridors to the ‘people spaces’, allowing the office area to enjoy the skylight and more usable space.
We are completing the final design documents for the Anoka County Highway Department, a ‘public works’ type facility in Andover, MN. The project consists of a new Fleet Services addition (in orange), a fully remodeled Office/Admin area (in blue), a completely reconfigured Traffic Signs and Signals shop area (in green), and a centrally-located locker room area (in red) available for all staff.
The Cummins Power Generation redesign project includes a servery and cafeteria redesign at their new headquarters in Shoreview, Minnesota.
