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Wrap-ups

Boston Scientific WL3 Lobby Renovation Complete

Client: Boston Scientific Corporation Location: Maple Grove, MN

Completion: December 2013

 

The Boston Scientific corporate team commissioned HCM Architects to bring new design energy to the existing Weaver Lake 3 Lobby. In 2005 HCM Architects designed the Weaver Lake 3 Building, though company branding had not been solidified at that time to incorporate into the project.  Today, Boston Scientific was looking to use interactive technology displays to brand their message within their main lobby.  HCM saw this as a perfect opportunity to partner with Star, a Minneapolis-based exhibit design company, to collaboratively design and build the client's branding pieces. The final design included a new backdrop with monitor to the front desk, a touch screen area with fabric panel backdrops consisting of inspirational words used by the company, a light box column with another branding word used today, a large video screen wall consisting of 9 monitors that displays videos of company product, and finally re-working the BSC logo on the brick wall to be more visible in the space.

 

With a very short amount of time to execute the design, Star was able to build the pieces quickly and the BSC team was very happy with the end result! Since this project was such a success, we have now been asked to create this same energy in the WL2 Lobby. This design with be presented to the owner in the near future.

 

Following photo credits to Paul Crosby.

 

Bio-Techne/R&D Systems CCD Building Renovation Project Complete

Client: Bio-Techne / R&D Systems Location: Minneapolis, MN

Completion: September 2013

 

R&D Systems owns a building on their Minneapolis campus that was being rented out as tenant space. The building was in poor condition and the company was having difficulty keeping the spaces full. R&D Systems is a fast growing company and found they needed more space to accommodate that growth. Instead of using the building as tenant space, they felt it would be a great additional to their campus.

 

However, in order to make the building fit into the campus look, a lot of work needed to be done. This renovation project included new labs, offices, lobby, breakroom, and warehouse space for the Hematology Department. The project was constructed in two phases, the first phase was called the Core and Shell package; including all work to the exterior shell of the building along with the addition of new mechanical systems and stairs on the roof and interior of the building.

 

The second phase was the interior build-out of the lab and office spaces mentioned above.  This project was very challenging because of the height restrictions of the Lower Level and the type of mechanical systems that needed to be installed to accommodate those laboratories.  This project was also a huge success utilizing the BIM tool Revit to create the Interior Build-Out package. R&D Systems is very unique and uses the Revit model for their facilities management. It was a learning process to understand the level of detail in which this building should be modeled, but in the end we created a very useful tool for their company and learned a lot more about the program to help us with future design projects.  This project was a great achievement for R&D Systems and HCM Architects and project partners; Sunde Engineering, Mattson Macdonald Young, Aid Electric Corporation, Egan Company, and RJM Construction.  We had a great time working with the R&D team and look forward to future projects on their campus!

 

Following photo credits to Paul Crosby.

 

Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission Award received for 'New Addition to an Historic Building' for Roosevelt Library

Client: Hennepin County, Roosevelt Public Library Location: Standish Neighborhood, South Minneapolis

Completion: Summer 2013

 

Roosevelt Library of Minneapolis recently won a Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission Award for ‘New Addition to an Historic Building’. The Minneapolis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and Preserve Minneapolis honor exemplary projects, individuals, and community organizations that celebrate and enhance the heritage and historic character of Minneapolis. These awards highlight the year’s best achievements for transforming a historic property, building, or landscape and reinventing it to incorporate both new and old elements in a way that that is respectful to the past. Projects are judged on attention to the quality of design, architecture, workmanship, and materials as well as the positive impact on the surrounding neighborhood and community.

 

The addition design was to maintain the “integrity” of the original building but to “set it apart” from the original design through differentiation in proportions and detailing. The new addition is approximately 20' x 30' and is located off the southwest corner of the existing building. This location was chosen so it does not interrupt the original strong symmetrical front facade. The new roof level is lower than the existing roof level to remain subordinate to the main building. The window sills and headers of the new addition were simplified and set apart by using poured concrete similar to the existing sills. The design intent was to keep the expansions and its details subtle but respectful to the existing historic building.   The following are exterior photos of the completed renovation.

HCM 16th Anniversary Party

Friends of HCM Architects,  

We are looking forward to our annual open house this year as it gives us the opportunity to acknowledge how fortunate we have been the last sixteen years of business. We are truly thankful for all our clients, colleagues and consultants with whom we have teamed up with on our projects. Most of all, we appreciate our families, friends and industry partners who have supported us along the way.

 

We would like to invite you to celebrate our 16th anniversary!

Join us at our office, 4201 Cedar Avenue South, Minneapolis

Friday, February 7th, 2014  4-9pm

New Partners Announced

We are extremely pleased to announce that Matt Lysne and Dan Lind have been named Partners and accepted Ownership roles at HCM Architects.  Matt and Dan are outstanding architects that provide our clients services at the highest levels with thoughtfulness and dedication. They exhibit the best qualities of our profession. We are truly lucky to have them become our Partners. Please congratulate them on this next step in their careers.

Town Hall Lanes Complete!

Client:  Pete Rifakes, Town Hall Lanes owner Location: Keewaydin Neighborhood, South Minneapolis, MN

Completion: July 2013

 

HCM Architects, Patrick Dorn Construction, Thatcher Structural Engineers and Premier restaurant equipment company were happy to celebrate the completion of construction of Town Hall Lanes with owner Pete Rifakes at the grand opening on July 19, 2013.

 

The existing building was transformed dramatically into a rustic yet refined brew pub and bowling alley.  A major key in the building's renovation was the removal of the second floor which allowed for a nice two story space at the main bar room with natural lighting to showcase an antique wood bar and a grand chandelier hung from the existing exposed structure.  The bowling lanes were renovated and decorated with cool retro graphics. Town Hall Lanes is the third restaurant for Pete Rifakes, who also owns the Town Hall Brewery and Town Hall Tap both in Minneapolis. Cheers!

The newly renovated Tudor Revival style Hennepin County Library - Roosevelt opened its revitalized doors on June 2nd!

Background:

The old brick and wood building is a gem that continues to be a significant community and cultural resource to the city. This landmark was constructed in 1927 and its original footprint was 4,320 SF. Roosevelt was one of 13 libraries developed under the leadership of Gratia Countryman, who served as head librarian for the Minneapolis Public Library system from 1904 to 1936. Countryman’s goal was to create an institution that addressed citizen’s social needs; an environment that actively and integrally participates in the social life of their communities. Roosevelt’s strengths today are the same design movements of the original MPL System. The main level is comprised of one large intimate reading room that contains no major dividers or partition walls. The main floor is open and naturally lit by large numerous window. One goal of the project was to preserve and strengthen these successful attributes while revitalizing the overall experience. Another goal was to capture the needs and desires of the community, neighbors participated in the design process and helped refine the project strategy.

Initiative:

The project balanced between retaining the historic nature of the building and creating a structure that incorporates modern amenities. Maintenance and improvements were 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 included full code compliance, 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; the rehabilitation treatments will help the building continue to fulfill its original purpose as well as adapt to new opportunities.

Exterior Scope:

One of the initial goals of the Minneapolis Libraries was aimed at breaking down barriers between books and people. Physical accessibility to the books was a critical issue when opening all the early community branches. The newly ‘refreshed’ Roosevelt site design incorporates needed accessible upgrades and social outreach amenities. The civic strength between the library institution and the Roosevelt High school was maintained while providing welcoming and accessible environments that the community desired. Roosevelt’s site includes the introduction of intimate exterior reading alcoves. These spaces are located under the existing old trees containing garden walls and fixed benches. The main entrance and sequence of approach from both 28th Avenue and the rear parking lot was brought up to code for accessibility along with well lit path lighting. The new exterior book drop was located adjacent to the main entrance and deposit directly into the library for safety and convenience, creating a cleaner and more efficient process but keeping a historic character. The new bike rack/parking area is now located off 28th Avenue, adjacent to the main entry and will help support the highly used alternative means of transportation to Roosevelt. The new site design invigorates the site experience, provides accessibility while keeping the strong site symmetry and historic charm.

Interior Scope:

Although the interior was completed gutted out the interior design was aimed to keep the historic character of a property; introducing distinctive materials and features, spaces, and spatial relationships that characterize this small and intimate tutor library. Amenities included more public computers, wireless access, a teen area, more books, DVDs and CDs, and flexible, appealing spaces with more seating. In addition; a new addition with lots of natural light was designed to house an open meeting space requested by the community. The addition design responses to the original building but is differentiated from the old with subtle features, scale and proportions but keeping with integrity of the property and its environment.

This little library is truly a gem worth reading at!

Stratasys - SMACS Office Build-out

HCM has completed another project with Stratasys.  This exciting company has been a wonderful new client this year and we are exciting about ongoing design efforts with them on numerous fronts.

CPG - HRTC Addition

HCM is proud to have worked with Cummins Power Generation on another successful, large project.  This one is an addition to their Fridley, MN plant and is the first of three phases. Phase 2 and 3 have been documented and are scheduled to start construction in the spring of 2013.

Greatbatch Completed

The addition of a clean lab, support spaces and an open office for Greatbatch Medical is now completed.

Collosal Cafe St. Paul is Open!!

The second Colossal Café has opened in Saint Paul!  Since its opening, the cafe has been buzzing with people.  New and repeat costumers (from the Minneapolis location) are excited to eat and socialize.  Sitting within the beautiful neighborhood of Saint Anthony, people can walk over before work and enjoy a cup of coffee and hot breakfast to start the day off right.  When starting the design process the space was a disaster. We knew it would be a real challenge to layout the kitchen and seating area efficiently.  The end result is amazing! There have been countless comments about how large the space feels when in reality it is only 2,100 SF.  The details throughout the space bring warmth and life to the cafe.  The openness from the seating to the kitchen allows patrons to see action behind the scenes and feel part of the construction of their meal.  It truly feels like being at home eating with family and friends!!!

MSP Airport - PEI WEI Asian Diner

Pei Wei is open for business! Pei Wei is a restuarant under the wing of PF Chang's. Although it was difficult to fit such an elaborate cook line in such a small space, the end result is vibrant and fun. The idea of Pei Wei is for the public to see their food being made on the fast paced cookline.  The restuarant is open from the front of house to the food prep area. The only area not seen to the public eye is where the dish washing and cold storage takes place.  We were even able to fit seating within the lease line. The use of color and materials makes the space bright and fun! The second phase of the project involves the remote seating area. You can see in the photos below, the original intent was to create additional seating for those eating at Pei Wei. However, after much discussion with the MAC, it makes more sense to make this seating more flexible.  It will now be about a place to stop with your bags and relax/eat while waiting for a flight. The seating area is currently under design; in the meantime, the airport has placed basic tables and chairs until construction begins. This was my first project at the airport and although it was very challenging, it was also very rewarding.  I learned a lot about kitchen construction, coordination between the various parties involved, and the guidelines to follow when working at the airport! Not to mention the food is delicious!!! Definitely stop over and enjoy a taste next time you travel!!

The luck of the Irish turns into an expansion to dance for!

Last December a devastating fire roared through the neighboring buildings adjacent to The Celtic Junction in Saint Paul, MN.   As luck would have it the Celtic Junction building suffered only minor damages and took this unfortunate event as a welcoming opportunity to expand!  HCM Architects worked with the owners of The Celtic Junction to design a significant renovation and addition to their existing building.  The project consists of building out the south building and adding to the lobby to create a new exterior façade and accessible entries, providing two new dance studios with a separate lobby space, more bathrooms and a new custom built office layout for the Center for Irish Music located within the venue.  The now empty lot next door allowed them to acquire the vacant land to create a 24 stall parking lot.  This highly used and growing establishment was  in desperate need of parking, this additional lot will be huge attribute to this thriving community.  Construction is finishing up this fall.

Green Mill's refreshing new look!

Early this year HCM and Isola Design (interior design) developed a new Prototype of the MN based restaurant chain Green Mill.  This past summer the Green Mill, Coon Rapids was renovated using the brand and design concepts.  This fall the Green Mill, Woodbury will be the second restaurant to undergo construction for a refreshing new look. The following are the key ideas of the concept design for the new Green Mill Prototype.

  1. A.       Brand Concepts
    1. The new concept should promote food that is fresh, hand made from scratch and genuine.
    2. It is a neighborhood place that is family and group friendly.
    3. Identified as the “Best Place for Kids”.
    4. The new brand to break out from being solely a “Pizza Brand” without loosing its identity with loyal customer base.
    5. The interior should be warm, homey, genuine and natural.
    6. Main competitions is comfort/casual concepts such as TGI Friday’s, Doolittle’s and Applebee’s.
    7. Ideal concept size is 5,000 SF total – dining areas about 2,500 SF
  2. B.       Design Concepts:
    1. The interior reflects the quality of the food and enhances the dining experience; it is sophisticated and natural with a homelike feel.
    2. Dining spaces are a series of rooms that provide comfortable, quiet “territories” / niches and special places within the restaurant.
    3. Spaces are inviting; they are warm, cheery and bright in the daytime and warm and comforting at night.
    4. Materials are real, authentic, and genuine. Textures add integrity without application, and are enhanced by lighting.
      1. The finishes and colors reflect the freshness and quality of the ingredients.
    5. It should be a place that reflects today’s approach to family gathering with visual access to fresh ingredients and a controlled view into the Kitchen that encourages trust in the preparation and reinforces “hand-made from scratch”  brand concept.

3 more down for the count.

The recent  airport projects finished up this fall,  Pei Wei, La Tapenade and Creative Kid Stuff.  All three were on fast and demanding schedules.  With these three additions to the MSP International airport, things just got a little brighter, crazier and tastier!

Remembering Carter.

The final plantings and stones were laid this past October for Carter Geyen’s memorial at Bruce Russel Park.  We are so pleased with the overall turn out of the memorial and even more pleased that it is everything his family and friends were hoping for.  It is incredible to think of all the help and donations that made this project possible.  As an office we visited the memorial late Fall.  The interactive wall really captures the sandbox, the bench and water fountain.  The natural flow of the design, the various material textures and colors and variety of plants really create a playful yet elegant place to be.

Splish Splash at the new Highland Park Aquatics Facility

After a fast paced winter schedule, the new Highland Aquatics Facility is open for business.  The city of Saint Paul was happy to unveil the renovation project with new locker-rooms, concessions stand, admissions space, water slide and entrance/parking lot on June 18th.  Patrons are thrilled about the increase in parking, but especially excited about the new flume slide and large amount of shaded areas throughout the facility. With the City, we created a place that fits into the Highland Park aesthetic, but is also fun and colorful to fit with the energy and excitement generated at the pool.  This facility is perfect on a hot summer day for all ages; go check it out!!

Valspar's Final Touches

The last portions on the Valspar analytical lab are finally done and look great!   We were informed that the function and look of the original project; the Analytical lab, has far exceeded their expectations, but we were brought back in to add that special flare this high profile world class laboratory needed.   All the branding pieces work in harmony to showcase Valspar’s mission, goals and overall character.  The design intent was to capture users/visitors as they enter the lower level lab and draw them in by telling a graphic  story of Valspar.

Airport Cuisine

All airport restaurants were not created equal. At least not at MSP. Pei Wei is a concept developed by the PF Chang for quick-serve high-quality Asian fusion food. And then there's LaTapenade, a Mediterranean spot for deli foods including fresh made pizzas, wraps and classic spreads. Hungry?