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Listing all articles within the BWBR News category.

Celebrating Our Friends, Those Moving Up and Moving On

Peter G. Smith, AIA
Peter G. Smith, AIA

We like to think of ourselves as a family. Then again, when you work day-in, day-out with some of the same people for 30 years, the analogy is not far off.

And when family members reach milestones, it is something to celebrate.

At the end of 2011, our president and CEO, Stephen Patrick, called it a career. For 30 years, he lent his talent, his knowledge, and his insights in architecture, project management, and business – as well as fishing – to elevate us as professionals and partners. As CEO, his steady demeanor guided us through both highs and lows to keep us strong and serving people and organizations with the best of our ability.

While he retires and we say goodbye to his day-to-day presence, we also remind him he remains part of our family.

As we start our 90th year, we also celebrate the start of Peter Smith’s appointment as president and CEO of the firm. Pete represents the seventh generation of firm-grown leadership, having started at the firm in 1987. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, Pete continues a tradition of leadership succession that has served the firm well. It’s a recipe to stay true to our strengths of serving clients with great service and serving our employees with strong business acumen.

We’re excited as we enter a new decade knowing that one friend has left us in good hands of another. It’s what makes working here so special.

Now Here’s the Way to Break Ground on a New Facility

BWBR's CEO Steve Patrick gets a different point of view during the groundbreaking for the Minnesota Army National Guard Field Maintenance Shop.
BWBR's CEO Steve Patrick gets a different point of view during the groundbreaking for the Minnesota Army National Guard Field Maintenance Shop.

The shovel can be so cliché.

OK. The shovel was used. Admittedly, it’s hard to dig from the perch of a turret. But, the view is kind of cool, especially for those of us who don’t get to sit in one of these very often.

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Army National Guard broke ground on its new Field Maintenance Shop at the Arden Hills Army Training Site (AHATS) in Arden Hills, Minn. The new 109,000 s.f. operations building will provide needed upgrades to the maintenance work spaces and administrative offices, storage areas and support spaces in one state-of-the-art facility. It is a major component in the development of the AHATS as a premier Army and National Guard training site.

As a state-of-the-art building, it is designed for its technical use as a vehicle maintenance facility for the Guard’s tanks, troop carriers, trucks, humvees, and radar equipment; and it is expected to exceed the Guard’s mandate for achieving LEED-NC Silver Certification for energy use and sustainable design.

When you examine what the National Guard is doing nationally, the pursuit of LEED is significant and could provide a model for other guard units developing new campuses. Using the Xcel Energy’s Enhanced Design Assistance program, extensive energy modeling and analysis has been conducted to guide the design of daylighting systems, efficiency of the building shell, and selection of energy efficient resources. Models indicate the building will achieve 43% energy savings better than code guidelines.

Additive bid items have been incorporated for alternative energy systems – solar thermal, photovoltaic, and future connection to a potential geothermal system.

The campus also stands out for its location in a growing suburban community. Campus aesthetics will help the campus fit in with surrounding residential neighborhoods, and, to that end, the design of the building complements surrounding buildings, including the Grow the Army Readiness Center and neighboring Ramsey County/City of Arden Hills Public Works Facility.

Construction is expected to be complete in 2012.

Avera Prairie Center Receives Design, Construction Award

Conceived to promote healing through grace and technology, Avera Prairie Center designed by Saint Paul-based BWBR received the award for Best Project in health care from ENR Mountain States magazine, covering Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska, and North and South Dakota. Industry professionals representing both contractors and the design profession judged projects for their design and construction excellence.

ENR presented the project awards in Salt Lake City Oct. 27.

Avera Prairie Center, housing Avera Cancer Institute and Avera McKennan Hospital’s day surgery center, is a five-story, 260,000-square-foot building designed to serve the needs of residents in the Upper Midwest in a center that connects nature with the healing environment and captures the characteristics of the South Dakota’s landscape. The building includes indoor water features with running waterfalls; planters crafted and painted to emulate the rock formations in the Black Hills; and columns and 30-foot-long curved wood beams designed to look like blades of prairie grass.

The building exterior also offers distinct features, such as groupings of 20- to 30-foot aluminum “grass reeds” set in front of a prairie grass silk screen pattern on the building’s windows and a waterfall in front of Prairie Center modeling a specific section of the falls at Falls Park, which gives Sioux Falls its name.

Sioux Falls Construction served as contractor for the center and contributed to the craftsmanship of the facility, including the randomly placed 100 green stones – Avera’s corporate color – throughout the terrazzo floor in the atrium area. The Amazonite stones carry with them an aura of peace and serenity and symbolize Avera McKennan’s 100 years of excellence.

“Creating this project took the talents and insights of many, from the owner, patients and families to the general contractor and design team,” said Jason Nordling, senior project manager at BWBR. “It was all about creating a place of healing that offered the ultimate combination of quality care, technology, and flexibility of choices, in a facility that respects and reflects the land.  In South Dakota, the land really defines the people, from the prairies to the Black Hills. As part of their lives, it had to be part of their healing process, too. The collaborative effort led us to a solution that is both empowering for the spirit and healthy for the body.“

Beyond aesthetics, the design of the center reflects both research and the feedback provided by patients, their families, and staff. Infusion suites with sliding doors allow patients the option of chemotherapy treatments in private or with the support of other patients, with some second-floor suites offering balconies overlooking the indoor garden and third-floor suites overlooking a roof-top garden. Efficient design also improves patient flow, including the fourth-floor same-day surgery center that locates private patient rooms for pre-op preparations and post-op recovery adjacent to the operating suites.

The latest in imaging and chemotherapy improves the treatment and recovery process, helping people from rural areas tied to farms and ranches reduce the time they have to spend away from their homes and livelihoods. Bringing advanced technology into a comprehensive care facility where patients can see their physicians, receive blood tests, undergo diagnostic imaging, take part in integrative therapies, and have radiation therapy or chemotherapy, Avera Cancer Institute-Prairie Center can cut a three-month process for women undergoing treatment for breast cancer in half, hopefully helping them avoid the more traumatic decision to seek a mastectomy.

In addition to being a gathering space for patients, family, and staff, the garden atrium has become one of the premier locations for community organizations to host events, ranging from the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce to the University of South Dakota Foundation, the Compass Center, the South Dakota Symphony, and the Sioux Valley Genealogy Society. To manage the growing requests to use the space after treatment hours, Avera recently hired a full-time staff member to manager events.

Metropolitan State University Selects BWBR to Design New Science Education Center

Looking to create a new facility to meet the growing demand for science, technology, engineering and mathematics graduates as well as serve a growing nursing and health science student population, Metropolitan State University selected design solutions firm BWBR to help create a new 59,000-square-foot science education center.

The new facility will extend Metro State’s existing Saint Paul-campus to the south of its main campus in the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood. It will feature laboratories, lecture and demonstration classrooms, seminar rooms, offices, and support space. Original plans are to link the new science center to Founder’s Hall with a skyway.

Coupled with Metro State’s New Main overlooking downtown Saint Paul, the two academic buildings will create a new campus gateway for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities’ only campus in the metropolitan region. The facility will sit near the corner of 6th Street East and Mounds Boulevard.

The new science education center will enable Metro State to support the state’s priority to increase the number of graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Currently offering science degrees in biology and life sciences teaching along with two minors in chemistry and physics, the new facility will support five additional degrees: earth and space teaching; earth science; chemistry teaching; chemistry; and environmental studies.

Construction is estimated to cost $25.5 million, with a targeted opening date in the summer of 2014.

Metro State, “Where Life and Learning Meet,” currently serves 10,000 full- and part-time students in 60 majors, 10 graduate programs, and a doctorate. Focused on serving students in the 13-county metropolitan region, it emphasizes providing under-served groups and working adults with a high-quality liberal arts, professional, and graduate education. Projections estimate Metro State will double its student population by 2020.

For BWBR, Metro State’s new science building marks the fifth academic science and engineering facility in the region it has worked on in the past few years. They include the new nuclear magnetic resonance laboratory and renovation of Akerman Hall at the University of Minnesota; the expansion and renovation of Jarvis Hall at University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wis.; and renovation of Peterson Hall at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. BWBR also designed Beck Academic Hall at Gustavus Adolphus College, which opened in September.

And, So It Begins

Construction begins on the refresh of BWBR's offices
Construction begins on the refresh of BWBR's offices

Nearly 90 years. Amazing projects for large and small organizations. Lots of creative and innovative ideas. Now, it’s time to turn the mirror on us.

We’re going through a refresh. Nothing drastic, and for those who know us, no need to fret … the stone wall is staying. (But, do we have a deal on some decorative wheat grass!!!) Now we get to see if we make as good a client as we do a consultant.

Stay tuned.

Moving Day for 20 Tons of Magnets at the University of Minnesota

It’s not just the students who are rushing to find new housing before classes start at the University of Minnesota. It’s taking a lot of “œfriends” to help move the massive magnets used in the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance laboratory at the U. Let’s hope those friends are treated to some Summit after the move. Check out the news story about moving 20 tons of magnets at University of Minnesota. (We take no responsibility for the pun made by the reporter.)

Breaking ground on future prosperity for children, region

Children take charge in the ground breaking for the Early Childhood Family Center in Stillwater.
Children take charge in the ground breaking for the Early Childhood Family Center in Stillwater.

Breaking ground on a new project usually represents a milestone in the process to bringing a vision to life.

Last week, that vision went beyond a facility in planning for years. It includes the success of children in the community of Stillwater, and for region itself. When put into that context, it was more than apropos that the people who turned the dirt over for the ground breaking were the children.

The success that investment in early childhood education produces is well documented. If we can begin a student’s academic career prepared to learn, we increase that child’s earning potential out of high school by more than 8 percent. Studies also show a 12 percent rate of return from the public investment in early child education programs.

A child’s brain at age 3 is twice as active as an adult’s brain and remains so for several years. By age 5, a child raised in a nurturing environment is likely to hear 32 million more words than children raised in a more limited environment. By the time a child enters kindergarten, he is already on a path for academic success, and any deficiencies in a child’s development before kindergarten can set that child behind the learning curve, leading to other issues such as school absenteeism and behavioral problems.

This is not a small issue. In Minnesota, 13 percent of children entering kindergarten do not possess the skills, behavior, or knowledge necessary to be proficient in language or mathematical thinking.

When we look at the Early Childhood Family Center for the Stillwater Area Public School District, we can see an expenditure that is providing a 45,600-square-foot facility for families in this historic, growing St. Croix River valley. When we look further, though, we see that this is an investment in the lives of children and the community’s future economic well-being. That makes it more than just a facility, and making the ground-breaking more than just a photo-op.

If you want to learn more about some of the benefits of early childhood education, check out the policy brief prepared by the Great Twin Cities United Way as well as the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation.

Jamestown Regional Medical Center grand Opening July 22

Jamestown Regional Medical Center, a 25-bed critical access hospital, held a grand opening ceremony Friday morning, July 22, capping a week of activities for the Jamestown community.

The new facility which officially opens for care July 31 replaces a hospital originally built in 1935 and creates greater convenience for patients and medical staff; brings more services to the community; and improves recruiting for medical staff and other employees. The location also offers easy access from all communities served by the hospital and allows for a heliport that will provide faster, more efficient transfer of patients to other facilities.

Psychology, Architecture Graduate Joins BWBR

Mike Gordon recently joined BWBR, a design solutions firm, bringing with him experience in both health care and architecture.


A 2004 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a Bachelor’s degree in psychology, Gordon began his professional career as a mental health worker at Hennepin County Medical Center. Seeing the experience patients and workers have navigating, working, and recovering in the medical setting, he returned to school at the University of Minnesota where he earned his Master’s of Architecture in 2010.


While at the University of Minnesota, Gordon was awarded two fellowships, the AIA Minneapolis Recruiting Fellowship and the Elness Swenson Graham Fellowship. He also was awarded the 2010 Masters of Architecture Richard Morrill Thesis Award for his project studying how architecture could improve the relationship between the public, caregivers, and patients seeking mental health treatment.


Gordon taught overseas in Istanbul and, after graduation, helped design health care projects in Haiti. He brings an intimate perspective of the care environment to BWBR, who is a regional leader in the design of major health care facilities ranging from behavioral health to community, tertiary, pediatrics, and critical access hospitals as well as cancer and primary care clinics.


Gordon is a native of Scandia, Minn.

BWBR Named among Minnesota’s Best Workplaces

For the second year, BWBR has been named one of the Top 100 Workplaces in Minnesota based on an employee survey project from the StarTribune, Minnesota’s largest newspaper. The Top Workplaces special section was published in the Star Tribune on June 19 and is available online at StarTribune.com/topworkplaces2011.


BWBR made the list of best places to work for small companies, one of only two companies on the entire list of 100 providing professional services in architecture, interior design, and planning. It is the second publication to recognize the firm for its work culture and environment, joining the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal that has awarded BWBR similar honors.


“The fact this is based on a survey of our employees is truly an honor,” said Steve Patrick, AIA, LEEP AP, president and CEO of BWBR. “œIt is because of our employees that we can be the company we are.”


Top Workplaces recognizes the most progressive companies in Minnesota based on employee opinions about company leadership, communication, career opportunities, workplace environment, managerial skills, pay and benefits. The analysis included responses from over 60,500 employees at Minnesota public, private and nonprofit organizations. More than 1,000 organizations were invited to participate in the
survey.


“The companies in the Star Tribune Top 100 Workplaces deserve high praise for creating the very best work environments in the state of Minnesota. My congratulations to each of these exceptional companies,” said Star Tribune Publisher Michael J.
Klingensmith.

BWBR’s Peck Earns Architectural License

Jacquelyn Peck, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, recently became BWBR’s newest registered architect after passing her Architecture Registration Examination® tests in late spring.


Peck joined BWBR in November 2010 as a technical designer. Since joining BWBR, Peck has worked on projects ranging from health care to church campuses. A 2006 graduate of Iowa State University, she earned top honors while in school in the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Iowa 2005 Young Architect Competition. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree.


A professional designation, architects must be licensed before they can practice as or call themselves an architect. Administered by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, the ARE® is a series of examinations that concentrate on the services that most affect the public health, safety, and welfare of the public. The exams attempt to determine a professional’s knowledge, skills, and ability in design, engineering, construction, and management of large and small scale building projects.


Peck co-chairs the AIA Minnesota Housing Advocacy Committee and sits on the AIA Minnesota Emerging Professionals group. She is a native of Moline, Ill.

BWBR’s Shankar Joins American College of Healthcare Architects

Ananth Shankar, AIA, ACHA, CID, a project manager and architect at BWBR, recently earned his certification from the American College of Healthcare Architects, becoming only the 18th currently licensed architect in Minnesota to be certified by ACHA. Shankar joins three others as a certified ACHA member at BWBR, including Brian Buchholz, AIA, ACHA, CID; Cheryl Lachelt, AIA, ACHA; and Scott Holmes, AIA, ACHA, LEED AP, who is licensed in Wisconsin.

A 34-year veteran in the industry, Shankar’s experience extends across several segments of health care: inpatient design, cancer center, imaging suites, behavioral hospitals, surgery suites, intensive care, emergency services, and birthing/women’s centers. Projects he has worked on include Mercy Medical Center ““ West Lakes Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa; Centegra Health System in northern Illinois; Millenium Renewal Expansion at Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville, Minn.; Avera Cancer Institute ““ Prairie Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.; the Cancer Center of Western Wisconsin in New Richmond, Wis.; and numerous projects for Regions Hospital, North Memorial Health Care, and Fairview Health Services.

Shankar has a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Architecture from the Indian Institute of Technology.

ACHA requires its certificate holders to work towards the improvement of healthcare architecture on behalf of the public, to practice in an ethical manner and to maintain the highest standards in the specialized field of healthcare architecture.