LEO A DALY receives two design excellence awards from AIA Minneapolis

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LEO A DALY receives two design excellence awards from AIA Minneapolis

The Anoka-Ramsey Community College of Business and Nursing and the Historic Fort Snelling Revitalization Museum & Visitors Center are chosen for 2023 AIA Minneapolis Merit Awards for Excellence

The 2023 AIA Minneapolis Chapter Merit Awards for Excellence recognizes projects by AIA Minneapolis architects that tell the story of excellence beyond design, give importance to public interest design and embrace the varied forces that shape a building. Using a myriad of criteria, projects were chosen by a diverse jury consisting of architects, business professionals, real estate developers, community advocates, and academic leaders.

“Winning these two awards is a testament to our firm’s commitment to designing occupant-driven spaces that make a community impact beyond their boundaries and that are responsive to the diversity of values within our communities.” said Cindy McCleary, LEO A DALY Minneapolis Managing Principal. LEO A DALY is the only firm to have received AIA Minneapolis Merit Awards for Excellence for projects each of the last four years.

Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) School of Business and Nursing

Minnesota state colleges and universities experienced massive growth in the 1960’s leaving a legacy of campus buildings that are no longer optimal for modern teaching methods. The Anoka-Ramsey Community College School of Business and Nursing renovation is a prototype for the sustainable transformation of these outdated mid-century academic structures, transforming them into modern environments for hands-on learning, teaching and connection, while being judicious of economic and environmental resources.

The multi-discipline classroom building serves as the primary home for the largest program on campus, nursing, as well as the business program and general-purpose classrooms. The design process, influenced by the COVID pandemic, emphasizes the importance of providing modern, effective training for the future generations of nurses. This focus prioritizes the creation of high-quality patient simulation labs and eliminating obstacles to enhance effective teaching. With input from students and faculty, the design caters to a diverse range of activities while supporting students during the rigorous coursework of nursing education.

“Early in the project, the design team saw immense opportunity to create a student space for future program growth, while carving out opportunities to support the well-being of the students,” said Adam Luckhardt, Senior Architect for LEO A DALY. “Recognizing that nursing education is extremely demanding, it was important to incorporate numerous areas where students can focus, relax and socialize.”

The interior renovation includes modernizing classrooms which combined patient simulation beds with debrief areas to encourage connectivity through hands on learning. Robust social spaces and more windows for improved daylight harvesting are included in many spaces inside the building. On the exterior, a new gateway plaza provides a much-needed outdoor terrace, while activating a formerly dormant campus corridor that is the primary entry point to the rest of the campus.

Fulfilling sustainable and economic priorities, the project preserves the original concrete and steel, which results in a 60% reduction in embodied carbon emissions through reuse of existing structure. The building envelope, infrastructure, façade, existing mechanical system, windows and degraded masonry are upgraded, bringing the building closer to modern standards. Notably, the project was completed on time and recycled more than 90% of all project construction waste, exceeding the 70% minimum requirement mandated for state-funded higher-education projects.

“While buildings like this could be demolished, we believe these structures have value and can be reimagined,” said Daniel Yudchitz, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, Director of Design for LEO A DALY. “This renovation illustrates that buildings no longer optimal can be transformed into high-performance facilities that support modern learning, enhance student experience and are economical to construct.”

Historic Fort Snelling Revitalization – Plank Museum & Visitor Center

The former underground visitor center at Fort Snelling had experienced structural concerns and water infiltration that rendered the building unsafe and complicated usability. After years of study, it was demolished and an entirely new experience came to life. In its place, the Historic Fort Snelling Revitalization Museum & Visitors Center project reimagined this National Historic Landmark campus and transformed the place into a major destination that integrated the site, diverse histories, cultures and experiences and revitalized aged structure within the greater Fort Snelling Historic district. The Minnesota Historical Society’s rehabilitation of the former military barracks building and surrounding property embraced a vision to improve the building’s inclusion in its natural, physical environment, while providing a backdrop for the telling of the site’s complex history of both pride and shame, making its stories accessible and relatable to all who visit.
A cornerstone of the project was a complete 22-acre rethinking, which included restored landscapes, restored viewsheds to the river and both downtowns and set a broad vision as an interpretive and history telling site, including places for gathering, education on historic treaties and a place for remembrance. A prairie restoration was critical to the project and relied on input from the Dakota Community Council, representing the voices of the many native communities that know this site as the homeland and beginning of their people, as well as a place of great pain.
The rigorous design process included documentation of historic and existing conditions and establishment of a rich account of the site’s cultural landscapes and physical changes, beginning with geological formation of the landscape through its current condition. Through adaptive reuse, the project preserved and expressed the physical skeleton, construction methods and materials of a 1904 cavalry barracks, selectively removing walls and physically marking those with delineations as shadows of the past, transforming the building into The Plank Museum & Visitor Center. The building now includes exhibits, classrooms, gathering space, a museum retail store, offices and event space and the site serves as the welcome center and outdoor learning environment for the district.

“The design for the visitor center sought to celebrate its built history and retain the character of historic elements while creating innovative, thoughtful spaces to serve modern needs,” said Matthew Keenan, Project Manager for LEO A DALY. “Every wall and surface, every window and door and their trace patina were considered and commemorated with each proposed intervention.”

Sustainable design measures focused on integrating modern, efficient MEP systems in an historic building and the use of native and healing plant species across the entire restored site. Upon visiting the site, a wider and more diverse range of visitors can now visualize and understand its complicated histories and potentially, their own connection to this place.

WTCC Public Safety Simulation and Drone Training Facility

WTCC Public Safety Simulation and Drone Training Facility

Wendell, North Carolina

As part of an initiative to shed traditional siloes to promote dynamic interdisciplinary engagement, meaningful student-faculty-community interaction, and innovation that responds to and anticipates emerging trends in education, industry and society, this public safety simulation training facility is a unique building in a traditional academic campus setting.

The new facility is the first student-occupied facility on Wake Tech Community College’s Eastern Wake 4.0 Campus. Providing cross-disciplined first responder training, it will also lead the state in training educational institutions, state and local agencies on threat response. With a 18,000-SF indoor simulation village for first responder real-life scenarios and de-escalation training, this environment will support fire trucks, ambulances and police cars with sidewalks. 10+ simulated PODs encompass two-stories and emulate bank and retail spaces, school environment, a two-story townhome, hotel with bar and restaurant. There is also a two-story corrections pod facilitates training scenarios for public safety and detention personnel. A fully immersive, 3D virtual reality lab provides for de-escalation, force, mental illness and human judgement training scenarios.

Aimed at building a state-of-the-art facility for robotic development and testing that places demonstration space adjacent to development environments, the space also allows the school to integrate new program capabilities that will shape their drone/robotic training certificate program. This environment will support public safety careers and expand to integrate multiple industry capabilities, with indoor and outdoor robotic/drone training & fabrication capabilities. The stationary, mobile, and aerial robotic facility will have capabilities for testing movable systems, engaging both robot competitions and supporting industry’s testing needs.

The facility also will provide exterior program support spaces like a training/rappelling tower, driving test pad, and screened pavilion for training scenarios.

Client 

Wake Tech Community College

At a glance

76,405-SF 4D public safety simulation training facility

Features

18,000-SF indoor simulation village for first responder real-life scenario and de-escalation training

Fully immersive, 3D virtual reality lab

Two-story environment that configures into 10+ flexible PODs to facilitate various training scenarios

UAS Aerial/Drone development, testing, and flight training

Driving/training course pad

EVITOL Landing Pad (Roof Helicopter Pad)

Services

Architecture

Simulation Lab Design

Interior Design

University of Maryland, School of Public Policy

University of Maryland, School of Public Policy

College Park, Maryland

The new School of Public Policy is a highly visible symbol of the University of Maryland’s dedication to serving the public good. The School aspires to be one of the Top-10 public policy programs in the nation, known for educating the next generation of public policy leaders. This four-story building brings together more than 90 faculty members and 1,000 students formerly spread among four different facilities, and houses the Do Good Institute, a not-for-profit incubator that is the physical manifestation of the School’s mission.

LEO A DALY’s design concept is rooted in the spatial typology of the ancient Agora and its social heart, the Forum, where democratic thought and public discourse were born. The School’s architecture blends contemporary expressions of transparency and openness with materials and rhythmic elements found in the adjacent Georgian-inspired campus buildings. Its carefully sculpted form is highly visible from Baltimore Avenue, a main thoroughfare flanking the campus.

Framing views of two historic buildings, the Rossborough Inn and Memorial Chapel, the building creates a window into the past as a foundation for the future of policymaking. The cascading architectural form follows the natural slope of Chapel Field, forming an elegant edge to one of the signature open spaces on campus. Do Good Plaza, a shared outdoor event space on the building’s east side, embraces the neighboring Purple Line station, establishing a welcoming new gateway into campus.

The sustainably designed building is expected to achieve a LEED Gold rating. Biophilic design features—such as patterns and finishes that are evocative of natural elements—connect occupants to nature, reducing the building’s environmental footprint and providing healthy and productive spaces for work and study.

To enable the university’s leadership in on-line learning and innovative teaching strategies, the design supports contemporary pedagogies, and focuses on engaging and active learning activities such as small group collaboration, and problem-based learning. Leading edge technology includes an internet protocol (IP) based architecture.

Client 

University of Maryland, College Park

At a glance

New building that consolidates operations into a single location

Architecture blends contemporary expressions of transparency and openness

Sustainable features

69,700 SF

Features

Four stories

Outdoor event space

Oval deliberation classroom

Two-story Forum lobby space

Active learning and collaborative workspaces

Services

Master planning

Programming

Architecture

Construction administration

Public Safety and Drone Training Facility Designed by LEO A DALY and Partners

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Public Safety and Drone Training Facility Designed by LEO A DALY and Partners

State-of-the-art public safety training facility is part of a 106-acre technology campus by Wake Tech Community College and Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina

Public Safety Simulation and Drone Training Facility on the Wake Tech Community College Campus

Wake Tech Community College is developing a new 76,405-SF Public Safety Simulation Complex that will lead North Carolina, and likely the United States, in effective 4D public safety simulation training. The new facility will provide training for the College as well as state and local public safety agencies.

“Public safety officers are of paramount importance and serve a vital role in our communities so it’s critical that we prepare them for realistic situations. This new building will allow the college to train law enforcement officers, EMS personnel and firefighters of the future in a model simulated training environment that will equip them to handle rapidly changing conditions.”
– Dr. Scott Ralls, Wake Tech President

The new Public Safety Simulation Center is the first student-occupied facility on WTCC’s Eastern Wake 4.0 Campus. The state-of-the-art simulation facility will provide cross-disciplined first responder training and will lead the state in training educational institutions, state, and local agencies on threat response. The program is designed with a full indoor simulation “streetway” village for first responder real-life scenario and de-escalation training, and the highlight of the center. This environment will support fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars with sidewalks, and 10+ simulation PODS that will emulate everything from bank and retail spaces, school environments, townhome and hotel with bar and restaurant, and corrections facilities.  A fully immersive, 3D virtual reality lab also provides for de-escalation, force, mental illness and human judgement training scenarios.

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and flight training also tie into the future Industry 4.0 programs on the 4.0 Campus. The National UAS Training and Certification Center at Sinclair College consulted on the innovative curricula, cutting-edge technology, and industry-specific equipment that support the aviation-centric programming within the facility. Aimed at building a state-of-the-art environment for robotic development and testing that places demonstration space adjacent to development environments, new immersive environments will allow the College to integrate new program capabilities that will shape their drone/robotic training certificate program.

“Our collaboration with Wake Tech provides students with opportunities to explore advanced careers in drone medical delivery, disaster response, critical infrastructure monitoring, and homeland security. This partnership amplifies our efforts to produce a well-trained workforce to meet growing demand in unmanned aviation, as well as seamless transfer to ECSU’s aviation and emergency management programs, which are in high demand.”
– Karrie G. Dixon, ECSU chancellor

Through a partnership with Elizabeth City State University, WTCC and ECSU students will be able to easily transfer and work together on projects across institutions. Students can engage in immersive training scenarios within a VR Simulation Lab or experiential exercises via an outdoor training space that includes a rooftop helicopter pad.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott Campus – STEM Facility

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott Campus – STEM Facility

Prescott, Arizona

As a national leader in aviation, aerospace, and STEM education, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) was seeing tremendous student growth on campus and needed new STEM environments to support various growing fields in robotics, space, forensics, and wildlife research. LEO A DALY was hired to plan, program, and design a new 50,000-SF STEM building that delivers the next generation of robotic teaching & research laboratories for undergraduate education, research, and economic development within the state and country.

At the core of the facility is a two-story atrium that reinforces the University’s culture, showcasing a multipurpose space for public lectures, fundraising events, and community events. As you explore deeper within the building, students and faculty step foot into a one-of-a-kind STEM-centered, technology-rich facility that combines robust learning environments with industry grade laboratories, workshops, and studios worthy of the brilliant scholars who would use them. Some of the state-of-the-art environments include:

Planetarium: capable of seating 116 students and visitors, showing them the cosmos in 360-degree, 4k resolution.

Cavendish Lab: Provides immersive environments to research and experiment with exotic propulsion systems.

Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Optics Lab: Creating spaces where students can investigate and identify the ‘physics reach’ of Gravitational Waves.

Robotics Lab: A indoor and outdoor teaching and research space that supports and enables the development of stationary, mobile, and aerial robotic systems.

Energy and Thermo-Fluids Lab: Environments that provide experience with standard and green energy experiments.

Engineering Design Studio: Spaces that support mechanical engineering and multi-disciplinary design courses.

Space Grant Lab: Provides a flexible environment where students’ can work on group projects including payloads from cube satellites and high-altitude scientific ballooning missions.

Forensic Lab: Provides spaces for industry-grade forensic biology equipment where students can study an analyze everything from DNA evidence and blood types, environmental contaminants, to microbial identification.

Wildlife Science Lab: Environments that encourages hands-on learning to study ecology, ornithology, mammalogy, and plant identification courses.

Client 

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

At a glance

50,000 SF

$18.9 million

Features

Robotics/Unmanned Aerial Systems labs

Static-free clean rooms for nanotechnology

Laser labs for teaching and research

Space grant/NASA research labs

Planetarium and multipurpose space open to the community

Outdoor testing environments

Services

Feasibility Study

Programming

Project Management

Architecture

Interior Design

FF&E

Construction Administration

Palm Beach Atlantic University, New Business School

Palm Beach Atlantic University, New Business School

Macon, GA

With more than 500 students enrolled in the business school currently and expectations to have nearly 900+ enrolled by the time the new school opens, the new 125,000-SF Business School building is the first project in the development of the University’s transformative campus master plan.

Standing at six-stories, the inviting two-story atrium will welcome visitors into the new academic business hub. With program elements that include everything from a stock trading room with professional terminals and stock ticker, a 314-seat tiered lecture hall, expanded space for the Titus Center for Franchising, and the LeMieux Center for Public Policy, the new Business School will provide a pipeline of highly ethical business leaders of the future not only for the region, but nationwide.

The University plans to earn the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools Business (AACSB) accreditation for the new school. AACSB accreditation is the highest level of business school accreditation and has been achieved by a mere five percent of global business schools.

With the pan to break ground in under 15 months, the project is expected to be completed in 2025.

Client 

Palm Beach Atlantic University

At a glance

  • 125,000-SF
  • Six-Stories

Features

  • Two-Story Atrium
  • Stock Trading Room
  • 314-Seat Lecture Hall
  • Classrooms
  • Offices
  • Collaboration Hubs
  • Targeted – Association to Advance Collegiate Schools Business (AACSB) Accreditation

Services

  • Master Planning
  • Programming
  • Architectural Design
  • Interior Design
  • Construction Administration Services

Winona State University, Education Village

Winona State University, Education Village

Winona, MN

LEO A DALY was selected to design the adaptive reuse of three buildings for the new location of the Winona State University College of Education. The LEO A DALY engineering team evaluated each building to assure the structures could support the mechanical improvements needed to support future functions. All three would receive significant interior renovation and additions of various sizes. In addition, our design team developed a language to unite the buildings and create a common identity, primarily by using local materials.

Wabasha Hall: Constructed in 1958 as a classroom building, Wabasha’s outdoor courtyard is now a two-story atrium and new main entry – transforming into the center of the village. The hands-on learning philosophy transformed the program and design vision placing “learning-on-display” allowing for a continual learning loop and turning the classroom inside out, creating open-air student/faculty collaboration zones.

Wabasha Rec Center: The rec center currently includes two buildings, a gymnasium constructed in the 1920s and a 1992 gym addition, which contains climbing walls. The design calls for the addition, also known as John Nett Gym, was to remain. However, the older portion will be demolished due to its condition and the cost of addressing its significantly deteriorated envelope and integrating code-compliant renovations. In its place, an addition south of the 1992 gym will provide the main building entry, departmental office space, one classroom, equipment storage and restrooms.

Cathedral School: Originally constructed as a school building in 1929, Cathedral School’s classrooms represent an aging learning environment, yet still exists in the spectrum of schools in the United States and in which a segment of future teachers will work. It presented a unique opportunity to create a thoroughly modern teaching apparatus within the context of a historic classroom “shell.” The building contains two classrooms, post-graduate teacher development functions and administrative offices, including the Dean’s suite. These functions within the building enabled students and faculty to experience the rich historic office and teaching spaces from early in the century. Challenged to engineer life safety and fire protection systems while maintaining the aesthetic of the existing structure, we remained in consistent communication with the school and the jurisdiction authority.

The facility also has a spectrum of learning spaces, from completely historic and low-tech to today’s active learning classrooms, STEM and robotics labs, and maker spaces.

Client 

Winona State University

At a glance

  • 90,932 SF
  • Adaptive Reuse of 1929, 1920, and 1958 Buildings

Features

  • 42% Energy savings & 22% carbon emissions savings through the replacement of the mechanical, electrical infrastructure.
  • Active Learning Classrooms
  • STEM and Robotics Labs
  • Maker Spaces
  • Technology Enabled Active Learning (TEAL)
  • Learning-on-Display
  • Collaboration Spaces

Services

  • Master Planning
  • Facilities Assessment
  • Space Analysis
  • Architectural Design
  • Interior Design
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Structural Engineering
  • Construction administration services

California State University, Chancellor’s Office

California State University, Chancellor’s Office

Long Beach, California

Interior renovations and a portion of exterior site improvements renewed the Office of the Chancellor building at California State University, supporting the mission of providing a collaborative and professional environment.

The existing CSU Office of the Chancellor building was permitted in 1997. With over 20 years of usage and wear and tear, the building renovation was necessary to meet new operational demands and upgrades to outdated infrastructure. The building required ADA upgrades, elevator modernization, finish replacements, lighting replacements, fire alarm system replacements, IT system upgrades and workstation reconfiguration.

The project used a collaborative design-build project delivery method, under which the design-builder, Skanska, contracted directly with the LEO A DALY design team to complete the design and construction. Approval from the CSU Peer Reviewer, Division of State Architect and the State Fire Marshal was obtained within four months.

Client 

California State University

At a glance

Renewal of the Office of the Chancellor building at California State University

Features

Refresh supports CSU’s mission of providing a collaborative and professional environment

Collaborative design-build project delivery method

Services

Full architecture and engineering services

George Washington University, Corcoran School of Fine Arts

George Washington University, Corcoran School of Fine Arts

Washington, DC

LEO A DALY was selected by The George Washington University (GW) to lead the effort to plan and design the work required to stabilize the building’s deterioration, and to surgically insert the required code, infrastructure and programmatic improvements into the historic fabric in order to make the landmark a viable structure.

When the building is fully occupied, the proportions of space devoted to its original, intended uses of art school and art gallery will have reversed. Going forward, the primary occupant of the building will be the University’s “Corcoran School of the Arts and Design”. As the second-floor galleries of the 1887 structure offer such unique exhibition space, those galleries will be opened to the public and managed by the National Gallery of Art (NGA), providing the school and the community the opportunity to experience works of art.

The project is being delivered in phases to accommodate GW’s needs under an Integrated Design Build (IDB) process. The work completed for the project to date includes finalization of the master program and phasing strategies for the University’s ultimate use of the landmark structure.

Additionally, we have completed the design of architectural, infrastructure and life safety renovations to the sub-basement, basement ground floor and second floor art studios, and first floor offices, required to facilitate the School of the Arts and Design’s full occupancy. The building remained occupied during most phases of the work, gradually increasing occupancy as phases were completed.

Client 

The George Washington University

At a glance

120,000 SF renovation

Features

Classrooms

Art labs

Student galleries

Faculty and administration space

2019 Craftsmanship Award winner, Mechanical: HVAC – piping, Washington Building Congress

Services

Programming

Architectural design

Planning

Historic restoration

Interior design

Public involvement

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