akrech

October 2019 – St. Louis Park, Minn. – Yeshiva of Minneapolis, a nationally known Jewish high school for boys, provides students an opportunity to obtain a Jewish centered education and a place that they can live, play, and worship in a safe community environment. Due to its superb educational reputation and popularity, Yeshiva of Minneapolis needed to greatly increase the size of the facility to allow for more students to attend the school while living on campus. With the help of the design team, which included KOMA, Nor-Son Construction, Emanuelson-Podas Engineers, and Loucks Inc., a major expansion of the facility is nearing completion. The new addition, which doubles the size of the school, includes a full size gymnasium with clerestory windows to bring in natural light, new classrooms, new restrooms and shower areas, lounge and activity spaces on each floor, new offices for the staff, and 26 additional dormitory rooms.

Adding onto the existing facility posed several major challenges to the design team. One major challenge involved tying the existing and new facility into one cohesive design. Other challenges involved a 20 foot drop in elevation of the site from one corner to the opposite corner; a high water table that ran through the site, floors between the old and new structures that did not line up, plus designing bearing walls that extended over 15 feet into a hill. There were also major storm water management issues in designing for the proper drainage of water off such a small and tight site. “The addition was only two feet above the existing water table and each side of the new addition was very close to the property lines, therefore, we had to think very strategically about how to design the new facility to function as best as possible,” says architect Kevin Dummer, “we wanted to provide the owners with a building that could meet their goals and objectives since there was no additional square footage left on the site for any future additions.”

Finding solutions for these many challenges required working closely with St. Louis Park city staff from zoning approvals to final construction inspections. “We were thankful for our relationship with the City,” says architect Brady Mueller, “we have worked with them for over 25 years and value their support and assistance in finding the right solution to the many construction issues that arise. In fact, our entire design team, including the owners, worked extremely well together and that is so important in a complex project such as this one.”

“Despite all of the complications, this was a great project to be part of” says Kevin Dummer, “we are so honored to have helped the owners in achieving their dream with this school.”

October 2019 – St. Louis Park, Minn. – Over the past few years, the City of St. Louis Park has modernized their City Hall, transforming the three story space and the landscaping that surrounds it. The Chamber Council area was the most recent piece and along with the designers at KOMA, they brought the space up to date and creating a room that not only functioned well for the Council and City staff but was also warm and welcoming to the community.

KOMA’s interior designers worked with the City of St. Louis Park to redesign the first floor of the city hall (read more about that project here) and once complete, the city took the standard that was developed and applied it to all three floors of the building, creating a cohesive and updated facility top to bottom. The Council Chamber, which holds public forums, Council meetings and training sessions was the last major piece of the renovation. The goal was for this space to be functional and modern with current technology while remaining warm and inviting for members of the community who will utilize the space.

Reconfiguration of the room’s layout was a large part of the program. “Initially the room entrance, which had no visibility into the space, was set up behind the council which made for an uncomfortable entrance if a meeting was already in progress,” says interior designer Leanne Freed, “we wanted to provide an environment that was open and welcoming.” The room orientation was rotated 90 degrees so the entrance occurs in the back of the space with a glass wall and double door allowing visibility into the room prior to entering. “We added electronically switched glass which allows the windows to be clear if a public meeting is occurring or frosted if a staff training is being held.” says Freed.

The millwork has moveable components which allow the room to be rearranged for different types of meetings. The podium is mobile and holds a large screen and two additional screens are located on the adjacent walls so all parties can view presented materials. Strategically placed lighting was designed to illuminate the faces of the Council Members.

“Creating a space that functioned well and looked aesthetically pleasing in person and on television was a large factor in the design,” says interior designer Cindy Nagel, “we worked to create a clean space that showcased the city’s logo and had optimal lighting and acoustics.” Acoustical perforated wood panels were added to the walls and white floating, linear acoustical ceiling tile sections were added to the ceiling to not only add warmth and brighten the space but assist with sound attenuation.

To further brighten the space and bring in maximum natural light, the existing openings in the exterior wall were enlarged, creating two large windows which became the highlight of the space. Not only did this provide natural light and a view of the gardens below but it also provided additional aesthetics to the exterior. “We’re really proud of how this project turned out,” says Freed, “and I think it is a space that the city can be proud of for many years to come.”

April 2019 – Shakopee, Minn. – Rahr Malting Corporation, a worldwide producer and distributor of malt and associated supplies for breweries, distilleries and allied industries, recently completed an expansion and renovation of their corporate office space. Together with the designers at KOMA and Greystone Construction, the team created a space that not only functions well but is also reflective of the company’s deep-rooted values and history.

Rahr is a family owned company that has been in business since 1847 and is now owned and run by the 5^th and 6^th generations. This generational bond is an integral part of the company and in many ways defines the culture of the business. Integrating this aspect was essential in the design of the office space and inspired much of the aesthetic and function of the facility. The project began with employee surveys to discover what aspects of the current space they wanted to retain and what preferences they had for the new space. This approach allowed for everyone within the company to have ownership in the project.

A large reception desk greets each individual as they walk through the main doors. Located just behind the desk is the bierstube, an old-world pub that bears resemblance to those in Germany. The glass dividing the “stube” has a frosted vinyl emblem with the company’s logo surrounded with barley. A main conference room and large break room are located adjacent to and accessible from the stube. “The goal was to make this area inviting to both employees and guests and to really speak to who they are as a company with melding old world elements and modern ones,” says interior designer Leanne Freed, “this space truly is the heart of the facility and it needed to reflect that in both its function and aesthetic.”

Other design elements included retaining brick from the existing building and utilizing it on the interior. Company colors were placed strategically throughout the space and historical documents and props were identified and given a home. Glass was used in the office areas to create a lighter and more open feel to the individual offices and work stations. Exterior windows were also added to provide sightlines to those sitting and working. “We wanted to produce a space that was bright and allowed natural light to flow in,” says interior designer Laura Bauer, “it creates an atmosphere that people want to be in.”

An open staircase leads to the second floor where conference spaces and the executive offices are located along with wellness rooms and privacy rooms. This level overlooks the rest of the campus including the Rahr Malting Tech Center (to read more about this project, click here.) “This project truly was a collaboration and it was enjoyable to help create a space that Rahr felt reflected their unique culture,” says interior designer Cindy Nagel, “we wanted to give them a beautiful facility that every person on their team could feel proud of.”

April 2019 – Minneapolis, Minn. – Founded in Atlanta Georgia, LongHorn Steakhouse is a staple restaurant for steak lovers around the country. The brand continues to grow since its doors opened in 1981 and with the help of the designers at FRCH NELSON and the structural team at KOMA there is no end in sight. As LongHorn puts it, as long as there are steak lovers to feed, the LongHorn legend continues…and we at KOMA don’t believe steak lovers are going anywhere anytime soon.

KOMA began working with the LongHorn Steakhouse (owned by Darden Restaurants) team in 2008 and has currently done the structural design for over 200 LongHorn restaurants around the country. Cincinnati based architects FRCH NELSON introduced KOMA’s structural engineers to the team after working with them on American Girl at Mall of America. It was at this time that the restaurant embarked on a rebrand of their prototype; transforming the style of the restaurant from roadhouse to ranch. Since that time, the prototype has had several variations to the design such as the front entryway. The dining area also contains exposed trusses now, creating a more open and bright space.

Structurally, variations within the prototype are largely dependent on the location within the country – the site the restaurant sits on, and what city and state it is located in. Poor soil conditions may require a specialized foundation systems.  Coastal cities may be located in hurricane areas and require a steel roof and masonry walls versus the typical wood building with wood roof joists.  Other locations may be located in seismic areas.  Another element that affect the structural prototype are the mechanical units. Depending on the climate, the mechanical units can change affecting its size which may require a change in the weight of trusses.

“Every project is a little bit different but the great thing about our team is that we have worked together for such a long time that we have a strong understanding of what the other team members require to get the job done and done well,” says principal structural designer, Brian Riley. “We have a great synergy and that makes the projects really enjoyable to work on.”