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October 2018 – Lino Lakes, Minn. – Renovations are wrapping up at Lino Lakes Elementary School as students and teachers are settling in and a new school year is underway. KOMA designers partnered with Martin Pevzner, Kraus Anderson, and Loucks to modernize various facets of the school in a multiple year remodel that began in 2017.

Located in the Forest Lake Area School district, the building was comprised of decades of additions and remodels and needed a cohesive design, one that highlighted and promoted the school’s STEM program and forward-thinking approach to curriculum. New mechanical rooms were added, classroom partitions removed and replaced with floor to ceiling walls for sound control and safety, the courtyard was infilled to add more classrooms, a new secure entry vestibule built, and new landscaping now promotes outdoor learning.

The design incorporates innovative elements that function as educational tools for both students as staff and highlight STEM – which focuses on science, technology, engineering and math. Exposed, color-coded ductwork acts as a map illustrating how air moves through the building. A digital monitor will sit near the entry to demonstrate how the south facing dynamic glazing is computer programmed to tint and change throughout the day in reaction to the sun angle. Structural beams, columns, and connection bolts are left exposed to spark a conversation about physics. And the centerpiece space, a large, two-story commons area, is designed to serve as a hub for both the students and the community as a whole.  All these elements come together to tell the story of a building whose renewal serves to reinforce the school’s goals for the future.

“It was a challenge to create a building that not only cohesively improved the function but would highlight the exploration in the STEM curriculum,” says principal architect Marc DuBois, “we want the students to be able to see the duct and learn that cool air is distributed through it in the summer or see a structural beam and column connection and begin to understand more about physics  – it was important that it was not just a space to hold class but a learning tool itself.”

Curriculum in grades pre-K through 12 is an ever-evolving aspect of education. As more exploration is done on student learning styles and the corresponding environments, it has become evident there is a need for greater insight into the design and function of the physical spaces of a school environment. It is our mission at KOMA to have an in-depth understanding of the exploration journey along with the educators so that we are able to deliver the best design services to school districts in order to help them achieve their goals.

New learning programs challenge the traditional modes of learning and look at all aspects of the students learning from classroom layout to furniture to natural and artificial lighting. We have seen a shift in the integration of design and curriculum in what is known as specialized learning and collaborative learning.

Specialized learning is gaining additional awareness with the current growth of students with varying learning styles. To allow students multiple environments within the larger classroom and in a more intimate setting outside of the classroom, more design consideration is required.  “At Lino Lakes we created a suite of 10’x10’ spaces that allowed for an occupational therapist, psychologists or special education teachers to meet with students individually,” says Laura Bauer, interior designer at KOMA, “these spaces allow for individual requirements that each student may have and allows for specialized learning without classroom distractions.”

Collaborative learning is another educational approach being integrated in schools and directly affects the design. Instead of traditional, separate rooms, classrooms are built with retractable walls that allow for the rooms to open into one larger space yet also can be closed off when needed. Flexible furnishings are also a large component to collaborative learning. Mobile and adjustable desks, tables, chairs and media charging booths with electronic devices can be rearranged easily to create a setting for a small group of students one day and a large group the next. The media center we collaborated on at Lake and Cottage Grove Middle School exemplifies this concept. The space has two areas of sectional sofa style seating that can come together to create one large sofa or be broken down into individual seating pieces. One wall is lined with booth style seating for semi-private study, and round tables on wheels can be arranged for a group setting. Flexibility is the goal.

This flexible model for collaborative learning also allows educational facilities to reconfigure their spaces from year to year. Based on changing student demographics, curriculum, and extracurricular offerings teachers may be moving from one room to the next. “We aim to create spaces that allow for a variety of activities and uses,” says architect Marc DuBois, “we want durability and flexibility to ensure that the spaces function best for the school for years to come.”

There are a myriad of other aspects that go into an ideal learning environment, some of which are initially unnoticed such as proper ventilation, quiet systems and adjustable levels and types of lighting. It is our goal as a design team to immerse ourselves in each district’s unique culture as it pertains to curriculum and facilities. We collaborate with the leaders and end users to create an environment that sets the framework for growth in both quantity and quality for years to come.

May 8th, 2018 – Rogers, MINN – When Kinghorn Construction purchased a new warehouse space to house their corporate offices, they called on the team of designers at KOMA to assist in the process. With a lot of collaboration, the new space, located in Rogers, MN not only provides the function they need but reflects their company culture and their trade.

Kinghorn Construction was founded in 1979 in Rogers, MN by Grady Kinghorn. Together with his son and a team of professionals the company provides commercial construction management services throughout the metro area.  The company purchased a new warehouse facility in Rogers to relocate their corporate office space and provide storage for construction materials. The intent was to create a space that was fun and had some unique design elements. “It was important that the space told a story and reflected what Kinghorn could do,” says architect Alisha Simones, “we fused together a north woods vibe with modern curves and angles to create a space that felt warm yet current.”

On the exterior, the entrance to the office was relocated to provide better wayfinding from the parking lot and windows were added to bring light into the conference areas, lobby and individual offices. In the interior, the ceilings were left open exposing duct work giving height to the space while lending to a modern and industrial feel. The reception area houses a custom designed desk that makes a bold statement for the entrance of the office. Behind the desk is stained lumber that vertically runs up the wall, continuing horizontally above the desk. The desk itself is a curved concrete block with an I-beam mounted on top. “The desk truly was a collaboration among the team, says principal interior designer Cindy Nagel, “we did a lot of ideation with stacked wood, heavy timbers, poured concrete and in the end, Kinghorn created this amazing piece from concrete and an I-beam.”

Also included in the space was a conference room, kitchen area, and a layout space for media and printing equipment. 3 private offices were added, each with sliding barn doors stained to give them a more modern and elevated feel. “Kinghorn’s involvement and creativity throughout the project really speaks to their relationship with their trade and what they can do,” says Nagel, “we always love a project that allows originality and innovation to be present and this and this design is yet another exciting example!”

May 8th, 2018 – Bloomington, Minn. – After 25 years of working in the basement of Mall of America, the executives moved into new offices located in the mall office tower, Offices @ MOA, built in 2015. With the help of KOMA and a well-developed design team, the move is complete and the staff is now working from a bright, airy and energetic space.

The existing offices were dark, lacking natural light and were a maze of corridors and cubicles. In 2015 when the owners of Mall of America built the Offices @ MOA, the executives saw an opportunity to relocate not only their executive offices but also the operational and construction offices. The goal was to create an environment that reflected the brand and encouraged a collaborative culture. Building on groundwork created by Cunningham Group and Toronto based GH+A, KOMA developed a comprehensive design that reflected these needs.

The lobby is a crisp white space anchored by a sleek reception desk which is backed by a translucent MOA logo on a glass partition. The MOA logo and signature ribbon runs throughout the space. The brand is further visible through means of color and pattern in carpet and wall graphics.

Capitalizing on an open, clean, new space, an intentional design approach for the office was taken – leaving exposed ceiling decks and polished concrete floors in circulation areas. LED light strips installed at an angle create visual interest and movement in the open space. Low paneled workstations and color blocking on groupings of offices create neighborhoods and promote ease of way-finding. Full height glass on interior spaces allows the natural light to permeate throughout the space.

“One of MOA’s core values is “Enthusiastic” – energy is infectious!” says principal interior designer Cindy Nagel, “The entire team feels that the completed space conveys just that; a fitting representation of their brand reflected in their physical environment.”