How long have you been at KOMA and how did you land here?
I began working at KOMA 7 years ago. Time flies by!
I was living in New Jersey at the time and was wanting to move back to Minnesota, so I began to research firms in the Twin Cities and came across KOMA. I ended up getting a job at another architecture firm when I first moved back to the cities but always kept in touch with Brady and shortly afterwards made the move. I knew that I wanted to be at a smaller firm, one where I could experience a project beginning to end and one that offered a wider range of involvement.
What led you to put some roots down at KOMA?
The values and the environment were absolutely factors. But another thing that I really appreciate about the firm is that there is a great meshing of collaboration and individuality. I always had an entrepreneurial spirit and I feel as though working at KOMA is the best of both worlds. There is definitely a sense of project ownership, but I also get the benefit of other designers and engineers right next to me when I need the insight.
How did you choose architecture as a career path?
As a kid I would build a city out of paper for my matchbox cars to drive-thru. I even made a metrodome out of paper, but it fell over. Maybe that is why I didn’t go into structural engineering. I was always doing home improvement projects as I grew up and knew I wanted to do something in the construction industry. When I found out how much I loved creating 3D models of buildings in the computer, I decided being an architect was my goal.
What keeps you growing, learning, inspired in the industry?
We are privileged at KOMA in that projects and clients are not always the same day to day, week to week. As a result no two days are the same and there are new challenges that arise regularly. Things are always changing in our industry so there is always room to grow and learn as new ways to model or new building codes are integrated. What inspires me as an architect is the ability to simply create spaces for people that makes their everyday life better without them even knowing it. If something I design makes someone smile, relax, save energy or makes something they do more functional they I have accomplished my goal.
Favorite architect?
Tadao Ando has always been one of my favorites. I have had the privilege of seeing some of his work in Asia in person. The emotions his buildings can pull out of you when you are just standing in them is inspiring. I sat in the Church of the Light and walked around the Naoshima Contemporary Art Museum. I will never forget the feelings I experienced just being there. It was like stepping into a work of art and exploring it from the inside. The simple shapes he uses and the logic of how he allowed the elements to interact with each other are only things a master architect could achieve. If you have never been to one of his creations, I highly recommend you put it on your bucket list.
AERC selected MRI and CT scan equipment from the human medical field as opposed to veterinary as these provide increased power and better image quality. The installation of this delicate equipment meant special attention to detail had to be paid to the architectural component. “This specialized equipment was a crucial aspect of the design,” says principal architect Steve Iaria, “there are many factors that come into play to make sure this equipment can function properly.” The MRI machine weighs approximately 3,000 pounds and had to be lifted via crane. After it was in place, the last wall of the MRI room was raised into position. Due to the MRI’s magnetic pull, no surrounding components could contain any metal. The MRI also will not tolerate a disruption like shaking or rattling well, so it could not be housed on an outside wall. The CT machine also had a special requirement; due to the radiation emission, the surrounding area necessitated lead shielding. In conjunction with the specialty equipment, the project entailed adding three sterile surgery suites, one of which boasts sterility levels akin to surgical suites in human hospitals. Specialized mechanical systems were also designed to increase the level of air quality throughout the facility.
It used to be that every time customers needed banking assistance, they would go to a brick and mortar building, sit face to face with a banker and attain their transactions. With technology advancing and mobile opportunities more readily available, not every branch requires such a traditional format. Wings Financial recently launched a new prototype integrating these trends. This prototype includes the implementation of Personal Teller Machines (PTM’s), just one of the many technological advances in banking. These machines, while echoing the aesthetics of an ATM, allow a customer to not only complete cash deposits but to also complete other transactions , for example anything from a mortgage inquiry to a small business loan. The PTM’s facilitate live face to face interaction on the screen; this lets the customer ask questions and experience the personal service but it permits the banker to help customers at multiple locations by remote interaction. “This prototype consisted of an entirely new space allocation due to the newer technology,” says interior designer Leanne Tanguay, “we had to consider how to make the retail space approachable and usable while fully incorporating Wings’ branding elements.
The interior designers at KOMA worked with Wings to implement their first new prototype on the skyway level of Rand Tower, Minneapolis in 2016. Shortly following, an adaptation of the prototype was designed and installed in the lower level of the Minneapolis Government Center, the project completed in February of 2017. “We learned from researching banking innovations how PTM’s will potentially work within the retail model.” says interior designer Cindy Nagel, “It is important for us to understand the new trends in banking and technology and how to implement them within a retail setting. We are really excited about the bank of the future and how it will interrelate with retail design.”
