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CNH Architects provided design and oversight for the interior upgrades at the nursery building at the Minnesota Zoo’s Family Farm exhibit.
Exterior site improvements included fresh paint, new pavement, concrete plazas, new trees and plants, trellises, and a canopy to provide shade for both people and animals, and a play structure for goat enrichment.
Grading was modified to improve water run-off. Wi-fi connections were added throughout the farm to modernize communications and power stations were spread around the farm to power food trucks.
“Working on the existing farm was complex and challenging; we had to be nimble during construction, not knowing exactly what would be exposed as the contractor excavated carefully around the site,” said CNH Senior Associate Al Tsai.
“This is a great update for the Zoo and the family farm – making it wi-fi friendly, modernizing the walkable surfaces, defining public gathering areas, providing shade, enriching life for the animals, meanwhile maintaining the working farm atmosphere,” he added.
CNH’s largest fire station to date, the City of Burnsville’s Fire Station No. 1 is home to a crew of all full-time firefighters and more than 44,000 SF with 10 apparatus bays. Firefighter safety was one of nine top priorities for the station. Multiple contamination zones and a designated de-contamination area will allow firefighters to keep contaminated equipment and clothing in the apparatus bay until decontaminated. Another priority in the design was firefighter mental health. A warning system that slowly ramps up with alert tones and lighting while only alerting responding staff ensures firefighters are not awoken in an abrupt manner. The station includes areas for relaxation with different lighting to promote natural sleep rhythms, as well as a yoga studio and meditation garden. Extensive firefighter training features including Firefighter 1 and advanced training elements are another highlight of the station.