AIA Leadership | Kyle Palzer

At Kodet, we encourage all our employees to participate in volunteer opportunities that help strengthen the architecture community. Kyle Palzer, Assoc. AIA a designer here at Kodet, has been actively involved with the AIA North Central States Region Emerging Professional Committee as the Regional Associate Director, to help guide policy matters for the national professional organization. The committee has continued to strengthen its regional bonds over the last year with monthly working calls taking place between the four states of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. This past year the committee put into action the initiatives it laid out last year, resulted in the following: aiancsr.com was launched, a new Emerging Professional focused website which provides resources, blogs, and recognition geared specifically for this AIA member category. The fourth annual Regional EP Summit took place in Madison, WI at the start of October hosted by AIA Wisconsin. The regional Emerging Professional Friendly Firm Award was introduced, similar to the former IDP Firm Award, it recognizes firms that do an outstanding job supporting young professionals. Kyle has been able to connect the region’s Emerging Professional leaders together and spearheaded the NCSR EP Friendly Firm Award. Kyle’s term as the Regional Associate Director ends at the end of the year. However, he will continue to represent Associate AIA members as he steps into a new role on the AIA National Associates Committee, serving as one of four National At-Large Director for 2020-21 leading the Influence + Innovation work group. The goal of the workgroup will be to plug the voice of the Emerging Professional into the future initiatives AIA is working on. These include the 2021-2024 AIA Strategic Plan, “The Next Big Thing” – AIA’s committee and knowledge community restructuring plan, and AIA’s Climate Action Plan, known as “The Big Move”. To help foster this collaboration, the National Associates […]

EP Friendly Firm Award

We are proud to be recognized by the North Central States Region AIA Emerging Professionals Committee and be awarded one of the Emerging Professionals Friendly Firm Awards for 2019-2020! The EP Friendly Firm Award is awarded to firms that excel at the following: Provide fair compensation and benefits to emerging professionals. Support architectural licensure and invest in professional development of EP’s. Actively create opportunities for emerging professionals to grow. Demonstrate commitment and innovation to train and mentor EP’s. Below is the press release from NCSR:

Stories of AIA Leadership

I’ve never thought of myself as a leader, especially not when it came to my job. Having just finished school about a year ago, I began my professional career thinking the leaders in a firm were the principals and it stopped there. It would be years and years before I could ever work my way up to that position, if ever. However, working at Kodet has made my opinion on this take a full 180 degree turn. This firm is filled with leaders in all aspects of the architectural profession and beyond. Having this great group of role models around me has pushed me to take on more challenges and be more confident in what I do each day. Because of this, I now think of myself as a leader as well. Here at Kodet, we really value involvement in AIA. This gives us the opportunity to be involved in decision making regarding the future of the profession, get involved with students of all ages, and work to improve the public understanding and appreciation of architecture. Getting involved with AIA has given me a voice within the profession, allowed me to make connections with many great architects in the area, and provided numerous opportunities for me to serve the community. I am an associate director on the AIA Minneapolis Board, I have gotten involved with the AIA Minnesota Women in Architecture, and I have had the opportunity to speak to multiple high school classes about architecture. My story wouldn’t be possible without the great young leaders at Kodet. Here are a couple of the leadership stories from Kodet team members who have inspired and encouraged me: Katie Kangas, AIA Through AIA, Katie advocates for young people and women within the profession. Katie currently holds the position of AIA Minnesota […]

Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd | Preserving Character

LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD | PRESERVING CHARACTER The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Minneapolis had begun to turn the page into a new chapter, which called for an adaptation to their sacred space to meet contemporary needs. Originally built over 65 years ago, the renovation aimed to uphold the historic integrity and respectfully adapting the Vic Gilbertson, FAIA mid-century modern church to meet current programmatic needs. The Kodet Team understood the importance of this historic restoration and through carefully studying sketches and the building’s artwork we were able to develop a better understanding for the back-story and connection to the details. Integral to the renovation was the idea of strengthening the bond between the church and the congregation, which reflects the celebration of their faith and community. The ever-present theme was preservation + improving functionality to serve current and future generations. ARCHITECTURAL SOLUTION The renovation and restoration looked how to make the best use of the buildings great art and architecture. A key element was to connect the existing sanctuary to the existing courtyard originally separated by brick wall with stained glass windows. By removing the south wall of the nave, we were able to expand the space by creating large custom wood sliding doors. These grand doors open the worship space to the new catwalk, which features a balcony overlooking the updated exterior courtyard. The worship expansion and inclusion of these custom doors incorporated the relocated original stained glass and allows a full view over the courtyard and introduces natural light into the sanctuary. Most importantly, we were able to creatively save and utilize the existing stained glass panels. By using materials original to the building and combining this with the glass, the changes transformed the church from an introverted interior focused space to a […]

Drones in Architecture

ELK RIVER WATER TOWER Problem: How do you field measure a water tower in the middle of a Minnesota winter? A. Risk your life to climb an icy freezing slippery ladder and use a tape measure and laser pointer to get an approximation of size. B. Fly a drone and take pictures and use these images to create a point cloud and Revit family with exact dimensions. Answer: B: Fly a drone. Working with the City of Elk River and CAD Technology Center (CTC), an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV aka Drone) was flown the morning of February 8, 2018. The drone set-up and flight only took a few hours and the flight created a photo scan of the water tower by taking hundreds of digital photos. CTC processes the data and created a point cloud file in Revit. From this file, a Revit family component was created that is a full sized three-dimensional digital representation of the water tower After Kodet received the Revit model, some detail had to be added to the model, but the basic dimensions, size, shape, and heights were a part of the model created from the photo scan. Kodet used this model to create drawings for contractors to estimate renovation costs to repaint the historical water tower. Countless hours were saved in field time and modeling time. In the end, a much more accurate set of drawings were created because of the use of the drone. The documentation process to get contractors to be able to bid the project became very simple and cost effective. The client was also pleased with the results and accuracy of the drawings that were created by the UAV Scan. Our office looks forward to using this highly advanced technology, which is constantly changing on future projects. Flying […]

Emerging Professionals Firm Tour

Have you ever been to an architecture firm? When I decided to become an architect, I had met exactly 2 architects and only visited one of their firms. Call it love at first sight. Call it a leap of faith. I was 14 and knew I wanted to be an architect. Over the next 8 years, I didn’t meet another architect until graduate school. A career path into architecture does not require this blind leap of faith. This year, the AIA Emerging Professional’s Committee (EPC) is coordinating Firm Tours at 6 different architecture firms in the Twin Cities. These firms open their doors for students and early career professionals to experience their work space and unique culture. You get a guided tour of the office, hear about projects, and ask questions about daily tasks and challenges. The 2018 Firm Tours are a revamp of the EPC’s Draughting Club. At Draughting Club, emerging professionals and students in the Twin Cities could meet, enjoy a local brewery or distillery, and chat about challenges we face in our early architectural career. The new Firm Tours still foster a relaxed atmosphere for networking but with several upgrades: Meeting experienced professionals from the host firm Seeing architecturally designed offices Tours guided by firm leadership Free food! In April, Kodet Architectural Group is hosting the EPC Firm Tour in collaboration with the AIA Architecture in Schools Committee. We invite emerging professionals of all ages (high schoolers, undergraduates, graduate students, and early professionals) to see our office by the Walker Art Center. It’s a free tour with snacks and beverages but space is limited. Register today at this link We work in a remodeled mansion complete with fireplaces, beautiful woodwork, and “bridge” addition off the back. It’s a fun place to see, but the character of our […]

Envisioning the Firm of the Future

Kyle Palzer is the AIA North Central States Region Associate Director (RAD) for 2018 & 2019. As such he serves on the AIA National Associates Committee (NAC) which is comprised of 29 non-licensed AIA members from across the country. The NAC and the YAF (Young Architects Forum – 29 recently licensed AIA members) come together once a year for a Joint Annual Meeting, which took place in Phoenix, AZ February 8-10th 2018. It was a pleasure to join fellow Emerging Professionals from across the country to envision what the future of the architecture profession might look like. However, the meeting went beyond just planning, by beginning to develop concepts and ways in which to implement and effect change. The National Associates Committee is focused on making new headways in four areas over the next year; Future Practice, Advocacy, Mentorship, and Research. For the upcoming year I will be a part of the Future Practice Workgroup, which seeks to develop a Firm Culture Document similar to the Studio Culture Document created by the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) in December 2000. In order to implement such a document, my workgroup will first draft an Emerging Professional Position Statement, which seeks to envision what the future associate member will want and need to be successful in the profession 15 years down the road. As firm environments continue to change, and the ways in which we interact, and work evolve, there is a need to adapt to these changes. This is beneficial not just for firms to retain talent, but to remain competitive with other fields. If architecture fails to adapt to these changing working styles, many may see a profession that remains rooted in the past, when in fact quite the opposite needs to happen, as it is the role of […]

Search for Shelter

SEARCH FOR SHELTER Last weekend, Kyle and I enjoyed participating in the Search for Shelter Charrette. Search for Shelter is an AIA sponsored even for non-profit organizations in need of ideas to help further their missions and goals. Design professional volunteer for a single weekend charrette, using design to solve a problem. This particular design weekend has been active for 31 years. Non-profits across the state of Minnesota submit projects for 7 or so volunteer teams to take on. We drove over to the University of Minnesota after work to join one of 7 teams for collaborative design. Saturday morning we each visited our non-profit’s site and immersed ourselves in the challenges we had been asked to address. We spent the rest of Saturday and Sunday morning creating what you see below: This year my team explored potential projects for the Midtown Greenway. This 5.5 mile bike path sits in a former railroad trench. We were asked to look at one of the 46 bridges and create a transit and affordable housing connection along the Greenway. 17 neighborhoods participate in the Greenway Coalition. They desire people and developments to see the Greenway as the “front porch” and orient their businesses to this unique bike trail. This adds a level of perceived security and safety. We presented renderings of our design to the Midtown Greenway Coalition on Sunday. The affordable housing included a sub-level that opened up to a patio at the Greenway level. Paths and patios were designed to activate the space below one of the 46 bridges along this well known bike path. Kyle’s team explored options to develop affordable housing near a vacant industrial space, part of the Upper Harbor Terminal revitalization by the City of Minneapolis. The non-profit asked the team to seamlessly integrate sustainability into the […]

Top Projects Crystal Public Works

Finance & Commerce recently named their Top Projects of 2015. The 26 projects were selected by an independent panel of judges looking at degree of difficulty, creativity in design, innovative construction techniques, cooperation among contractors and management, and sustainability efforts. Kodet Architectural Group is honored to have the City of Crystal, Public Works Facility selected to this list. The new Crystal Public Works Facility stands as a collaborative reflection of the City of Crystal’s community; it’s vibrancy, and its people. An outdated existing public works building and an under-sized site paired with an ever-developing community called for the need of a facility capable of upholding a growing community’s vitality. The new Public Works Facility moved the City’s operations to a larger, more efficient site on West Broadway Avenue. This greatly enhanced the function of Public Works as it houses their entire vehicle fleet in heated covered storage and provides a state-of-the-art maintenance garage and shop area. The building unifies separate operations into one building, including Streets, Parks, Utilities, and Maintenance 2015 Finance + Commerce Article Through a comprehensive approach throughout the design process and engaging the community, staff, and stakeholders we’re able to communicate specific needs and vision for the facility. The exterior design is a physical representation of the city’s pride and strengthens the sense of community, which will stand for years to come. Increased building, site, and design allows safer and more efficient circulation by Crystal Public Works vehicles and includes indoor storage for most if not all equipment. Prior facility had no space for maneuvering within the building and much equipment had to be stored outside or in a separate “cold storage” facility. The new facility is centrally located in Crystal, providing for greater cooperation and collaboration. New building layouts is more efficient for Crystal Staff use […]

Ripple Island Cabin

Ripple Island Cabin designed by Ken Stone was recently awarded “Home of the Month” by the Star Tribune. This small, one room summer cabin was built on a portion of a rocky island on Burntside Lake in northern Minnesota. The island and lake have a cherished family history for the owners, with generations spending summers on the quintessential northern Minnesota lake. The owners wanted a simple structure in the woods, protected from strong winds yet with abundant daylight and views to the majestic surroundings. Specifically, the owners asked that the little structure have “lift” to harness the brilliant northern sunlight. The south-facing window wall provides daylight throughout the day, warming the space in the spring and fall without the need for supplemental heat. The full glass doors open along the eintre wall so the cabin feels more like a screen porch, capturing the breezes and views of the lake. The pine interior is reminiscent of traditional north woods cabins. The exterior corrugated metal siding relates to simple agricultural buildings common in the landscape of rural Minnesota. And the stone surround at the fireplace seems to be from the rock outcroppings found on the island. Enjoy the article found here in the Star Tribune, congratulations Ken on all of your hard work! About the Architect Working as a leader on the team, Kenneth Stone, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, CID, has over 29 years of experience in the architecture field. His experience leading programming, designing, and managing projects allows for projects that meet and exceed our clients’ expectations. He uses his exceptional organizational skills and breadth of technical knowledge to coordinate the daily activities of Kodet’s team while conferring with clients to promote project goals. Ken’s expertise includes technical knowledge of current building systems. He brings a thorough understanding […]

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