Zimmerman/Livonia Fire Hall Groundbreaking

On Thursday, June 25, 2020, the Zimmerman/Livonia Fire District held their Groundbreaking event at the site of their new Fire Hall + Event Center, 26140 136th Street NW, Zimmerman, MN. Located just west of the business district of Zimmerman near the edge of town, the Fire District obtained 9 acres of land to build their new building which will combine both functions of a fire station and event hall. Kodet Architectural Group engaged with the Fire District plus their stakeholders to incorporate these two unique programs together into a single community building which will have a 290 person banquet event hall and a 7 bay apparatus space for the fire station amongst other building amenities. Site excavation will start on Monday, June 29 and the building has an anticipated substantial completion date of June 2021. The Fire Hall Includes: 48 Person Training Room Fitness Center Kitchen and Lounge Space Turnout Gear Room Decontamination Room SCBA Tank Refill Room Firefighter Showers 7 Bay Apparatus Space Dispatch Center Staff Offices The Event Center Includes: 290 Person Banquet Event Hall 12 Person Conference Room Catering Kitchen Outdoor Patio Space Welcoming Lobby

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 […]

Making a Makerspace

Our third installment of our Library Video Series is Making a Makerspace! A makerspace is a collaborative work space for making, learning, exploring and sharing. These spaces are open to kids, adults, and entrepreneurs and have a variety of maker equipment, however a makerspace doesn’t need to include machines to be considered a makerspace. If you have cardboard, legos and art supplies you’re already on your way! Creating a makerspace might seem like a daunting task and it might seem tough to begin.. but it’s not! A makerspace is whatever you want it to be! Surveying your intended user group would be a great first step to see what the needs of the community are and how you can integrate those into your new makerspace. Below are some examples from our recently completed renovation at Pleasant Hill Library where we built them a new makerspace to get you started! We hope this video and takeaway helps springboard your ideas for creating a makerspace, and Kodet Architectural Group is always here to help! Making a Makerspace is the THIRD video of our Library Video Series, have you seen the others? Check out Library Trends and Design on a Budget

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:

Finance and Commerce ICON Award

Congratulations to Kodet Architectural Group’s founder, Edward Kodet Jr., who was named one of 2019’s ICON Award winners from Finance & Commerce! The Minnesota Icon awards recognize individuals with proven success throughout a lengthy and accomplished career. These honorees are leaders in their field who have been active in their communities and in mentoring the next generation. The honorees will be feted at a Dec. 11 celebration and networking event from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Hyatt in downtown Minneapolis. Finance and Commerce interviewed Ed, Q&A: Architect reflects on 50 years in design – Ed discusses the history and growth of Kodet Architectural Group, Ltd., architectural trends and how they have evolved based on primary project types Kodet Architectural Group works on, and his own future plans. Congratulations Ed! For more information, see Finance and Commerce website.

Library Trends

Kicking off our 5 part video series on libraries, Library Trends is the first topic our experts here at Kodet address. Today, libraries are uniquely positioned to reimagine how they might better serve communities in the future. No longer are they simply a place for holding books and information, but rather a hub for community programs, learning, and social interactions. From virtual reality to hands-on cooking classes and everything in between, libraries can offer communities new ways to see, experience and understand ideas like never before. By embracing new technology and thinking outside the box when it comes to unique program offerings, the 21st Century library is on the forefront of societal trends and keeps pace with an ever changing world. Pleasant Hill Library in Hastings, MN is the library featured in our library video series, for more information on that project – click here!

Selecting the Perfect Furniture

Not all clients consider the benefits of having the architect also serve as the primary interior designer for a project. There are a numerous benefits, that range from comprehensive design aesthetics to understanding how all the details come together – to create well-rounded and thoughtfully designed project. CHARACTER + AESTHETIC Having the architect serve as the lead furniture designer/selector has many benefits for a client. First, the architect generally sets the overall design idea for a project, so they know exactly what pieces of furniture match the design aesthetics they were intending for a space. Likewise, they can better choose pieces that fit a space well. For example, a round space could benefit from round furniture pieces to accentuate the characteristics of a room STYLE + CONSISTENCY The same quality holds true for picking out furniture fabrics in a project. If the architect is the lead designer in the this area, they can choose patterns + colors that again match the overall feel + style of your project. This allows the furniture to work well with other pieces, has colors, and patterns that feel cohesive and additionally fit well within a space. FINANCIAL BENEFITS Beyond the aesthetic benefits a project gains financially from having the architect as the lead interior designer. The architect is uniquely positioned to be a natural non-biased party in the selection of furniture as they do not represent specific manufacturers or have financial stake in pushing new products or those that may have a higher margin of profit for a vendor. The architect, can compare multiple vendors that offer similar products to help clients pick furniture that both matches their budget and project style. Architects can therefore help owners put together competitive solicitations for quotations, where they can then issue to multiple furniture vendors for […]

Children’s Areas in Libraries

With an ever-increasing exposure to digital devices, children need opportunities to unplug and engage in hands-on creative learning. Libraries offer a great opportunity to provide this form of free play through unstructured imaginative environments that allow kids to be themselves and discover more about the world around them. Below are two great ways libraries, schools, and youth outreach programs can create these type of learning environments.

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 […]

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