Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Minnesota Pioneer Hall Design Wins Grand Award

  • 01/31/20

SAINT PAUL, MN – The University of Minnesota’s Pioneer Hall expansion and renovation project received a Grand Award at the recent American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota’s 53rd Engineering Excellence Awards banquet.

TKDA, an employee-owned provider of engineering, architecture and planning services, led engineering and architecture design services on the project, collaborating with KWK Architects of St. Louis, the project design architect. The team transformed the 90-year-old Georgian Revival-style residence hall in the university’s Superblock district into 18 vibrant student communities while preserving a significant amount of the historic building’s exterior. McGough Construction was the construction manager at risk for the $104.5 million project.

University of Minnesota Pioneer Hall 640

The campus building design for the Pioneer Hall renovation created quality housing and supportive spaces and a dining area to enhance the first- and second-year student experience. Multipurpose and recreation rooms and a mix of study areas and social interaction spaces promote social engagement, one of the key factors in academic success and student retention, particularly among first-year students.

A newly constructed 850-seat dining area at street level accommodates all Superblock residents and is also open to the public. The number of beds increased from 693 on four floors to 756 beds on five floors. The overall building size increased by more than 40 percent.

The annual ACEC/MN gala recognizes engineering firms and their clients for successful projects that demonstrate ingenuity and a high level of accomplishment and that are of value to the community.

Featured

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • St. Lucie County, Fla., Breaks Ground on New K–8 School

    St. Lucie Public Schools in St. Lucie County, Fla., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new K–8 school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc., for the design of the upcoming Ft. Pierce K–8 School, which comprises six buildings covering 215,000 square feet.

  • Wyoming District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    Laramie County School District #1 in Cheyenne, Wy., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Mountain View Elementary School, according to a news release. The facility has an estimated completion date of summer 2028, and it will have the capacity for 650 students in fifth and sixth grade.

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.