Office Envy: Foundational Appeal
The three-story building in downtown Minneapolis that McKnight Foundation took over in February for its new headquarters hadn’t seen any noteworthy investment in over 25 years and was in poor condition when the foundation decided to move. Betsy Vohs, founder and CEO of Studio BV, described it as a “rabbit warren situation.” But the designers at the studio saw a new purpose for the historic brick building that dates back to 1920.
Picture a downtown office. Whatever image comes to mind, McKnight wanted its new space to stand out and have a spirit of its own. The key was the approach, says Vohs.
“The best thing you can do as a designer and architect is to take a project and make the process a metaphor for that client,” Vohs says. Restoring an existing facility expends 10 times less carbon than new construction, which reflected the foundation’s focus on sustainability. With wood as the principal material, the central theme of the project was a “balanced ecosystem.”
The building is designed to accommodate many spaces and activities: The first floor serves as an avenue for community gathering with a welcome area, a large boardroom with breakout spaces, and areas for prayer, community events, and fitness, including a yoga studio and shower rooms. Also present are small meeting rooms and a library.
The second and third floors are for McKnight staff. A large cafe connects the workspace to an outdoor deck. Vohs says almost all the lighting and other design elements, from the floor tiles to furniture, come from local purveyors.
BV’s goal was to put together a more accessible workplace that met the changing needs of employees and remained fresh for the next 20 years. Vohs says durability and efficient use of space are their own expressions of sustainability.
“We have to look at sustainability as just an ingredient within a solution,” says Vohs. “If that was the entire story, we haven’t done our job to make a space people want to be in.”
What: McKnight Foundation Headquarters
Where: 921 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis
Size: 70,000 square feet
Designer: Studio BV
