Blake School Early Learning Center Review

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When:  Feb 10, 2025 from 10:30 AM to 01:15 PM (CT)
Associated with  Minneapolis-St. Paul

The Blake School’s new Early Learning Center (ELC) is a 36,000-square-foot facility designed to inspire a sense of welcome, wonder and joy in its young students. Serving 165 children from pre-kindergarten through first grade, the ELC was conceived with a Reggio-inspired curriculum at its core, emphasizing a connection to nature, fostering a sense of discovery, and the significance of place. Designed by HGA and constructed by Mortenson, the Blake ELC is Minnesota’s first all-electric non-collegiate educational building, integrating innovative sustainable design strategies with design excellence.

This session will provide an overview of the project and process, highlighting key sustainability features (including mass timber and geothermal), design solutions tailored to young learners, and challenges overcome during project delivery. A roundtable discussion with design and construction team members will follow to delve into the collaboration and outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Understand how sustainability objectives can align with the needs of a child-centered educational environment to promote health, safety, and welfare.
  2. Identify the sustainable design strategies, such as the use of mass timber, that were implemented in creating Minnesota’s first all-electric non-collegiate educational building and their impact on occupant health and environmental performance.
  3. Analyze the challenges faced by the project team in meeting sustainability, budget, and timeline goals, and how these were addressed collaboratively.
  4. Recognize the role of architecture and construction in supporting early childhood development through the thoughtful integration of space, natural elements, and safety standards.


Please plan to join us at the CSI February 2025 monthly chapter meeting to learn more about this facility. 

Location:
HGA Architects
420 Fifth Street North, Suite 100
Minneapolis, MN 55401

Parking is available adjacent to the building. Enter the lot off of 5th Avenue.

You will need to enter your vehicle license plate number at the security desk. 

Schedule
Monday February 10th, 2025
10:30 AM to 11 AM - Registration
11 AM to 11:45 AM – Buffet lunch and Chapter Business Meeting
11:45 AM to 1:15 PM – Presentation by the design team at HGA, led by Roxanne Nelson, Principal

This will be a hybrid in-person and on-line event.

Click here to view speakers and their bios.


Location

HGA Architects office
420 North 5th Street
Suite 100
Minneapolis, MN 55401

Pricing Information

Registration Price
Member $10.00
Non-member $20.00
   
Are you attending in person? Price
Member $15.00
Non-member $30.00