Stearns County Courthouse Renovation

St. Cloud, MN

This renovation restores much of this historic building to its original splendor while providing additional office and courtroom space. GLTArchitects was responsible for the construction administration on this particular project. This project was completed on time and under budget.


Stearns County Administration Building

St. Cloud, MN

The Stearns County Administration Building has approximately 140,000 S.F. of county offices. The masonry and pre-cast exterior, along with careful placement on the site, creates a building which complements the adjacent historically significant Stearns County Courthouse.


Stearns County Courts Facility

St. Cloud, MN

The two-story Courts Facility houses high-security and high-volume court functions as well as court administration office space.  The former Security Financial Building occupied the site, and the building was designed to be constructed on the existing foundation.  The design also reused the existing granite veneer which was carefully removed when the original building was demolished, and it was re-cut and reapplied to the new building. This building completes the County’s downtown St. Cloud campus.


Waite Park Municipal Facility

Waite Park, MN

The City Hall, Police Station, and 3-bay Fire Station are all incorporated into this facility. Designed to accommodate future expansion, the building also has a large lower level, which is available for various community uses.


Fire Station #1

St. Cloud, MN

Fire Station No. 1 serves as the main fire station for the St. Cloud Fire Department. Strong horizontal features, peaked roofs and low maintenance, high durability masonry, and granite construction materials allow this project to harmonize with nearby downtown buildings. The stand-alone training tower and original 1864 St. Cloud fire bell are unique architectural features incorporated into the design. This project was selected as one of eight finalists for the International Association of Fire Chiefs Fire Service Architectural Excellence award. It was also selected by MSAIA for representing the “highest architectural caliber” in the five-state region and was featured in an international exhibit.


Willmar Municipal Utilities Long-Range Plan

Willmar, MN

Willmar Municipal Utilities (WMU) engaged GLTArchitects in a facilities study.  GLTArchitects conducted space reviews and documentation of the existing facilities. We also interviewed supervisors and staff of all nine departments and created a detailed space program which considered the space needs for WMU for the next 5-10 years. This document was used to identify duplication and opportunities for consolidation of space.  It is interesting to note that even with the future space needs considered, the total for the new space program was 9% smaller than the space WMU currently occupies.

GLTArchitects then prepared 5 options for the current downtown location. Several of the options re-used the existing facilities, and 2 options considered the construction of new space. A mathematical option was also created that would allow comparison to a new facility on a new site in the industrial park. Energy savings for all of the options ranged from 17-34% over current energy usage.

Three dimensional design images were created for the option selected to assist WMU in meeting the goals of improved customer service and a more appealing aesthetic appearance.


Whitney Center

St. Cloud, MN

This stand-alone facility presented a unique challenge as a result of it needing to house a diverse group of users, each having their own set of concerns and seemingly divergent goals.  Through a series of public forums, informational meetings, and planning studies, GLTArchitects developed a building plan that was accepted by the City of St. Cloud and supported by all of the user and community groups.  The center includes a 22,000 S.F. gymnasium which houses three basketball courts and five volleyball courts, an elevated walking track, locker rooms, weight and fitness rooms, City of St. Cloud Recreation Department offices, the Whitney Senior Center offices, banquet dining facilities and kitchen, and a series of meeting rooms.


Sartell Community Center Long-Range Plan

Sartell, MN

The community center long-range plan was developed to include an ice center, aquatics center, gymnasium, and library components, all to be located on city park land.  The first component of the city’s community center to be completed was the ice arena. It is a privately owned venture that was sponsored by Bernick’s Pepsi.  This facility was completed in November, 2003.


Municipal Park Pavilion

Sauk Rapids, MN

The city wanted the building to complement an existing historic building in the park.  To accomplish this, GLTArchitects selected wood log siding with a stone veneer wainscot for the exterior.  Wood doors and functional shutters, both with over-sized hardware, were also incorporated into the design.  
A large overhang on the riverside of the building offers a view of the river and another large overhang on the east side of the building allows views to the rest of the park. The interior includes seating for 98 people, a kitchen area,   and handicap-accessible restrooms.  

Some of the “green” features of this building include sealed concrete floors; low VOC materials; porcelain wall tile that has 40% recycled content; formealdehyde-free wood cores for the cabinets; low maintenance, long lifespan metal roof; and an on-demand hot water heater.


Sartell Public Works

Sartell, MN

This is a 23,000 S.F. vehicle maintenance and storage facility.  The smaller office portion of the building contains staff offices, a conference room, locker rooms, and a break room.  The larger vehicle storage portion of the building includes 18 vehicle storage bays, 1 wash bay, 3 repair bays, including 1 with an in-floor lift, parts storage, and general storage space.  The precast concrete building structure is designed to be expanded without affecting the on-going operations of the facility.

Other project components included a large steel and fabric sand/salt storage structure, tree nursery space, exterior storage yard, and remodeling of an existing adjacent bus storage building for cold storage and use by the Parks department.  A storm water retention pond was expanded on the site to control site runoff.  This project was the first element of a larger Public Safety Master Site Plan to be implemented.


Sartell Public Works and Fire Hall Long-Range Plan

Sartell, MN
This study analyzed the space needs of the fire department, public works department, and police department. The existing facilities were reviewed and options were explored to expand or relocate the buildings. Land use was also evaluated to determine if additional land acquisition was required or if current city property was adequate. A final master plan was developed to identify how the city could best provide facility space to meet current and future needs. Costs for each component were established for use by the city to budget for these improvements. Implementation will occur as funds become available.