Minnesota Public Radio
Saint Paul, Minnesota"Create for us an environment where creativity, interaction and innovation are the hallmarks of the work place." This was the charge given to HGA by Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) for the design of their new facility.
When you tune your radio to the classical music station of your region you are most likely hearing content created by MPR. Minnesota Public Radio is the nation's leading provider of public radio programming and their new facility includes 210,000 square feet of state-of-the-art office, studio and interactive environment for the making of content. This facility includes 14 studios equipped with satellite technologies for broadcasting, 10 edit suites for interactive production of programming, varieties of conferencing modes including interactive, video conferencing and library-like spaces as well. This unique array of technology environments is strategically gathered around wide open work spaces with a full height central gathering space located in the place where the new and old buildings come together.
HGA has put our multi-disciplinary professional services to full force to provide an integrated design solution for MPR. Low velocity air handling systems throughout the facility are designed to control background noise and maintain comfort. The facility has a ubiquitous wireless system audio streaming, RF distribution with CAT6 cabling delivering all IP technologies over a virtual private network. A cast-in-place dropped beam concrete structure is designed to eliminate vibration and create long spans where needed in the open work environments. Acoustics design of the studios, work environments and gathering spaces are all tuned to feel interactive and alive but not overly disruptive to the daily processes of MPR.
Completion of the newly expanded and remodeled facility for MPR in 2006 will bring 410 staff together in one place for the first time to provide a tool that will enable them to take their creative workforce to a higher level of production and quality in the production of their content.