The downtown Rochester, Minnesota space will host curated design conversations.
Attendees from the Geothermal Rising Conference at an event at the HGA Design Acceleration Lab.
As Rochester commits to an exciting period of expansion and downtown revitalization, HGA has partnered with local design solution partners Schmidt Goodman, Steelcase, DIRTT/SHIFTT, Ergotron, and Synergy Med Global Design Solutions, Inc. to create the HGA Design Acceleration Lab.
Located in the Massey Building at 20 2nd Street SW, at the intersection of 1st Avenue and 2nd Street, the curated experience will promote design conversations with Rochester’s architecture, engineering, healthcare, higher education, and business communities. For over 35 years, HGA Rochester has positively shaped the city through transformative design based on deep insight into community needs. The firm’s studio is located upstairs from the Design Acceleration Lab.
The flexible space will highlight new design research, technologies, and solutions. A virtual reality (VR) experience lab will allow participants to visually preview a space as it’s being designed. Design charettes and prototypes of design projects will be showcased onsite. Future-forward interior design solutions from Schmidt Goodman, Steelcase, DIRTT, Ergotron, and Synergy Med Global Solutions will be set up for interaction, exploring the workplace of the future.
Steelcase and Schmidt Goodman are leaders in Office, Health, and Education solutions. Through their commitment to human-centered design, they have created a Pop-up Experience within the Lab that showcases how furniture solutions can improve patient experiences and outcomes, support clinician work, and reduce cost. To energize foot traffic in the Downtown District, the Design Acceleration Lab will also be available for tours, seminars, onsite meetings, and for Continuing Education Unit (CEU) events for licensure.
March 12-14, attendees at Geothermal Rising Conference will connect in the Lab at HGA-hosted events in support of the mission to educate and collaborate with thermal energy networks on renewable energy goals. Attendees include government officials, city managers, legislators, developers, architects, and engineers.
April 10-12, the Lab will host a session as part of the ASHE Region 6 Annual Conference. The Conference will bring together healthcare facility managers and leading industry professionals from Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin to the Mayo Civic Center.
May 2-3, TEDxMinneapolis will host “The Brave and the Brilliant” event at the Lab, including an evening networking preview and streaming talks. Learn more here.
The pilot space will be open through June 2024. To connect with the HGA Design Acceleration Lab to set up a tour, business meeting, or host a community event in the space, please contact HGA principal Hal Henderson. To schedule a Steelcase Experience tour, please contact Heather Olson.
About HGA
HGA is an acclaimed interdisciplinary design firm committed to making a positive, lasting impact for our clients and communities through research-based, holistic solutions. We believe that great design requires a sense of curiosity—forming deep insight into our clients, their contexts, and the human condition. We are a collective of over 1,000 architects, engineers, interior designers, planners, researchers, and strategists, with 13 offices. Our national practice spans multiple markets, including corporate, cultural, education, local and federal government, healthcare, and science and technology. Visit HGA.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
About Steelcase
Steelcase is a global design and thought leader in the world of work. For over a century, we have designed, manufactured and partnered with the world’s leading organizations to create furnishings and solutions for the many places where work happens — including education spaces, healthcare settings and the home. Through our research, we deliver insights and design innovation to our customers around the world. Our solutions are brought to life through our Steelcase dealer community, Steelcase store and retail partners. And because we’re dedicated to doing our best work for the places we all share, we come together for people and the planet — using our business to help the world work better. Founded in 1912, Steelcase became publicly-traded in 1998. Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, Steelcase Inc. is a global company with approximately 12,000 employees and fiscal year 2023 revenue of approximately $3.2 billion.
About Schmidt Goodman
Schmidt Goodman is a locally owned business providing design, space planning and installation services for commercial office furniture since 1974. Schmidt Goodman has recently become a woman owned company and has always prided itself on their teams’ dedication to customer service in providing innovative products and solutions to fit their customer’s objectives. Their mission is to Create Spaces to Inspire People.
About SHIFTT
At SHIFTT, we are a DIRTT Construction Partner and our clients are the center of what we do. Providing an unparalleled client experience is part of our mission and passion. By leveraging our DIRTT Experience Center (DXC) in Rochester, MN, we offer an integrated and immersive experience where we can learn about our guest’s vision, projects, and goals and how DIRTT’s capabilities can support achieving them. DIRTT Industrialized Construction is Not Just Built for Today but Building for Tomorrow. We’re all about creating a meaningful and memorable experience that starts with our clients.
About DIRTT
DIRTT is a leader in industrialized construction. DIRTT’s system of physical products and digital tools empowers organizations, together with construction and design leaders, to build high-performing, adaptable, interior environments. Operating in the workplace, healthcare, education, and public sector markets, DIRTT’s system provides total design freedom, and greater certainty in cost, schedule, and outcomes. DIRTT’s interior construction solutions are designed to be highly flexible and adaptable, enabling organizations to easily reconfigure their spaces as their needs evolve. Headquartered in Calgary, AB Canada, DIRTT trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “DRT.”