News

Wirth Park Trailhead Building Wins ACEC Structural Engineering Award

The Trailhead Building at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis has won an Honor Award for structural systems in the 2020 Engineering Excellence Awards program, sponsored by ACEC of Minnesota.

The Trailhead at Theodore Wirth Regional Park exterior 1

Designed by HGA for the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board and the non-profit Loppet Foundation, the 14,200 square-foot mass timber recreational building creates “a shared passion for year-round outdoor adventure in the Minneapolis area, focusing on underserved youth and families.”

The mass timber framing features an expressive architectural presence that serves the Foundation and Park Board’s programming needs while blending seamlessly with the wooded parkland site at the gateway to the Nordic Ski and mountain bike trails.

Since opening in 2018, the building has quickly become a community destination and was even recently chosen as the host site for the International Ski Federation 2020 Cross Country Ski World Cup—a validation of its local and international success.

About the Award

The Engineering Excellence Awards recognizes engineering achievements that exhibit the highest degree of merit and ingenuity. Entries were judged based on originality and innovation; future value to the engineering profession; social, economic and sustainable design considerations; complexity; and meeting the client’s needs.

For more information, visit ACEC of Minnesota.