LOS ANGELES––International design firm Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. (Cuningham Group) announces that the St. Jerome Parish Hall remodeling project has achieved LEED® Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The St. Jerome Parish Hall project is the first project with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to become LEED® certified. It was certified Silver per the USBGC “New Construction and Major Renovation” Category, Version 2.2.
Following the Church’s teachings that the environment is God’s gift to everyone, the Parish made a commitment to create a “green” hall within the remodeling project. Sustainable goals were in place from the outset as Cuningham Group, Stonemark Construction Management and the client collaborated on making sustainability a visible priority in the design. Features include innovative mechanical system controls; new skylights to boost and equalize ambient lighting in the gym; water-conserving restroom fixtures; new glazing; new lighting and lighting control systems; reused or selected materials with significant recycled content; and better metering of electrical power.
“One of the fundamental tenents of our practice is that we have a responsibility to make the environment and community where we live a better place,” said Cuningham Group Project Manager Dan Young, AIA, LEED® AP. “In the same way, sustainability is essential to the respect for the earth espoused by the Church. As the first Los Angeles Archdiocese building to achieve LEED® certification, St. Jerome Parish Hall is a building with a distinguished history that is also pointing the way to the future.”
Renovation of the St. Jerome Parish Hall, originally constructed in 1950, also included new kitchen equipment, an updated communication system, state-of-the-art audio-visual systems, and security systems.
About LEED®
LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across a number of metrics.
About Cuningham Group
Cuningham Group® transcends tradition with architecture, interior design, urban design and planning services for a diverse mix of client and project types. Our client-centered, collaborative approach incorporates trend-setting architecture and environmental responsiveness to create projects that weave seamlessly into the urban fabric. Founded in 1968, the firm is consistently recognized as a leader in a variety of markets and has grown to over 140 employees in offices in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Biloxi, Bakersfield, and Seoul. For more information, please visit www.cuningham.com.
Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. (Cuningham Group) is pleased to announce that employees in their Las Vegas and Minneapolis offices recently achieved national certifications from the Society for Design Administration and The National Council for Interior Design Qualification.
Margo D. Harrison earned the credential of Certified Design Firm Administrator (CDFA) after successfully completing the CDFA exam developed and administered by the Society for Design Administration.
The Society for Design Administration (SDA), established in 1959, is the largest organization dedicated to Architecture/Engineering/Construction (A/E/C) Administration. SDA’s mission is to promote the exchange of ideas and to educate its members in the related disciplines of design firm administration and management. To become certified, an applicant must have experience in A/E/C firm management and administration, pass a thorough examination of competencies, and adhere to a professional code of ethics.
Las Vegas-based Harrison has worked closely with the firm’s leadership on project and contract administration duties since joining the firm in 2006.
In addition, Minneapolis-based interior designers Janet Dray, an Associate of the firm, Brittany Johnson, Matthew Murray, Laura Oestreich and Janet Whaley have passed the National Council for Interior Design Qualification examination.
The National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) protects public health, safety and welfare by identifying interior designers who have the knowledge and experience to create interior spaces that are not just aesthetically pleasing, but also functional and safe. An independent, nonprofit organization of state and provincial credentialing bodies, NCIDQ has issued professional certificates to competent interior design professionals since 1974.
Dray, Johnson, Murray, Oestreich and Whaley regularly work on the firm’s resort, corporate and educational projects.
About Cuningham Group
Cuningham Group® transcends tradition with architecture, interior design, urban design and planning services for a diverse mix of client and project types. Our client-centered, collaborative approach incorporates trend-setting architecture and environmental responsiveness to create projects that weave seamlessly into the urban fabric. Founded in 1968, the firm is consistently recognized as a leader in a variety of markets and has grown to over 140 employees in offices in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Biloxi, Bakersfield and Seoul. For more information, please visit www.cuningham.com.
International, award-winning design firm Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. (Cuningham Group) is pleased to announce their new rankings in two national publications, Architectural Record and Engineering News Record (ENR).
Cuningham Group has earned the ranking of #68 in Architectural Record’s “Top 250 Design Firms” based on 2009 revenue. This is the highest ranking in the firm’s 42-year history.
Also released in July is ENR’s ranking of the “Top 100 Green Design Firms.” Cuningham Group was ranked #95 on this list based on 2008 revenue earned from registered sustainably designed projects.
“These rankings in Architectural Record and ENR are perfect complements to our focus on a Triple Bottom Line metric of People, Profit and Planet,” says Cuningham Group’s President and Chief Executive Officer Timothy Dufault. “We use this metric and philosophy to design sustainable projects and monitor the well-being of our firm, our staff and our commitment to conserving the resources of our planet. As an organization, we are extremely proud of this recognition.”
Dufault is one of over 50 LEED Accredited Professionals on staff at Cuningham Group, further testament to the firm’s commitment to sustainability.
About Cuningham Group
Cuningham Group® transcends tradition with architecture, interior design, urban design and planning services for a diverse mix of client and project types. Our client-centered, collaborative approach incorporates trend-setting architecture and environmental responsiveness to create projects that weave seamlessly into the urban fabric. Founded in 1968, the firm is consistently recognized as a leader in a variety of markets and has grown to over 140 employees in offices in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Biloxi, Bakersfield and Seoul. For more information, please visit www.cuningham.com.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN – International design firm Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. (Cuningham Group) announces that its BLACK Design office project has been recognized as one of Minnesota’s “Top Projects” by Finance & Commerce. The daily business newspaper’s third annual program honors outstanding new construction and major renovation projects of the past year. Winners were chosen by the editorial staff of Finance & Commerce for their degree of difficulty, creativity in design, innovative construction techniques and cooperation between contractors and construction management.
Cuningham Group and BLACK Design collaborated on the new office, which is located in 9,000 square feet of space previously occupied by a restaurant and bar in downtown Minneapolis. An emerging retail branding firm, BLACK Design wanted a “branded” environment and to make an iconic statement with its highly visible location—a street side corner facing a busy artery that thousands of commuters use each day to access downtown.
Cuningham Group provided a space that primarily uses black and white tones—the palette requested by the client—expressed with different textures. Cuningham Group’s design also incorporates elements of the previous tenant, including reusing the bar as the reception desk and refurbishing a 3,200-gallon aquarium to become a shark tank holding black tipped reef sharks (a reference to BLACK’s mission statement). The design also maintained a signature curved wall, which provided a unique opportunity for workstations. The dark color palette offers a darkened and subdued workspace for staff that spends their work day peering at computer monitors. Private offices were designed with glass walls, inviting daylight deeper into the space.
The remodeled space meets the culture and functional needs of the client while respecting the aesthetics of the historic building. Ultimately, Cuningham Group design elements combined with BLACK Design wall graphics activate the dynamic experience of the space and serve this leading retail consultant by providing a signature office environment that celebrates its brand.
Cuningham Group and BLACK Design will be recognized along with the other award recipients at a reception to be held on July 15, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency – Downtown Minneapolis.
Project Credits
Owner: BLACK Design; Fit Planning and Interior Design: Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A.; General Contractor: Rich Bros. Construction; Conference Table and Chairs: Target Commercial Interiors; Wall Graphics Design: BLACK Design; Photography: Dana Wheelock
About Cuningham Group
Cuningham Group® transcends tradition with architecture, interior design, urban design and planning services for a diverse mix of client and project types. Our client-centered, collaborative approach incorporates trend-setting architecture and environmental responsiveness to create projects that weave seamlessly into the urban fabric. Founded in 1968, the firm is consistently recognized as a leader in a variety of markets and has grown to over 140 employees in offices in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Biloxi, Bakersfield and Seoul. For more information, please visit www.cuningham.com.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN––International design firm Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. (Cuningham Group) announces that it received an honorable mention for its submission in the design competition, “Bearden Place: A Housing Competition in the Artists’ Core.”
Cuningham Group’s submission—Connect Live Work Create—focused on designing affordable units that fit into the fabric of the neighborhood. The design promoted community by providing spaces for recreation and community gathering, including performance and art fair spaces, and a flexible parking/community area with a full NCAA regulation basketball court painted on it. Elements of green design included a rain garden, permeable pavers, a compost bin area, an allocation per unit for green planting, and edible gardens. Design team members were John Cuningham, FAIA, Shawn Olson, Joel Brygger, and Melissa Lockhart. See this entry and others by Cuningham Group
The competition called for high-quality, affordable, entry-level homes with spatial flexibility and live/work spaces. Market rates were not to exceed $175,000 and the development was to be sustainable, meeting MN GreenStar Bronze Certification for new construction.
The competition, named after Romare Howard Bearden—a celebrated humanist and recognized creative visual artist—is an initiative of the City of Minneapolis’ Department of Community Planning and Development (CPED), the Builders’ Association of the Twin Cities (BATC), and the Builder’s Outreach Foundation (BOF). Its intent is to serve as a catalyst in the rebuilding of vacant urban properties, providing ideas for affordable and sustainable urban infill housing.
About Cuningham Group
Cuningham Group® transcends tradition with architecture, interior design, urban design and planning services for a diverse mix of client and project types. Our client-centered, collaborative approach incorporates trend-setting architecture and environmental responsiveness to create projects that weave seamlessly into the urban fabric. Founded in 1968, the firm is consistently recognized as a leader in a variety of markets and has grown to over 140 employees in offices in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Biloxi, Bakersfield, Madrid and Seoul. For more information, please visit www.cuningham.com.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN – International design firm Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. (Cuningham Group) announces that it received a FAB Award recognizing excellence in interior design for its work on the Mystic Lake Casino Renovation and Remodeling in Prior Lake, Minnesota. Sponsored by the Northland Chapter of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), each entry in the FAB Awards program is judged for the success with which the project has met its individual requirements and exhibits a Fresh, Artistic, and Brilliant approach to interior design. Mystic Lake Casino Renovation and Remodeling is the 2010 winner of the Hospitality category. See this winning project
Cuningham Group was the interior designer for this major renovation and remodeling of Mystic Lake Casino, the Midwest’s largest casino. The new, hip gaming environment is re-energizing current clientele and attracting a new generation of players. The interior design concept evolved from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux’s history, culture and relationship with the land within the Minnesota River Valley.
The Casino’s “Wow Factor” is a flowing, lava-like “Golden River” ceiling feature that organizes the gaming floor and offers a luminous, curving stream that entices guests to follow, explore and enjoy Mystic’s many entertainment venues. Horizontal, dry stacked granite, onyx and other natural materials were incorporated into the new floors, columns, piers, walls and stone portals and symbolize outcroppings where the flowing “Golden River” has washed away the shoreline. The “Golden River” stream is also reflected in the carpet patterns which abstractly express the flowing water, river banks, rock outcroppings and lush landscaping.
Just off the main gaming floor, Mystic Lake Casino’s new High Limit Blackjack and Slots Rooms and High Limit Lounge feature a comfortable, high level of finish and present an overall sense of casual opulence. Cuningham Group interior designers incorporated granite, onyx and dark wood finishes to create a collage of high-end colors and textures throughout the space.
Cuningham Group also provided interior design services for the Promenade Restaurants, which consist of the Gambler’s Grill, Mystic Deli, Fusion Noodle Bar and the Sweet Temptations coffee, pastry and dessert counter. Each venue offers unique on-the-go dining and is located between the Casino and the new Bingo Hall and 2,100-seat Mystic Showroom. Finally, as part of the major renovation and remodeling, Cuningham Group designed the interior of the new Mystic Express employee dining room to be a restful oasis away from the Casino’s high energy gaming floor.
The FAB Award judges commented on the positive impact the golden, fluid ceiling element had on creating energy in the casino. They were also impressed with the use of materials and how they cohesively tied many venues together by telling a story. Overall, they felt the design concept was extremely strong and carried throughout the entire space to create an energetic guest experience at Mystic Lake Casino.
This is Cuningham Group’s fifth FAB Award since the program started seven years ago. Members of the firm were on hand to accept the honor at an awards banquet held April 8, 2010 at the University of Minnesota McNamara Alumni Center.
About Cuningham Group
Cuningham Group® transcends tradition with architecture, interior design, urban design and planning services for a diverse mix of client and project types. Our client-centered, collaborative approach incorporates trend-setting architecture and environmental responsiveness to create projects that weave seamlessly into the urban fabric. Founded in 1968, the firm is consistently recognized as a leader in a variety of markets and has grown to over 140 employees in offices in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Biloxi, Bakersfield, Madrid and Seoul. For more information, please visit www.cuningham.com.
While architectural commissions are down, the need for green design has never been greater. So who will pay for high-performance, energy-efficient buildings as the industry waits for the recession to recede? The principals at Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. (CGA) have committed to help lead the charge by co-developing their own green building.
CGA and its partner REthink Development recently received approvals from Culver City to create its new Southern California headquarters in the architecturally advanced Hayden Tract district. CGA will occupy about 10,000 square feet of the 63,000-square-foot structure, selling remaining space to other firms as office condominiums. The building, named The Plant, will offer four stories of commercial office space and two levels of underground parking. A model for reducing energy use and enhancing the urban environment, The Plant is projected to break ground in 2011 and open in late 2012. It will be the first very high-performance office condominium for creative businesses in one of the most desirable sections of Los Angeles.
“The principals of the firm are investing their own money significantly in this project,” says CGA Principal Jonathan V. Watts, AIA, LEED® A.P. “It’s a sign that design industry leaders can commit to high-performance design not only as a design or moral exercise, but also as an investment strategy.”
There are previous examples of the architect-as-developer in other cities: In San Diego, Jonathan Segal has demonstrated the process for other architects. But in Los Angeles it remains unusual for an architecture firm to tackle property acquisition, approvals, financing, liability protection and other development issues. REthink Development, like CGA, has a strong track record in green design and sustainable development. And the team’s timing may be right for the eventual commercial real estate rebound.
“We believe we are ahead of the curve in anticipating a demand for green for-sale office space as the economy improves,” says Watts.
The Hayden Tract: A Design Trends Incubator
CGA’s The Plant is in the Hayden Tract, perhaps the most concentrated three square miles of eclectic and advanced architecture in California. It includes the notorious Stealth building, designed by Eric Owen Moss, along with dozens of other highly expressive spaces. The Hayden Tract is zoned for industrial use and has morphed, over the past 10 years, into an area of creative uses such as movie production, interior design, graphic design, advertising, architecture and internet firms.
In that time, a dialogue has emerged here between the latest urban interventions and more traditional warehouse forms. The Plant will assume an important role in the architectural expression of the Hayden Tract by dramatically raising green building standards.
“Eric Owen Moss started the debate with his deliberately polarizing Stealth building, which can be seen as dynamic or discordant,” says Watts. “Either way, the debate is healthy, and The Plant will inspire more dialog as it emerges as the area’s premier high-performance building. It will set the bar for buildings whose dramatic appearance is not merely stylistic, but an organic expression of the highest practical standards of energy efficiency and green design.”
High-Performance: Energy-Efficiency Drives the Design
The term “high-performance” has become the preferred way to describe green buildings. It designates structures that, whether or not they achieve LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System™), make the most efficient use of resources.
As it happens, The Plant by CGA will be the first of its kind, in both the Hayden Tract and the Los Angeles office market, to attain at least Gold or possibly Platinum rating.
“Until now, LEED office buildings have rarely been developed in for-sale form with multiple owner-users,” says Watts. But we are showing that this approach can provide a positive ROI for investors. And, we have made a serious commitment to make that happen.”
The building’s high-performance attributes include:
The Plant is high-performance in every sense, including its appearance. CGA’s team designed the building from the inside out, with its external expression indicating what was necessary to make the interior comfortable, controllable and energy efficient.
The building is organized in two halves around an exterior courtyard. This not only creates a 35-foot maximum distance from glazing for cross-ventilation and daylighting, but it also responds to the site topography and differing height limitations across the site. The split mass of the structure also allows small floor plates of a maximum of 10,000 square feet, providing optimum light, ventilation, openness and an owner’s “sense of place” within the building.
The building’s orientation, combined with sun shades and double façade elements, will help keep the building cool in the summer and warm in the winter, while allowing prevailing breezes to pass through the floors. Most products and finishes will contain no or very low VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and will include recycled or renewable components.
“The integration of all these elements allow us to deliver a building that is better designed, more energy-efficient, less expensive to operate, more durable, healthier, and more environmentally sound; all of which will make the spaces more valuable and desirable,” says Watts.
Smaller Firms Can Own High-Performance Office Space
CGA and REthink’s research, including consultation with real estate brokers, concludes that increasing numbers of firms desire green offices to demonstrate that sustainability is part of their company culture. The sustainable options in Los Angeles, however, are mostly limited to leasing – not buying. There are very few opportunities for actual ownership of green, new-construction offices. That is precisely what The Plant offers. It will be the first high-performance office condominium for creative businesses in one of the most desirable sections of Los Angeles.
“Businesses seeking ‘cool,’ advanced, creative office space on the Westside will see this green Culver City landmark as their perfect home.” Its location, in an already thriving creative community, is another asset. “Synergy will flourish,” says Watts. “Being minutes from downtown Culver City’s unique dining and entertainment options and a little more than a quarter mile from the Expo Rail station will be very positive for these owners.”
Cultural Context: The MGM Legacy
The Plant’s 34,000-square-foot site is zoned for industrial use and bounded on two sides by single-family homes. The challenge from the outset was to design a project which, as a commercial development, makes the most of its allowed area and height while, as a responsible neighbor, respects the community around it. The form of the building emerged after months of discussion among the REthink Development, CGA design team and the community, at public meetings and through collaboration with City Planning and City Council.
Beyond these parameters though, the Culver City location started a conversation of how to reflect the site’s strong cultural heritage within the film industry. The project sits on land formerly occupied by Selznick Studios, home of Gone With the Wind’s Tara plantation, as well as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s Desilu Studios. And the Hayden Tract is still a thriving industry support area.
To represent this cultural connection, CGA’s designers developed an abstraction of a film strip as a design element binding the two building halves. Created as a metal ribbon, this unifying component creates motion out of stasis and leads the eye around the structure. It begins above the southern parking entry then soars upward to span the crevasse between the halves of the plan. From there it loops around the top floor and plunges into the courtyard, creating two outdoor rooms in that space. As the ribbon returns to the south half it completes the binding.
“Movies tell stories and this ribbon is a nod to the past use of the site and a way to complete the story of this new use,” says Watts. “We are also considering the projection of images from Gone With the Wind onto some exterior building elements.”
In this way, the first high-performance office condominium in Los Angeles points to the future while honoring the past.
About Cuningham Group
Cuningham Group transcends tradition with architecture, interior design, urban design and planning services for a diverse mix of client and project types. Our client-centered, collaborative approach incorporates trend-setting architecture and environmental responsiveness to create projects that weave seamlessly into the urban fabric. Founded in 1968, the firm is consistently recognized as a leader in a variety of markets and has grown to over 160 employees in offices in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Biloxi, Bakersfield, Madrid and Seoul.
For more information, please visit www.cuningham.com.
The Council of Educational Facility Planners International and Schools for Children of the World join the rest of the world in offering our most sincere and heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the people of Haiti during this devastating time. We are partnering together to establish a relief effort. Our first priority is to establish a database of volunteers who are willing to participate on the Haiti Task Force. This task force is formulating strategies on how we as an organization can best help in the recovery process, as the need will be monumental in re-building the damaged and destroyed schools.
To read more about this unprecedented effort click here.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (February 2, 2010) – Like many other places, Los Angeles has seen transit-oriented developments (TODs) help revitalize its neighborhoods. Examples include the burst of economic development occurring around the Red Line portals in Hollywood (including the new W Hotel), or the synergy among businesses, residences and commuters in downtown Long Beach’s Blue Line stations.
Not all TODs have been successful, however. Site limitations, insufficient planning, and lack of capital are all reasons why some rail stations have not stimulated the most desired investment in their communities. That’s why ULI Los Angeles, a district council of the Urban Land Institute, is convening a series of Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs) analyzing and recommending solutions for four under-performing transit stops in Los Angeles County.
These TAPs are one-day sessions (resulting in published reports) in which Los Angeles District Council members – all high-level practitioners of design, planning and development – donate their expertise to public agencies, private firms, and nonprofit organizations that may not be able to obtain it otherwise.
The TOD TAPs were chosen through competitive applications and include the Slauson Blue Line Station, Vermont Green Line Station, 103rd Street Blue Line Station near Jordan Downs, and the Monrovia Transit Station. The recommendations from all four TOD TAPs will be a part of ULI Los Angeles’ innovative TOD Marketplace, June 4, 2010 in Hollywood. The first TOD TAP, to be conducted February 19, 2010, is The Slauson Blue Line Station, which has seen very little development activity since its inception.
“Like any development, a well-designed TOD does not exist on its own. It is part of a web of relationships with other uses in the surrounding community,” says Jonathan Watts, Slauson TAP chair and principal with Cuningham Group Architecture. “Our overall goals will include improving these relationships, revitalizing the station neighborhoods with a greater mix of uses, pedestrian-oriented design standards, and improved pedestrian access.”
The panel also seeks to spur private investment around the station: “Much of the surrounding property currently houses low-wage industrial uses,” says Watts. “There is certainly a role for that, but a design solution should also encourage higher-wage uses, making such jobs even more desirable through their proximity to transportation. Policy recommendations may include zoning changes and investment incentives.”
The TAP recommendations, when enacted, will also help the station area meet the smart-growth goals of Los Angeles County’s TOD Program.
“This site, like other under-performing transit stations in the county, can serve as a real model for sustainable and innovative community development,” says Watts. “A new vision for the Slauson Blue Line station will help put the entire neighborhood back on the right track.”Existing site conditions include industrial uses to the east, a large, adjacent City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power utility building, and a majority of the remaining parcels zoned for multifamily residential uses. Following the delivery of its recommendations of February 19, 2010, ULI Los Angeles will publish them in a report available to all stakeholders in the area, public entities, and anyone seeking to improve their community.
“We’ve seen these TAPs sometimes have an extraordinary catalyzing effect on communities,” says, ULI Los Angeles TAP Program Chair Jonathan Curtis. “When enacted they can lead to economic revitalization and a much-improved quality of life for residents and business owners.”
A recent ULI Los Angeles TAP performed for the Martin Luther King Jr. Medical Center repositioned the hospital – plus an adjacent medical university and aging shopping center across the street – as a complex expected to add high-paying biotech and medical jobs to the inner-city community when the hospital reopens in 2013. For information on how to apply for a ULI Los Angeles TAP, contact TAP Program Chair Jonathan Curtis at 818-653-6157.
Slauson Blue Line TOD TAP Details
TAP Chair – Jonathan Watts, Principal, Cuningham Group Architecture
TAP Committee Representative – Bob Gardner, Managing Director, Robert Charles Lesser & Company
TAP Program Chair – Jonathan Curtis, Managing Member, Trevear Holdings, LLC
Friday, February 19, 2010. 5909 Lillian St, Los Angeles, CA 90001
Phone: 818-653-6157.
Upcoming TOD TAPs:
• City of Monrovia- Station Square Transit Village. February 26, 2010.
• County of Los Angeles- Green Line Vermont Station. March 2010.
• Housing Authority of the City of LA Jordan Downs Public Housing Redevelopment. March 2010.
Principal Jonathan Watts provides insight into development trends in this article “The Emergence of Two Californias” for the California Development & Planning Report.
To read the entire article click here
This program was recorded by Minnesota Public Radio. Listen here.
Bill George is a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School, where he has taught leadership since 2004. He is the author of four best-selling books: 7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis, True North, Finding Your True North, and Authentic Leadership.
Mr. George is the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Medtronic. He joined Medtronic in 1989 as President and Chief Operating Officer, was Chief Executive Officer from 1991-2001, and Chairman of the Board from 1996 to 2002. Under his leadership, Medtronic’s market capitalization grew from $1.1 billion to $60 billion, averaging 35% per year. Earlier in his career, he was an executive with Honeywell and Litton Industries and served in the U.S. Department of Defense.
Mr. George currently serves as a director of ExxonMobil and Goldman Sachs, and also recently served on the boards of Novartis and Target Corporation. He is also currently a trustee of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, World Economic Forum USA and the Guthrie Theater. He has served as chair of the board of Allina Health System, Abbott-Northwestern Hospital, United Way of the Greater Twin Cities, and Advamed.
He has been named one of “Top 25 Business Leaders of the Past 25 Years” by PBS, “Executive of the Year-2001″ by the Academy of Management, and “Director of the Year-2001-02″ by the National Association of Corporate Directors. Mr. George has made frequent appearances on television and radio, including: The Charlie Rose Show, The Today Show, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, NOW, CNBC, Bloomberg News, and NPR. His articles have appeared in Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, and numerous other publications.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN. (January 11, 2010) –The International Council of Shopping Centers, Inc. (ICSC) has recognized Yak & Yeti™ Restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Park, Lake Buena Vista, Fla. for its innovative and creative design. The project was conceived by Landrys’ Restaurants, Inc. and Schussler Creative, Inc. and designed by Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. As part of the shopping center industry’s premier awards competition, ICSC announced the Silver U.S. Design and Development Award to Yak & Yeti™ at its recent inaugural U.S. Design and Development Awards ceremony.
Yak & Yeti™ Restaurant complements the popular Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain™ attraction by giving visitors the options of dining in an immersive sit-down Asian restaurant, visiting the theatrical quick-service food café, or purchasing an item in the quaint retail village. Through its Global Awards programs, ICSC’s U.S. Design and Development Awards recognize outstanding projects for excellence in the creation of new retail projects, and in the expansion or redevelopment of existing projects, solely within the continental United States.
“Cuningham Group is pleased that ICSC recognized Yak & Yeti™ for achieving its design and development goals,” said Cuningham Group Principal David Solner, AIA, LEED® A.P. “The venue reflects authentic Himalayan culture and eclectic Asian architecture while performing efficiently to meet the demands of a large commercial restaurant. The design needed to blend flawlessly as part of Animal Kingdom’s Asian-inspired setting and create a seamless guest experience by connecting existing establishments, while not disrupting animal exhibits or current environments during construction.”Yak & Yeti™ represents the first time a non-Disney operated restaurant has located inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park. As such, close coordination between Walt Disney Imagineering, Cuningham Group, Landry’s Restaurants, Inc., and Schussler Creative, Inc. was required.
The vibrant architecture of Yak & Yeti™ Restaurant enriches the Animal Kingdom experience by bolstering its story of Asian continent life and adventure, and enhancing the continuity of the journey through the park. Some of its most memorable components include:
A 360-degree experience: Every section of the building tells part of the story: that of a family creating a home in the Himalayan foothills that welcomes weary travelers. It was necessary that the interior and exterior merge with the existing environment while standing out as a unique destination in the park. This was accomplished with authentic materials and details that “transport” guests to a different part of the world.
Approach: The “storefront” of the restaurant creates an emotion and persuades park guests to pause. It represents an opportunity to refresh and an invitation to explore the various dining options. Every part of the project is true to the backstory as features blend together, integrating the whole experience from the exterior to the interior.
Retail: Retail displays are inviting and tempt guests to touch items and make purchases to memorialize their experience. All fixturing and merchandise is related and integral to the theming.
“Cuningham Group’s design team implemented a high level of cultural research and careful planning,” said Solner. “These are reflected in the intricate details, colors, textures, motifs and artifacts, transporting guests to another part of the world and allowing a glimpse of authentic Asian culture, life and food.”
About Cuningham Group
Cuningham Group transcends tradition with architecture, interior design, urban design and planning services for a diverse mix of client and project types. Our client-centered, collaborative approach incorporates trend-setting architecture and environmental responsiveness to create projects that weave seamlessly into the urban fabric. Founded in 1968, the firm is consistently recognized as a leader in a variety of markets and has grown to over 160 employees in offices in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Biloxi, Bakersfield, Madrid and Seoul.
For more information, please visit www.cuningham.com.