Nicollet County Health and Human Services
St. Peter, MN | Government + Cultural
Overview
ISG worked with Nicollet County to bring together four departments in a sustainable and convenient location.
Opportunity
In order to save money from rental and lease agreements and to make government services more convenient, Nicollet County wanted to consolidate several services into one facility.
Solution
To establish a more efficient resource location for residents, Nicollet County relocated the Brown-Nicollet Community Health, Social Services, Public Health, and Veteran’s Services into a new $11.4 million facility. ISG guided reorganization efforts, providing schematic designs, construction documents, and construction administration to help Nicollet County bring together four departments in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. The main goal of the project was to provide a single location for several government services while maximizing space usage. The 52,490 sq. ft. facility includes offices and conference areas designed with the flexibility to accommodate internal meeting configurations, external group events, and community emergency situations. Having four departments under one roof helps facilitate communication between offices while also saving the County money in rental and lease agreements.
A curved entrance, warm exterior, and open windows welcome visitors as they drive to the new facility. In order to accommodate access guidelines for the adjacent U.S. Highway 169, the main entrance is oriented to face South Front Street’s parking access area, pulling traffic away from the busy highway. Pre-existing drive aprons on South Front Street were also reconstructed to create a convenient drop off area. Nearby historic buildings located on Minnesota Avenue inspired the exterior design. Locally quarried limestone, red brick, and complementary textures and colors blend well with its neighboring buildings such as the Government Center and Nicollet County Sheriff’s Office. Construction also incorporated energy-efficient materials including a high-performance glazing system in a two-story atrium space that provides natural light throughout the lobby area.