Blueprints for Continued Education: Celebrating National Higher Education Day
At Team Blue, we understand that education is essential for a thriving community. On National Higher Education Day, we proudly celebrate our role in creating spaces where learning, innovation, and opportunity can flourish.
Over the years, we have had the privilege of partnering with colleges and universities throughout the Midwest to bring exciting campus projects to life. From research labs to athletic centers, our team has played a significant role in developing environments where ideas thrive and futures are shaped. Here are some of our previous higher education projects!
Riverland Community College, Albert Lea
A new truck training course was added on the north side of Riverland Drive. The course provided training equivalent to the existing 75,000 SF course on the Austin Campus. The site also included renewable energy in the form of photovoltaics located on the former Gateway building site. The project was a partnership between Minnesota State and Riverland Community College – Albert Lea Campus.
University Of Minnesota Shepard Labs Renovation
University of Iowa Football Performance Center Locker Room Renovation
In 2024, Knutson undertook the interior renovation of a football locker room. The building, originally completed in 2015, features an unprotected steel frame with a ground-level concrete slab and a mezzanine-level composite slab. The locker room is situated on the ground level, with an outer wall footprint measuring approximately 42 feet by 115 feet, and it includes four columns along Grid ‘N’ within this footprint.
University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management
University of Northern Iowa Applied Engineering Building
Knutson completed a three-year modernization of the Applied Engineering Building, formerly known as the Industrial Technology Center, transforming the south campus to better support the evolving needs of the industry. The project included extensive renovations and additions that expanded laboratory and project space, addressing growing program demands and helping prepare future industry leaders with the skills needed in a quickly advancing workforce.
Kirkwood Community College Horticulture and Floral Careers Building
Kirkwood Community College, the largest community college in Iowa, has constructed the Horticulture Facility to enhance its Horticulture and Floral Careers curriculum on the Cedar Rapids campus. This facility aims to attract prospective students interested in horticulture and floral careers.
The project included academic offices, lecture rooms, a student commons area, a head house, and a greenhouse, totaling 31,500 square feet, with the greenhouse featuring six growing zones in an additional 8,500 square feet.
The University of Minnesota Carmen D. and James R. Campbell Hall
This project involved the renovation of a historic 1913 building in the oldest part of the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus, along with a 46,000-square-foot addition. The combined renovation and new construction created a state-of-the-art research space to support the university’s child development and child psychology programs. Construction began in June 2020 and was completed in late 2022.
University of Minnesota Wilson Library Renovation
Knutson was contracted to renovate the lobby of the Wilson Library, situated on the Minneapolis campus of the University of Minnesota. The project involved adding new casework, glass features, and gypsum soffits.
A special thanks to all the students, faculty, and institutions we’ve worked with over the years!
