Proj Overview

The City of Lake Elmo, MN, created a city center to accommodate the town’s growing population and subsequent needs. The goal of the city center was to bring various functions under one roof, necessitating a larger and more consolidated space. The new facility includes two additions on either
side of an existing structure located across the street from the original city hall. The new structure doubled the size of the city hall to over 9,000 square feet and includes a new centralized 22,000 square foot fire station. One notable feature is the inclusion of an ICC 500 storm shelter within the
facility, addressing safety concerns for the community.

The project incorporated design elements to seamlessly blend the new additions with the existing structure. The exterior facade is meant to emulate Shou Sugi Ban – a Japanese process of charring wood for a unique aesthetic. Wells used a custom formliner and worked tirelessly to perfect a black concrete mix, supporting the design team’s desired aesthetic.

The choice of prefabrication played a crucial role. The general contractor was looking for a cost-effective and fast building method, and precast concrete met the requirements. Additionally, double tees were used for the roof of the fire station to accommodate large open spans in the bay, and the only structural columns needed for the design frame the garage doors, supporting the architectural
element of large wooden panel returns over the doors. The precast concrete components also addressed specific design requirements, such as accommodating an overhead training rail with large openings and providing durability for the fire station use.

 

Project Team

Architect

LEO A DALY

Engineer

Meyer | Borgman | Johnson

Contractor

H+U Construction

Owner

City of Lake Elmo

Precasters

Wells and Molin Concrete Products

Precast Specialty Engineer

Wells

PCI Certified Erector

Wells

Key Project Attributes

  • Custom formliner to create a very unique aesthetic
  • ICC 500 storm shelter
  • Double tees so there are no columns in fire station bay
  • Double tees support heavy load requirements

Project/Precast Scope

  • Architectural Insulated Wall Panels – 94pcs – 21355 sq ft
  • Solid Structural Wall Panels – 21pcs – 4112 sq ft
  • Beams – 6pcs – 179 linear ft
  • Columns – 8pcs – 197 linear ft
  • Double tees – 23pcs – 11948 sq ft
  • Hollowcore (from Molin) – 58pcs