"Medtronic Campus - Designing for Health and the Environment"

by Terry Olsen, AIA, CSI, LEED AP

view last meeting's photos here.

On Monday, October 8, 2007 Medtronic opened its home and its heart to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Chapter of CSI, allowing us to visit the new Medtronic Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management (CRDM) headquarters.  Medtronic, well known for developing life-saving therapies and devices for people around the world, demonstrates here its concern for people, both employees and guests, through the attention to detail and personal consideration of the spaces to care for the personnel anticipated to use them. 

Mission
It would only be fitting and appropriate that a company whose mission includes “To contribute to human welfare by application of biomedical engineering…”, “…to gather people and facilities that tend to augment these areas; to continuously build on these areas through education and knowledge assimilation;” and “to recognize the personal worth of employees” would have a home that places people first.  As evidenced by the newly built environment, Medtronic’s mission statement has not changed in the past 4 decades.

Modern Modes of Working
Looking back at how working environments and methods of working have evolved over the past 20 years, planning for flexibility is key to accommodating as yet unforeseen working methods for the next 20 years.  The entire campus is wired for wireless, so that anyone can work at any time anywhere in the facility.  This allows employees to find a quiet corner to concentrate, an inviting meeting space for collaborating, public active spaces for impromptu interaction, and formal conference spaces with invited team members.  This helps meet the goal of the building to provide spaces that are flexible enough to meet the creative and personal needs of the employees and guests so as to enhance their producti vity and overall well-being. 

Basic Statistics
Consolidating functions previously quartered in multiple buildings, this campus houses: employees performing research & development, management, marketing, sales, finance, legal and support functions for implantable pacemakers and defibrillators, monitoring and diagnostic devices, cardiac resynchronization devices and external defibrillators (AEDs).  Formerly a golf course with established wetlands, this 85-acre campus near Highway 10 and 35W in Mounds View is the largest Medtronic facility in the world.  However, there is only one world and thus only one World Headquarters, which has already been built.  Therefore, this complex is a departure from the low-rise, academic campus-like setting, utilizing more contemporary 8-story buildings.

Ground-breaking was in April 2006; when fully occupied, 3,200 employees will relocate to this linked three-building, 1.2 million square foot new home.  When this first phase of construction is 93% to 95% occupied, the second phase, consisting of a fourth building, will be built.  Ultimately, the campus master plan contains 1.5 million SF and will accommodate 4,400 employees.  Amazingly, for as beautiful and sophisticated as this building and site are, the project construction costs run under $150 per square foot, excluding furnishings.
 
Sustainability Features of the Campus
Since Medtronic is focused on health, the campus incorporates many sustainable design features and healthy building initiatives.  The campus is LEED registered but has chosen not to complete the documentation to become LEED certified.  Some of the exterior green elements include sustainable site features like xeriscaping, rainwater gardens, infiltration and retention storm water management ponds, and a 5-level, 6-acres per level, parking ramp in lieu of comparable surface parking.  Taking advantage of existing mature wetlands and rerouting a stream, there are 2 miles of walking paths, complete with a boardwalk.  Medtronic worked closely with the Rice Creek Watershed District for stormwater rate and quality control, as well as 3 cities, 2 counties, the State and the DNR.  In addition, the building’s location near the Anoka airport required working with the FAA for height restrictions.  Through accommodating all these requirements, migrating fowl also appreciate the beautiful natural settings; and sometimes the new drives become convenient, unintended natural landing strips for migrating species.

In addition, interior features include natural daylight and views throughout the building, carpet tiles allow removal and replacement of a small area rather than a complete tear-out, and aisles near the windows with office cubicles and private offices towards the core maximize the number of people with access to light and views.  A common module for the “six-pack” offices and cubicles allow the flexibility to modify spaces to accommodate worker needs while staying on module.  The furniture was the result of a design competition between three manufacturers, and is ergonomically designed in a custom 7’-6 x 7’-6 module. 
 
The design of the building allows for transparency, where the reflecting pond appears to flow through the Auditorium and greenery visible outside the lobby curtainwall continues to the interior common spaces.  Inside the lobby is a bronze statue of Earl Bakken, founder of Medtronic and current resident of the state of Hawaii.  He visits quarterly, and when he is in town his likeness is adorned with a lei, which is a sign that the employees should keep their eyes open to greet their founding member.

Amenities
To help entice top graduates from notable universities to move to Minnesota in January, as well as to attend to the needs of the employees, including those who may be visiting from other Medtronic facilities worldwide, many amenities are offered. Benefits provided at this facility include: on-site child care for over 100 children up to preschool age (located just outside the guard desk check point so that either parent can drop off or pick up their child); a Fitness (Wellness) Center open all day with structured classes offered during the lunch hour; a Minute Clinic; a U.S. Bank office; over 20 new-mothers rooms; a Caribou Coffee shop; an employee gift shop; a Concierge service that will do your shopping for you; and a valet car service, where employees can get oil changed, their car washed, and minor repairs made.  Interestingly, one of the employees’ most-requested amenities was covered parking.  The current portion of the 4,400-car master plan is provided with a structured parking ramp, which also helps reduce the building’s footprint on the site. 

Patent Wall
Rather than repeating the static walls displaying the multitude and ever-growing numbers of patents, Medtronic took a new and more lively approach with a video-display wall.  Patents constantly are changing and new ones can be added easily without taking more wall space.  In fact, sometimes Medtronic’s improvements make their own products obsolete.  The wall is then interspersed with patient photos and patient stories, reflecting on why and for whom the people at Medtronic do what they do.

Innovative Ideas
With its location so close to 35-W, laminated-glass window walls along the freeway side of the building effectively buffer freeway noise.  Encountering the water table at 11 feet below grade, a basement level is not provided, and all parking is above grade.  Without a basement, to counter employee concern about where to go in severe weather, storm shelters are provided within stairwells.  To reduce the appearance of the scale of the campus, at each of the 3 separate building areas precast concrete banding changes colors and heights from building to building, and the top level is not connected by links between buildings to break up the visual massing.  To assist with wayfinding in this large structure, each of the buildings is coordinated with a color; for example, the north building contains red accent walls.

Design Team People
The design was a team responsibility coordinated by Jim Driessen, Medtronic Global Solutions. Opus provided the exterior, and Julie Snow was the design provocateur. The Weidt Group provided energy design assistance, Perkins and Will were the interiors designer, and Close coordinated the landscaping.  Opus was the General Contractor as well.

Vielen Dank, Muchas Gracias, Merci Beaucoup, Many Thanks