BKV Group

As we look ahead to the end of the year, we want to take a moment to thank our amazing clients, partners, and followers for being part of our journey. Your support and collaboration inspire us every day. This season, we wish you and your loved ones peace, joy, and all the warmth the holidays bring. From all of us at BKV Group who had events this week to celebrate and toast their colleagues, cheers to a safe and fun holiday season and a bright and prosperous 2025! 🥂

Developing new supportive housing residences is crucial as homelessness increases across the country, and factors such as the lack of affordable housing and high rent prices contribute to the imbalance. Shelby Commons, a co-developed project by Woda Cooper Companies, Inc. and Project for Pride in Living (PPL), is a 46-unit affordable housing community located in the North Loop neighborhood of downtown Minneapolis. The project nestles in just south of the historic Farmer’s Market, anchoring the corner site with a pair of rectangular masses angled and offset to create a dynamic corner street presence. The corrugated corten exterior recalls the industrial characteristics of the current neighborhood giving the project an edgy but comfortable fit within the district. Two large building murals procured through Juxtaposition Arts further accentuate the building to add local roots and meaning to the spaces, making this project one of the first of its kind in a promising new development trend for the City of Minneapolis. Read more about Shelby Commons here: https://lnkd.in/gTtkduGC

This month's #BKVProjectPalette showcases the warmth and joy of the holidays. Inspired by a mix of woodsy warmth and golden luxury, the deep, earthy browns and radiant red highlight this collection to create a timeless look that's sophisticated and cozy, inviting you to settle in by a crackling fire. Happy Holidays! https://lnkd.in/g23qAWvY

For this Friday's #BKVSketchSpotlight, Director of Construction Administration and Associate Partner, Mark Jones, captures the essence of the beautiful structures around Chicago, most recently with the John Hancock Building (now called 875 North Michigan Avenue) along the famed Magnificent Mile. Said Mark, "A certain look of a building will inspire me to draw that particular view. On the day I sketched the John Hancock Building, drawing the entire building was daunting so I settled on a view of the south elevation where the shadows casted by the X-brace and column was strong and a close-up detail sketch was enough to tell a story of the structure." Thank you for contributing your wonderful sketches of the Hancock Building and more, Mark!

At BKV Group, the mission-driven work we develop for non-profit clients is integral to our purpose as a design firm. Enriching lives is not just a tagline, but a relentless goal to better our communities. One of our most recent examples was with our client, 180 Degrees, Inc., to create a youth shelter that is now the only 24-hour emergency shelter for youth under nineteen in a large, 13-county region of Central Minnesota. Designed as a trauma-informed center, this project creates a healing environment for individuals and families through responsible living skills and learning interactions with the natural site. To read more about how we have designed the St. Cloud Youth Shelter to be a comfortable, accommodating, and inspiring place that over 2,500 youth have turned to, click here: https://lnkd.in/gQVka6BA

In Richmond, Virginia, BKV Group is currently reimagining a full development block to be a comprehensive senior living community for our developer partner, Pinnacle Living. The community, called Hermitage Campus, will provide a total of 272 apartments/beds with a mix of Independent Living (IL), Assisted Living (AL), and Memory Support (MS) residences. The main building features a primary entry at the Town Center which offers a variety of amenities that promote physical, intellectual, spiritual, and emotional well-being. Additional resident amenities include a club room; a library/learning center that provide opportunities for social interaction as well as educational resources; the Chapel, Community Room, and Theatre; Pet Spa; and, a Wellness Center. The overall exterior design concept for the campus is to create the feeling of a collection of similar yet unique buildings around the central green lawn. The new building designs are inspired by the existing campus and local Richmond historic architectural vernacular, a mix of Federalist and Colonial architectural styles. Stay tuned now into 2025 to learn more about how the proposed reimagination evolves!

BKV Group, with our developer partner, Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, has a new affordable housing community recently completed in Plymouth, Minnesota. Named Cranberry Ridge, the three-story development provides 44 units of affordable housing for families with incomes at or below 50% of the area median income (AMI). In addition, 20% of the units are affordable to households at or below 30% AMI. This particular 2.4 acre site was chosen for its close proximity to quality schools — from preschool to high school as well as being a safe place live with job opportunities. The project utilized the Minnesota Overlay for Enterprise Green Communities including Energy Star Homes sustainable design strategies, and was funded through low-income housing tax credits from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA).

We are pleased to share with you our latest affordable housing community: Rice Street Flats in Saint Paul, MN. In collaboration with Phoenix Development, the project will provide forty-one new homes to the neighborhood in an attainable price range. The development will have several features for the enjoyment of its occupants: a fitness room, a family / social room that can be reserved for events, secured bike storage, a vending area, a screened outdoor play area, and other attractively landscaped outdoor spaces for dining and gathering. The resulting exterior of the building is respectful of the Rice Street Guidelines while also incorporating bursts of bold and bright color, creating a beacon amongst its surroundings. Cheers to our development team, project partners, and our colleagues on this terrific project!

Project spotlights spanning across corporate, hospitality, and mixed-use communities, plus published thought leadership highlights in housing and education — these stories and more encapsulate the December issue of The Pulse:

🦃 Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at BKV Group! 🦃 May your day be filled with joy, delicious food, and the warmth of family and friends. Cheers to building, growing, and creating brighter futures together! #Thanksgiving2024 #ThankfulTogether