Minnesota Design Team (MDT)
Albert Lea, MN
Cold Spring, MN 
Glenwood, MN
You can make a difference in rural Minnesota communities by volunteering your time and expertise. Since 1983, multi-disciplinary teams have worked with over 100 rural communities assisting them in improving their built environments. Continuing Education Units are available for team visits. Another option? The Steering Committee, the governing body of the MDT, meets every fourth Wednesday at AIA Minnesota. Either way, give us a call if you want good fellowship, fun, and an opportunity to do something different from the project you have in the office. To view more information, please visit our website.
Chair: Chair: Neil Reardon, Assoc. AIA
Chair-elect: "Sam" O'Connell, AICP
AIA Staff Liaison: Judith Van Dyne
Meeting Date: Fourth Wednesday of the month at 5:30p.m., AIA Minnesota office
Annual Retreat
Save the Date!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
9AM-3:30PM
Como Pavilion
Second Floor
More information forthcoming
Minnesota Design Team Visits
Forty-five hardy souls attended the annual Minnesota Design Team Annual Retreat on Saturday, January 15, 2011 (a very cold day), at the Como Visitor’s Center. Led by Neil Reardon, Assoc. AIA and chair for 2011, the morning session included updates on the three visits to Crosby Stewartville, and Wadena. This was followed by conversation on three emergency visits the MDT has undertaken in recent years – Roseau (flooding), Rushford (flooding) and Wadena (tornadoes).
Mike Lamb and Steve Roos, ASLA, were moderators for a panel on emergency visits which included Todd Peterson from the City of Roseau who spoke of his experiences in working with the MDT in his community, and Susan Hart from Rushford who spoke of her experiences.
Both said the MDT process absolutely works, and they were happy to have help on where to go next from professionals not connected with the community. They also both mentioned that given the dire situations they were in, it was also a time for them to ask the question – “do we build our community the same way, or is it a time to take a new direction”? It was decided that the word “Recovery” better explains these kinds of visits than the word “Emergency.” Thanks to James Arentson, AIA, for coming up with the term.
Dan Green, AIA, and John Barbour, AIA, led the afternoon session in helping the attendees with drawing and coloring skills, since the boards done during a visit are hand drawn for a sense of spontaneity and liveliness.
Recent Visits
Howard Lake – October 27-30
MDT visited the southern Minnesota town of Stewartville on October 7, 8 and 9, 2010. Stewartville is an attractive town of 5,553 on Hwy. 63, 20 minutes south of Rochester.
They asked the MDT to help them pull together a community-wide shared sense of identity and vision for their future. For much of its 150+ year history Stewartville has understood itself to be a small town and a regional hub. In recent years, though, as nearby Rochester has grown, Stewartville has struggled to define its place. As a result of the visit, the town received help to get them on track to create and preserve a vibrant downtown, all while experiencing the significant widening of Hwy. 63 through the middle of town.
If you are interested in joining us, send your name and contact info to Lori Lippert
Past Visits
Stewartville, MN - October 7-9, 2010
La Crescent, MN - September 11-14, 2008
Gaylord, MN - September 4-6, 2008
Le Roy, MN – April 10-12, 2008
Staples, MN – April 3-5, 2008
Maple Plain Visit – October 26-29, 2007
Palmer Township – September 21-23, 2007
Houston, MN – April 20-22, 2006
Redwood Falls, MN – April 6-9, 2006