Hawks Boots Manufacturing Facility was one of eight projects chosen to receive the BusinessWeek/Architectural Record "Good Design is Good Business" Award for 2009.
Architectural Record
2009 Awards of Excellence
November, 2009
Architecture MN
AIA MN Honors Awards
March, 2009
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Case Studies
December, 2009
Hawks Boots Sustainable Manufacturing Facility
Loll Designs® is headquartered at Hawks Boots Sustainable Manufacturing Facility. Situated on a forested hillside in Duluth, Minnesota, Hawks Boots is founded on principles of efficient and responsible use and reuse of manufacturing materials while continuously reaching to improve product quality. For nearly 80 years prior to Loll, concrete forms such as culverts, pilings, light posts and burial vaults were manufactured at the old Polaris Vault. Petroleum form oil, empty 55 gallon barrels, and tons of concrete objects were strewn around the 4 acre hilltop site when Loll purchased the unkempt facility in 2004. Before a renovation was started the 4 acre site was cleaned according to an EPA approved Development Response Action Plan. With the direction of local architect David Salmela of Salmela Architect, the tired buildings were renovated with the addition of a modern open office plan set atop a portion of the roof.
The facility overlooks the St. Louis River valley and has a distant view of Lake Superior. Although the building is not a LEED certified project, concern for environmental design was a priority. Along with greening the brownfield site and reusing the existing structures, natural lighting and ventilation, low VOC materials, and passive solar heating were employed into the project. Landscaping is all no maintenance flowers and grasses and roadways were left pervious to maintain existing water runoff. Structural Insulated Panels were used throughout the new office structure. Hawks Boots is located near local bus routes and many employees can walk or bike to work.
Hawks Boots is also the headquarters of Loll’s sister company, Epicurean Cutting Surfaces. Epicurean Cutting Surfaces manufactures natural paper composite cutting surfaces that are dishwasher safe and easy on your knives. Epicurean Cutting Surfaces® are a practical and distinctive improvement over poly, glass, and wood cutting boards as they have all of their best qualities in one functional surface. Epicurean products are found at quality gourmet retailers throughout the world.
Intectural is a distributor of innovative architectural materials which have a commitment to conservation and sustainability. Based in Duluth, Minnesota at the Hawksboots Manufacturing Facility, Intectural's partners include companies which fabricate goods out of our distributed materials. These unique relationships allow for distinctive, hands-on knowledge of material capabilities and machining. Intectural is focused on offering quality sustainable materials with a high level of customer service from an in-house support staff as well as local representatives in your area.
