One example: Steele County Detention Center, in Owatonna, Minn., was recently honored by the American Institute of Architects’ Committee on Architecture for Justice as one of the top 40 justice projects in the nation.
Designed by KKE Architects Inc., the project also received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Waste and Pollution Prevention from the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance, where Steele County earned a blue ribbon as one of the top five projects in the state for the geothermal system and borrowed light in the jail. The detention center was also presented with a MN GREAT (Minnesota Governments Reaching Environmental Achievements Together) award for demonstrating economic efficiency, an innovative/creative approach, and being a model for others.