“Code regulations
like handicapped accessibility requirements and
rules about hazardous materials might not seem sexy or romantic, but they make everyday life a lot safer and more convenient for all of us. And that’s why we love them.”
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These are just a few of our current projects:

Cox Communications
Oklahoma, Nevada, California, Arizona, Virginia, Nebraska

American Dental Partners
St. Louis, MO

Little Caesars
St. Louis Park, Richfield, Woodbury, MN

Ducatti Motorcycles
Minneapolis, MN

Commemorative Air Force
South St. Paul, MN

Is there anything sweeter than puppy love? Or kitty love? Or birdie love, for that matter? Our friends at Animal Emergency Clinic just took their love for animals to a whole new level, recently opening their impressive new 8,800-square-foot facility. Working alongside Dr. Karen Reynhout, Medical Director, and J.L. Sullivan, General Contractor, KOMA provided architectural, structural engineering and interior design services for the innovative new building. The clinic features soundproof spaces to control noise, specially designed plumbing and HVAC systems, cabinetry specifically designed for emergency procedures, a workflow-friendly layout, an emergency generator for 24/7 continuous operation, and an overall aesthetic created to enhance the quality of medical care.

Visit our website, if you’re feeling the love …

Wade and Jessica Short wanted to continue the legacy of Wade’s mother, who had operated a successful dance school in various locations around the south metro for many years. With the help of Krech, O’Brien, Mueller & Associates, they will soon open the doors of a brand new facility for instruction in dance and the musical arts on family-owned land in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. The 8,500-square-foot facility features two stories of dance studios, music instruction rooms, waiting areas and administrative offices for Short Dance Studios, which offers classes in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, and New Richmond, Wisconsin.

Time to boogie. Here's more.

It’s hot. It’s steamy. It drives men wild. And it’s covered in cheese.

For many of us, pizza equals love. And since 2006, Krech, O'Brien, Mueller & Associates has helped Little Caesars franchisees open 14 new stores in the Twin Cities metro area, with three more in progress. KOMA utilizes the expertise of their project managers, designers and architects to produce the permit and construction documents for the Little Caesars projects. “It’s our job to make sure everything is legal and abides by state standards,” says project manager Jon LeNoble.

Hungry for more? You’ll find it here.

The Winton Guest House is moving on … to a new location, and to a new affiliation with the University of St. Thomas.

Designed by acclaimed architect Frank Gehry, the Winton Guest House is in the process of being moved from its former location in Orono, Minnesota, to its new home at the Daniel C. Gainey Conference Center in Owatonna, Minnesota. And who’s helping to make it happen? Krech, O’Brien, Mueller & Associates. Working closely with civil engineer Loucks Associates and contractor Casey & Groesbeck, KOMA is providing broad structural engineering support and assistance with building code issues during the move.

Want to learn more about the fresh start? Move here.

Small World. BIG LOVE.

Jon LeNoble has been a project manager at Krech, O’Brien, Mueller & Associates since August 2005. A native Minnesotan, he was one of the few non-Californians in his architecture program at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He also spent a year of his architecture program studying in Copenhagen, Denmark. A lifelong basketball player and avid cook, Jon lives in St. Paul with his new wife, Emily, who is the manager of Riverview Café in South Minneapolis. We asked him about their wedding – which, befitting someone who spends every day working with the built environment, has a great connection to their new home.

Jon, how did you and Emily first meet?
“[Laughs.] It’s a small-world story, really. I had some friends from high school named Pete and Angelo, and Pete was the first to get married. His wife is a pastry chef, and when Angelo got married in 2004, she offered to bake the wedding cake. The day of the wedding, she needed some help with the cake and recruited her friend Emily. I was in the wedding, and that’s how I first met Emily. Angelo ended up being the best man in our wedding.”

So, when did you two finally tie the knot?
“The date we chose for our wedding, April 17, 2009, was also a coincidence. In 2008, we both knew the positive direction of the relationship and we were looking to buy a home together. I started working on the ring, figuring that would take a few weeks, while finding the right place to live would take a lot longer. It turned out the opposite – we found the perfect condo within three weeks and the ring took about five months! The day we closed on the new condo was Friday, April 18, 2008. Once we were engaged, we thought about getting married a year later on April 18 (a Saturday) – but we were going to be married by a judge, and courthouses aren’t open on Saturdays. So, we got married on April 17 and had the reception on April 18.”

Wow! That is surprising, to find a house so quickly and for the ring to take so long. Why was that?
“Well, Emily had fallen in love with the Cathedral Hill neighborhood of St. Paul, so we started looking there. We found the perfect place and submitted an offer right away, but it was in foreclosure and the bank had already received another offer. We got a call the next day saying that the earlier offer had expired without a purchase agreement, and the bank was allowing us the chance to buy the place – so we jumped on it right away.

The ring took a long time because I designed it myself. [Laughs] I mean, I wouldn’t be a self-respecting designer if I didn’t have a hand in it, right?! Of course I had a lot of help from the experts, but we spent a lot of time going back and forth with ideas. But when I finally proposed, Emily was still surprised – and that’s what I had wanted.”

Was there a certain theme for your wedding and reception?
“Emily and I wanted it to be a party that, if we were not the guests of honor, we would like to attend. That meant no sit-down dinner, an open bar and a jazz band. Both of our personal styles are a bit retro (1930s and 40s), which is reflected in the location we chose and other details.”

You mention that the photo of you and Emily next to the hotdog cart was a personal joke, since you are both vegetarians. What are some of your favorite food-related traditions?
“We love food and its tremendous variety. One of our food traditions started when we received a small pumpkin as a Halloween gift from our realtor. We cleaned out the pumpkin and baked a vegetarian stew right in the gourd. Now we do it every fall.”