State Designer Selection Board interviews Collaborative Design Group for Badura Nursery expansion

The State Designer Selection Board interviewed Collaborative Design Group and mechanical/electrical partner Wunderlich Malek on March 18, 2025, for project 2,501, the Badura Nursery Expansion Project, focusing on process flow, construction phasing tied to seasonal operations, and sustainability goals.

The interview began with Bill Beyer, board chair, introducing the three competing teams and asking board members and agency staff to identify themselves. Brian Ritzinger, project manager with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and Sarah Ebert, nursery supervisor at Badura, joined board members for the 40‑minute presentation and question-and-answer session.

Collaborative Design Group principal Bill Hickey outlined the team’s approach, saying the firm would lead architecture and planning while Wunderlich Malek would handle mechanical and electrical engineering and process-flow planning. Hickey said the team emphasizes early process-flow analysis and frequent energy modeling, adding, "we run through [B3] early and often to see where we can leverage aspects of the project where we can gain advantage."…