JLG Architects is an

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

firm that specializes in

urban design Urban design is an approach to the design of buildings and the spaces between them that focuses on specific design processes and outcomes based on geographical location. In addition to designing and shaping the physical features of towns, city, ...

, master planning and architectural design for sports/recreation facilities, universities, K-12 schools,

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as h ...

facilities, medical centers, and mixed-use/multi-family housing. JLG has offices in

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

, St. Cloud, and

Alexandria, Minnesota Alexandria is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,335 as of the 2020 census. I-94 passes through Alexandria, along with Minnesota State Highways 27 and 29. It is south of Lake ...

, and

Grand Forks Grand Forks is a city in and the county seat of Grand Forks County, North Dakota, United States. The city's population was 59,166 as of the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in the state, after Fargo and Bismarck. Grand For ...

, Bismarck,

Minot Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base approximately north of the city. With a population of 48,377 at the 2 ...

, Williston, and

Fargo, North Dakota Fargo is the List of cities in North Dakota, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, Cass County. The population was 125,990 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, which was e ...

Rapid City Rapid City is the county seat of Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. It is located on the eastern slope of the Black Hills in western South Dakota and was named after Rapid Creek, where the settlement developed. It is the second-mo ...

and

Sioux Falls Sioux Falls ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 117th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into northern Lincoln County. The population was 192 ...

, South Dakota, and

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, Massachusetts.

History

JLG Architects was founded in 1989 by Gary Johnson,

FAIA Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) is a postnominal title or membership, designating an individual who has been named a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Fellowship is bestowed by the institute on AIA-membe ...

and Lonnie Laffen,

AIA AIA or A.I.A. or Aia may refer to: Aia * Aia, a small town in the province of Gipuzkoa, Spain * Peñas de Aya, small mountain range in Oiartzun, Gipuzkoa * Aia, current Kutaisi, ancient capital of Colchis * Aia, another name for Aea (Malis), an ...

, LEED AP under the name Johnson & Laffen Architects, Ltd. In 1994, the firm received the national

Intern Development Program Formerly called the Intern Development Program (IDP), the Architectural Experience Program (AXP) is designed to ensure that candidates pursuing licensure in the architecture profession gain the knowledge and skills required for the independent pract ...

Outstanding Firm Award. In 2000, James Galloway,

, LEED AP joined the firm, renaming it Johnson Laffen Galloway Architects, Ltd. The firm's

office was opened in 2002, led by Michelle Mongeon Allen,

, LEED AP. The firm name was changed to JLG Architects the same year. In 2004, Dan Miller,

, LEED AP opened the

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

office, and in 2005, Joel Davy,

, LEED AP opened an office in Fargo. The Bismarck office opened in 2010 and the Williston office opened in December 2012. In 2012,

-based Davison Larson Associates merged with JLG. JLG has won more North Dakota

awards than any other firm in North Dakota. JLG is also part of the 1% pro bono design program of public architecture and donates a considerable amount of design services to non-profit organizations.

Awards and rankings

From 2020 to 2021, JLG Architects has been Great Place to Work Certified. From 2019 to 2021, LUXlife Winter Sports Awards featured JLG Architects as the recipient of the Best Ice Hockey Arena Architects, Upper Midwest USA. In 2021,

Inc. Magazine ''Inc.'' is an American business media company founded in 1979 and based in New York City. ''Inc.'' publishes several print magazine issues per year, and is anchored by journalistic content online and on social media, focused on entrepreneurship a ...

listed JLG Architects in the Top 5000 Fastest-Growing Privately Held Companies in the US. Additionally, JLG made the list in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2020. From 2014 to 2021, JLG Architects has been listed in Prairie Business Magazine 50 Best Places to Work. From 2014 to 2016 and 2018 to 2021, JLG Architects has been among the Top 300 Architecture Firms in the US, according to

Architectural Record ''Architectural Record'' is a US-based monthly magazine dedicated to architecture and interior design. Its editor in chief is Josephine Minutillo. ''The Record'', as it is sometimes colloquially referred to, is widely-recognized as an important ...

. From 2015 to 2020, ENR listed JLG Architects in the Top 500 Design Firms four of the years. ENR also ranked JLG among the Midwest Top Design Firms in 2018. In 2020, GC Magazine listed JLG Architects as one of the 40 Best Hospital Architects in the United States. In 2019,

North Central States Region awarded JLG Architects with the Emerging Professional Friendly Firm Award. In 2019, JLG Architects was chosen as ENR Mountain States Design Firm of the Year. From 2015 to 2019, JLG Architects was ranked on

Building Design+Construction A building or edifice is an enclosed structure with a roof, walls and windows, usually standing permanently in one place, such as a house or factory. Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, and have been adapted throughout ...

's Top 150 Architecture Giants list. JLG has been ranked on many of

's Top Sector Giants lists as well, including local and state government, cultural facilities, aviation, veterans administration, K-12, multi-family housing, hotels, offices, retail, industrial, religious, sport facilities, university architecture, and healthcare. In 2018, MSM Money/BestLife selected JLG Architects as one of the 50 Most Admired Companies in the United States. In 2016, JLG Architects was listed by

as one of the 50 Best Places to Work in America. In 2015, JLG Architects was named a Circle of Excellence Firm by PSMJ Resources. Between 2013 and 2021, JLG Architects was named one of the top 25 architecture firms by MSP Business Journal seven of the years. In January 2012, JLG was featured in the book "50 US Architects: Residential and Planning." In November 2010, firm partner Lonnie Laffen was elected to the

North Dakota Senate The North Dakota State Senate is the upper house of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly, smaller than the North Dakota House of Representatives. Per the state constitution, North Dakota is divided into between 40 and 54 legislative distri ...

for District 43 in Grand Forks, ND. In October 2010, JLG Architects was named to the ZweigWhite Hot 100 List. JLG also earned a spot on the list from 2013 to 2016. In 2006 JLG was named as one of the 2006 "Top 20 Architecture/Interior Design/Landscape Architecture firms to work for in America." ZweigWhite, a

management consulting Management consulting is the practice of providing consulting services to organizations to improve their performance or in any way to assist in achieving organizational objectives. Organizations may draw upon the services of management consultant ...

& research company, ranked JLG Architecture 13th "based on their commitment to providing a positive work environment and challenging and interesting design opportunities for their employees."

Sustainable Design

In the May 2007 issue of Environmental Design + Construction magazine, JLG "officially kicked off an officewide sustainable live, work, and play program with a series of eco-friendly events in honor of

Earth Week Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally through earthday.org (formerly Earth Day Network) includin ...

." Many JLG projects have achieved

LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a Green building certification systems, green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating ...

certification. Among those are; the Gorecki Alumni Center at the

University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota (UND) is a Public university, public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States. It was established by the Dakota Territory, Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishm ...

which achieved

LEED platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, constructio ...

certification, Black Gold Headquarters which achieved

LEED gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, constructio ...

certification, and

US Bank Stadium U.S. Bank Stadium is an enclosed stadium located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. Built on the former site of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, the indoor stadium opened in 2016 and is the home of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football ...

which achieved

certification. The Gorecki Alumni Center continues to be the only LEED Platinum certified commercial building in North Dakota through 2021. In 2020, JLG Architects signed the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

' Carbon Neutral Commitment, with the goal of reducing energy use and avoiding the use of fossil fuels. By 2021, JLG has purchased carbon offset credits from Prairie Winds Emissions Reduction in North Dakota and Crow Lake Emissions Reduction Project in South Dakota to offset office and travel-related energy used by the company. JLG Architects was the recipient of the Construction Specifications Institute's 2021 Environmental Stewardship Award for its sustainable innovations and applications.

Select Projects

North Dakota State University North Dakota State University (NDSU, formally North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota, United States. It was ...

Aldevron Tower;

Fargo, ND Fargo is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. The population was 125,990 at the 2020 census, which was estimated to have grown to 133,188 in 2023, making it the 218th-most populous city ...

*The Argyle; Grand Forks, ND *The Selkirk Lofts; Grand Forks, ND *Veterans Memorial Park, Al Palmer Visitors Center; Grand Forks, ND *Frogtown Recreation Center; St. Paul, MN *Eau Claire City Hall Renovation;

Eau Claire, WI Eau Claire ( ; lit. "clear water") is a city in Eau Claire and Chippewa counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the seat of Eau Claire County. It is the seventh-most populous city in Wisconsin, with a population of 69,421 at the 2020 ...

* U of M Health Clinics and Surgery;

Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

;

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

East Bank Recreation Center;

South Dakota State University South Dakota State University (SDSU or SD State) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Brookings, South Dakota, United States. Founded in 1881, it is the state's largest university and is the sec ...

Harding Hall;

Brookings, SD Brookings is a city in and the county seat of Brookings County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 23,377 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth most populous city in South Dakota, and was estimated to be 24,312 in 2023. It is h ...

*Watford City High School;

Watford City, ND Watford City (Hidatsa: abaʔaruʔush), founded in 1914, is a city in and the county seat of McKenzie County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 6,207 at the 2020 census, making it the 13th most populous city in North Dakota. Becaus ...

*Grand Forks Regional Water Treatment Plant; Grand Forks, ND * Sanford Fargo Medical Center;

*The Farmhouse Bistro, Bar & Backyard; Spearfish, SD * Sanford Moorhead Clinic;

Moorhead, MN Moorhead ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Minnesota, United States, on the banks of the Red River of the North. Located in the Red River Valley, an extremely fertile and active agricultural region, Moorhead is home to sever ...

St. Cloud State University St. Cloud State University (SCSU) is a public university in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1869, the university is one of the largest institutions in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. In the fall of 2023, it ...

National Hockey Center The Herb Brooks National Hockey Center, also known as the Brooks Center, is a 6,000+ seat ice hockey arena that can seat up to 8,000 in St. Cloud, Minnesota. It is home to the St. Cloud State University Huskies men's & women's ice hockey teams, ...

Addition & Renovation; St. Cloud, MN *

Grand Forks International Airport Grand Forks International Airport is a public airport five miles (8 km) northwest of Grand Forks, in Grand Forks County, North Dakota, United States. GFK has no scheduled passenger flights out of the country but has an "international" ...

Terminal; Grand Forks, ND *Minnesota Joint Operations Center *The

Alerus Center The Alerus Center is an indoor arena and convention center in the north central United States, located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The facility is owned and operated by the city of Grand Forks and opened on February 10, 2001. The arena's majo ...

; Grand Forks, ND * Canad Inns Destination Center; Grand Forks, ND * Douglas County Hospital Addition & Renovation; Alexandria, MN *

Cityscapes Plaza;

University Place Apartments; Grand Forks, ND *Cedar Rapids Flood Recovery and Vision;

Cedar Rapids, IA Cedar Rapids is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. The population was 137,710 at the 2020 census, making it the second-most populous city in Iowa. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa ...

*Ojibwa Millennium School; Belcourt, ND *Historic Waldorf Flats; St. Paul, MN *

Cass Gilbert Cass Gilbert (November 24, 1859 – May 17, 1934) was an American architect. An early proponent of Early skyscrapers, skyscrapers, his works include the Woolworth Building, the United States Supreme Court building, the state capitols of Minneso ...

Double House; St. Paul, MN *Alexandria Area

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...

; Alexandria, MN *Devils Lake

Airport Terminal An airport terminal is a main building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from an Fixed-wing aircraft, aircraft. The buildings that provide access t ...

and Air Fire Fighting and Rescue Station; Devils Lake, ND Devils Lake Regional Airport *The North Face;

*Roberts Street Chaplet;

*Hopper Danley Memorial; Grand Forks, ND * Metropolitan Opera House Lofts; Grand Forks, ND *

Coe College Coe College is a private liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was founded in 1851 and is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The college is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and the Associati ...

Area Development Plan;

* Horton Hall;

Wahpeton, ND Wahpeton ( ) is a city in Richland County, North Dakota, Richland County, in southeast North Dakota along the Bois de Sioux River at its confluence with the Otter Tail River, which forms the Red River of the North. Wahpeton is the county seat of ...

* Alexandria High School; Alexandria, MN * UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences; Grand Forks, ND * Boathouse; Grand Forks, ND * Rhoades Science Center; Valley City, ND * Grand Forks Elementary; Grand Forks, ND * UND Gorecki Alumni Center; Grand Forks, ND * Living Word Lutheran Church; Alexandria, MN * Ward County Office;

Minot, ND Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base approximately north of the city. With a population of 48,377 at the 20 ...

* Black Gold Headquarters; Grand Forks, ND * Sanford Pentagon;

Sioux Falls, SD Sioux Falls ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 117th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into northern Lincoln County. The population was 192, ...

* Williston Area Recreation Center; Williston, ND

Sources

88.^ "the Bes
General Contractors
in Virginia."

External links

JLG's WebsiteGeneral Contractors - AGC
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jlg Architects Architecture firms based in North Dakota Architecture firms based in Minnesota Design companies established in 1989