ST. PAUL, MN — McGough announces that it has earned the WELL CertifiedTM – V2 Pilot Program designation for its company headquarters located in St. Paul, Minnesota. The WELL Certification is a significant achievement, becoming just the second building in Minnesota to earn such an award and the first to earn WELL Platinum Certification and WELL v2 Pilot Platinum Certification, receiving 91 of 92 pursued points in the submission stage. This certification demonstrates McGough’s efforts to support their employees’ physical and mental health.

The building, constructed in partnership with lead designer and architect HGA, earns this certification for taking dedicated steps in promoting and improving employee wellness. The WELL Building Standard is the first performance standard to integrate health-first factors that support physical and mental health into the design, construction, and operation of buildings.

Criteria for the award accounts for a multitude of factors, which further establishes McGough and HGA’s expertise in building and designing spaces focused on human wellness. Some of the factors considered and measured during the evaluation process include air quality and ventilation, water purification, natural light levels, access to physical activity resources, toxicity of building materials, and furnishings. In totality, WELL works to develop a standard for working spaces that considers the living occupants and their long-term health and well-being.

“As mental and physical health become a larger focus, not just for team members, but also employers, we felt like there’s never been a better time than now to implement many of these design features and technologies into our new headquarters,” said Tom McGough Jr., President & CEO for McGough. “Since our founding, we’ve made people our No. 1 focus, so working with HGA on this project was very exciting. Dedicating space and resources to the wellness of the body and spirit will continue to benefit our people well into the future.”

The 54,277-square-foot facility, which opened in 2019, started as a renovation of an existing trucking operation adjacent to McGough’s original headquarters. The trucking terminal’s 25,000-square-foot bow truss area now houses a large collaborative office space featuring flexible workstations, huddle areas, and glass conference rooms. In the attached office structure are upgraded cafeteria amenities, an employee fitness center, and wellness room.

“Sustainability was a key driver for the design of this project, starting with the idea of utilizing the existing resources of a dilapidated trucking terminal and converting it into a fresh workspace,” said Rebecca Celis, AIA, Principal at HGA. “The integrated project delivery nature of this project allowed us to collaborate with McGough on how to incorporate WELL principles into the design and construction process, resulting in functional, unique spaces that work for McGough and their people.”

Other contributors to this project included Christine Graf from WELL Building Measures, Jennifer Kruse from Strategy 17, Schadegg Mechanical, Gephart Electric, and Twin City Glass. The City of Roseville’s Economic Development Authority supported the cleanup and revitalization of the blighted property, and Bremer Bank provided project financing.