Hennepin County selected Noor Companies to build a ground up 8,000 building with a large parking to accommodate families and a reflection garden to help families celebrate their loved ones.

The new chapel, for instance, features second-story clerestory windows on three sides to allow in natural light. At the back of the chapel, 7-foot-tall glass panels offer a view of a reflection garden.

Panels of cedar and steel laser-cut with floral images screen the garden with a 9-foot-tall Japanese-style topiary as a centerpiece. The steel panels were designed and produced by youth from Juxtaposition Arts, a north Minneapolis nonprofit that works with young urban artists.

We found ways to bring in artwork and historical references, touches that really represent the chapel’s landmark status in the community.

In a land swap, Estes Funeral Chapel agreed to move across Plymouth to a former brownfield that the county acquired and remediated. The county-built Estes a new structure the same size as its 1986 building and received the former Estes property for NorthPoint’s expansion.

As a social enterprise we also had a mission to include subcontractors of color that represented the community the library was located as well as workforce development for 5 clients that were part of the Hennepin County probation system to help them develop skills in construction and ultimately build a career in a high paying industry.