Klauder & Company Architects provided professional design services from programming and concept design through construction administration services for the 52,000 sq. ft. Dena'ina Wellness Center. The facility serves the Tribe's 1,311 members, as well as the approximately 3,030 Alaska Native / American Indian residents of the Kenai Peninsula, and offers medical, dental, behavioral health, chemical dependency, wellness, physical therapy, pharmacy support and traditional healing services, all beneath one roof. 

A cultural gathering center that promotes health and wellness through healthy activities was part of the Tribe’s vision for this project. Klauder & Company participated in an intensive programming phase, meeting with a variety of user groups and learning about the Kahtnuht’ana Dena’ina people’s culture and way of life, in order to create a building that both serves the Tribe’s present day needs, and reflects their heritage and traditions. Klauder & Company’s concept design option was selected unanimously from several competing design options by the KIT selection committee.

 A Construction Manager/General Contractor delivery method was used for the construction of the Dena’ina Wellness Center, and Klauder & Company worked directly with the contractor in the construction stage of the project, providing technical support and timely response to contractor’s questions. Klauder & Company Architects was primarily responsible for the building core and shell design (building form, massing and exterior elevations) and for coordination of the site design, Wince-Corthell-Bryson provided civil engineering services, Nelson Engineering provided structural engineering services, AMC provided mechanical and electrical engineering services, Corvus Design provided landscape architect services, and Estimations provided construction cost estimating services.

Klauder & Company first prepared a Site Selection Study to evaluate three potential sites for the proposed new Harbor Master Office in Homer. After completion of the initial site selection analysis, a fourth proposed site was brought forward by city administrators, and it was selected as the ideal selection for the new building. 

The next task was to master plan a two-story building with two sets of stairs and a single elevator, which was ultimately revised to a single story due to budget constraints. The final design reflects the building’s nautical surroundings, with the curved southern wall and boardwalk below evoking the bridge of the ship. The building was also designed to accommodate art pieces connected to Homer’s history and ecology, and makes the most of the site’s beautiful location, with windows looking out onto the mountains and harbor.

Construction was completed in Spring 2015, and the building opened to the public on May 18th. 

The Challenger Learning Center is a very unique building in that it was the very first stand-alone Challenger Center building.  As part of the architectural design team Peter Klauder traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana to visit and tour existing Challenger Learning Centers. Mr. Klauder participated fully in the planning, programming, value analysis, design and construction of both phases of the project. The design objective was to create a very modern and exciting building that would inspire children in the pursuit of technical knowledge and skills. In the original Schematic design charette, Mr. Klauder’s design was identified by both the architectural design team and the Building Committee as the most creative, exciting and appropriate design of the three presented, though it was not ultimately the final design selection made by the committee, due to budgetary concerns. Mr. Klauder was specifically charged with the design and development of the interior spaces for the building. The interior design of the building is a meld of modern architecture, art and sculptural projects that Mr. Klauder either designed or coordinated with a number of different artists to complete. Integrating the work of several different artists to create a complimentary, cohesive, and successful final project is more difficult than architecture alone. While touring the completed project, representatives from the Challenger Center Head Quarters in Washington, D.C. commented that the interior design for the "Labyrinth" leading to the "Space Station" entrance was one of the most exciting, and by far, cost-effective solutions they had seen to date. 

As the culmination of months of collaborative work with Architects Alaska, the Seward Middle School won the Council of Educational Facilities Planners International (CEFPI) 2006 Recognized Value Award for the Best Design to meet the Program Requirements for a Middle School Building.  The Pre-Programming and Programming work was done by the team of Klauder & Company Architects and Architects Alaska.  Mr. Klauder participated fully in all aspects of this work.  Stewart Smith, recently retired from Architects Alaska, was the principal in charge of the project. The unanimously selected preliminary Schematic Design was performed by Mr. Klauder. The principal of the school commented immediately after reviewing the design that he had never before seen a school design where he could effectively supervise all of the public spaces by simply pacing back and forth in the main entry lobby. The main lobby also serves as a performance space with a stage and as the school cafeteria.  Mr. Klauder developed the entry of the school based on images he collected from the small boat harbor, giving the school a direct link to what is, essentially, the heart of Seward. 

As part of our Soldotna City Hall Administration Renovation Project Klauder & Company Architects designed new front entry canopy and lighting systems.  The need was to revitalize City Halls presents and protect the entry-way stairs and ramp from ice and snow.  The lighting design featured very modern up-lights to highlight the translucent canopies and very simple “hockey puck” up- and down-lights to accent each column.  This series of arched translucent panel canopies with specialty lighting effects has created an entire new entry experience and modernized City Halls’ presentation to the community. 

The Soldotna Chamber of Commerce commissioned Klauder & Company Architects to assist them in planning the expansion of the Soldotna Visitor Center.  Work began with an existing conditions survey and needs assessment, followed by a series of meetings for refinement of design directives.  Due to the sensitive location on the Kenai River, the planning process has required a fair amount of coordination with state agencies.

Klauder & Company Architects provided comprehensive programming services for Eielson Air Force Base, Joint Security Forces Complex, a 40,000 square foot “police station” shared by the Air National Guard and Eielson Air Force Active Duty Security Forces.  This programming effort was critical to the development of a complete Request for Proposal document for Design / Build Services to construct the project.  Klauder & Company served as a sub consultant charged with the development of the Building Program and writing the Architectural sections of the Request for Proposal.

The process involved multiple conferences on site at Eielson Air Force Base with user group representatives and a full array of design discipline consultants for up to three consecutive days per conference.  The programming effort was intense and would include design charettes and side bar mini-conferences to more fully investigate and develop specific needs.

Security, surveillance and communications for the overall facility and especially for the Battle Staff and Control Center, the “heart” of the building, were paramount design criteria.

Having been deeply involved in the first phases of the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska’s design and development, Klauder & Company were delighted to provide concept design services for the development of a new Coldwater Survival Egress Training Facility, to adjoin the Learning Center’s existing building. During our design process we worked closely with consultants and equipment suppliers, in order to gain a greater understanding of the specialist equipment we would be designing the building around. We also conducted a series of in depth programming exercises, including completing the Cold Water Survival and Helicopter Escape Training with Emergency Breathing System course offered by the CSET program at CLCA, giving us firsthand experience with the equipment utilized in the training exercises. This extensive programming process helped us to better hear and feel the client’s challenges and visions for the project. 

Klauder & Company Architects provided professional design services from planning, programming, design narratives and conceptual design through construction administration to completion for the 9,420 sq. ft. Emergency Response Center for the Kenai Peninsula Borough.  Mr. Klauder participated in all aspects of the process and worked closely with our current team members throughout the project. Wince-Corthell-Bryson provided civil engineering services, Nelson Engineering provided structural engineering services, and Estimations provided construction cost estimating services. The facility was designed with offices, conference rooms, an emergency management assembly room, and a 911 dispatch to function as command and control center to respond to emergency situations throughout the Kenai Peninsula.