The Anne Carlsen Center in Jamestown, N.D., is on a mission to provide hope and support for individuals with developmental disabilities or delays.
The facility’s namesake, Dr. Anne Carlsen, was born without forearms or lower legs, yet she refused to let her physical impairments prevent her from living life to the fullest. She served as a teacher, administrator, and mentor at the center, which was formerly known as the Crippled Children’s School.
Today, the center provides a range of services, including therapy, adaptive equipment, education, and living arrangements, that are tailored for individuals with complex medical and behavioral needs.
But the center needed a new, modern home to continue providing top-tier care and education for children from across the state.
JLG Architects worked with the Anne Carlsen Center to design and visualize a master plan for an innovative new facility focused on education, independent medical care, and housing that would enhance the school’s pedagogical model while investigating new and cutting-edge ways to ensure all children have the chance at independence.
The project construction team was led by Mortenson (M.A. Mortenson Company), which served as general contractor for the $49M project.
Spanning approximately 110,000 square feet, the center is located just east of Jamestown Regional Medical Center, with easy access from I-94. Now complete, the facility provides support for 34 individuals—24 with complex medical needs and 10 with behavioral challenges.
The new Anne Carlsen Ballantyne Berg Campus features specialized spaces such as:
• Spaces dedicated to physical, occupational, and speech therapies.
• A pool with a movable floor, offering customizable depths to meet diverse therapeutic needs.
• Classrooms tailored to specialized learning programs.
• Comfortable, accessible living arrangements to support individual needs.
• Administration offices, kitchen areas, and dedicated staff spaces.
The building’s exterior uses architectural metal wall cladding systems in a colorful palette to create a vibrant welcome for patients and their families.
Fun fact: The Anne Carlsen Center was awarded first place in the Single Skin Wall Panels–Ribbed category in the Metal Construction Association’s 2025 Design Awards.
“Our team partnered with JLG Architects, Petersen Aluminum, and Mortenson Construction on this award-winning project to fabricate and install PAC-CLAD metal cladding on the exterior of this […] facility,” wrote M.G. McGrath Inc.
The project designers opted for several profiles, including both 1/2-in. and 7/8-in. corrugated panels, which are perforated to create a screen at the entrance, plus standard sheet metal.
The exterior of the facility features a contemporary, rectilinear design. Although the cladding is entirely composed of metal wall panels, the material is used creatively, with corrugated texture and pops of neon-bright colors around ribboned curtain wall windows.
The courtyard play area features a combination of simple geometric forms and isolated color blocks.
The primary panel finish is Cool Color Bone White, but a variety of bold accent colors—such as Lemon Twist, Purple, Gulfstream, and Center Stage Green—help ensure the center makes a strong visual impact, even on the bleakest of winter days.
The opening of the brand-new Anne Carlsen Ballantyne Berg Campus was officially celebrated on June 6, 2024, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, food trucks, guided tours of the campus, live music, games, and more.
“This event promises to be a celebration of both our new state-of-the-art facility and the enduring legacy of Dr. Anne Carlsen,” the center posted to its website.
— With files from JLG Architects, M.A. Mortenson Company, M.G. McGrath Inc., Petersen, Anne Carlsen Center.
