Summer is the busiest season for in-house renovations on campus, and 2023 was no exception. This year, there were 100 requests for renovation projects ranging from small repairs to full classroom renovations. In total, 21 projects were completed between graduation and the first day of the new semester. The estimated cost of this work was $2,486,957.
This continues a three-year trend of increased investment in campus renovation projects. In 2022, 23 projects totaling approximately $2 million were comleted. In 2021, the total was 33 projects at $1.7 million. The number of projects completed decreased in 2023 due to an increase in the maximum budget per project, from $185,000 to $300,000. Higher-budget renovations take more time to complete.
One-third of the projects involved lab renovations, highlighting the university’s continued focus on improving opportunities for expanded research on campus.
Here’s a quick look at the projects that were completed in the summer of 2023.
- Nutritional Sciences (1415 Linden Dr.) completed a research lab renovation.
- Grainger Hall (975 University Ave.) underwent classroom remodel/modernization for two classrooms.
- Art Lofts (111 N. Frances St.) successfully extended utilities for improved kiln operations.
- Engineering Hall (1415 Engineering Dr.) reconfigured labs to create and egress corridor
- Engineering Centers Building (1550 Engineering Dr.) underwent a utility renovation in preparation for a lab remodel and had research lab renovations completed.
- Mechanical Engineering Building (1513 University Ave.) had research lab renovations completed.
- Insulation repair was carried out at Waisman Center (1500 Highland Ave.).
- Van Hise Hall (1220 Linden Dr.) saw a lab renovation and the creation of an AV studio.
- Birge Hall (430 Lincoln Dr.) completed a renovation of class lab and prep room.
- Goodnight Hall (1975 Willow Dr.) underwent two class lab renovations.
- Helen C. White Hall (600 N. Park St.) combined two classrooms.
- Science Hall (550 N. Park St.) saw a class lab renovation.
- Weeks Hall (1215 W. Dayton St.) for Geological Sciences underwent a class lab renovation.
- Chamberlin Hall (1150 University Ave.) saw a research lab renovation.
- Brogden Psychology Building (1202 W. Johnson St.) had two test rooms successfully created.
- Birge Hall (430 Lincoln Dr.) saw the creation of a research lab and two graduate offices.
- Integrative Biology Research Building (1117 W. Johnson St.) underwent a research lab renovation.
- Noland Hall (250 N. Mills St.) saw a renovation focused on class lab prep rooms.
- The fume hood was replaced at Stovall Building for the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (465 Henry Mall).
- Babcock Hall (1605 Linden Dr.) underwent two classroom modernizations.
- Renovation to convert office space into swing space was carried out at 30 East Campus Mall.