“It is certainly our most distinctive building on campus,” says Geoff Hurtado, associate vice chancellor at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. “And it signifies the direction in which UWM is headed. We are stepping up from a good university to a great university and in the top tier of the research community.”
This embodiment of greatness is the award-winning Kenwood Interdisciplinary Research Complex, or KIRC, a 141,000 square-foot building dedicated to the advancement of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The largest building on campus, it was designed by Flad Architects to comply with LEED Gold Certification standards and to meet a wide range of current and future academic needs.
The architects describe the interior as a confluence of “offices, instructional areas, collaborative spaces, multidisciplinary research labs, greenhouses and shared core facilities. A portion of the building [features] facilities for the Zilber School of Public Health that can be shared by other departments. Its indoor pathway is woven into a major pedestrian throughway, seamlessly connecting the building to future phases of the quad and the rest of the campus.”
Outside, the building brings together a stunning variety of design elements – multilayered façades, complex angles, tapered canopies, vertical columns, horizontal grilles, extensive glazing and more. Tying it all together are two principal colors and textures: warm terra cotta tiles imported from Germany complemented by ALPOLIC®/fr fire-retardant materials in a sleek metallic silver finish. ALPOLIC® materials in a secondary, custom color are used on soffits and other exterior details to match the terra cotta tiles. Inside, ALPOLIC® material’s metallic silver finish adorn balconies, stairwells and ceilings.
| A simple system for versatile architectural forms
The ALPOLIC® materials were fabricated by John W. McDougall Co., Inc. (JWMCD), using the company’s Series 400 rainscreen system. JWMCD supplied the fabricated panels to Construction Supply & Erection, Inc. for installation on the building.
JWMCD Project Manager and Field Supervisor Gary Wilkerson describes the Series 400 rout-and-return wet caulk system: “This is our own patented system. It’s a rear-ventilated rainscreen that we’ve been using it for almost 20 years now, so everybody seems to want it. It’s an easy system to install. It’s a male/female system where they marry together, and we put a matching reveal in the joint lines of the pocket that hides all the extrusions.”
The ALPOLIC® materials were field-dimensioned, CNC-fabricated and mounted to the extrusion system at JWMCD’s Nashville, Tennessee plant, then crated and shipped to Milwaukee in 21 truckloads. In total, the project used 52,000 square feet of ALPOLIC®/fr material finished in BSX Silver Metallic and 3,200 square feet in a custom COT Terra Cotta finish.
Wilkerson is impressed with the attention JWMCD receives from the people behind ALPOLIC® materials when it comes to getting the details right and delivering on time. “I’ve worked with several different suppliers, and I’ve never had a problem with ALPOLIC®. Once I’ve ordered the materials, they come in on time. I give the dates, and they hit it. I’ve never had a problem working with ALPOLIC®.”
Related Stories
| Feb 2, 2012
Fire rated glazing helps historic university preserve its past
When the University embarked on its first major addition since the opening of Hutchins Hall in 1933, preserving the Collegiate Gothic-style architecture was of utmost importance.
| Feb 2, 2012
Next phase of construction begins on Scripps Prebys Cardiovascular Institute
$456 million Institute will be comprehensive heart center for 21st Century.
| Feb 1, 2012
Two new research buildings dedicated at the University of South Carolina
The two buildings add 208,000 square feet of collaborative research space to the campus.
| Jan 31, 2012
Fusion Facilities: 8 reasons to consolidate multiple functions under one roof
‘Fusing’ multiple functions into a single building can make it greater than the sum of its parts. The first in a series on the design and construction of university facilities.
| Jan 27, 2012
BRB Architects designs new campus center for Molloy College
Intended to be the centerpiece of the College’s transformation from a commuter college to a 24-hour learning community, the “Public Square” will support student life with spaces such as a café, lounges, study rooms, student club space, a bookstore and an art gallery.
| Jan 19, 2012
BOKA Powell-designed facility at Texas A&M Bryan campus
The new facility provides programs for the Texas A&M Health Science Center, the Texas Brain and Spine Institute, Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers, and Blinn College Allied Health programs.
| Jan 4, 2012
Shawmut Design & Construction awarded dorm renovations at Brown University
Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2012, and will be completed by December 2012.
| Jan 3, 2012
New Chicago hospital prepared for pandemic, CBR terror threat
At a cost of $654 million, the 14-story, 830,000-sf medical center, designed by a Perkins+Will team led by design principal Ralph Johnson, FAIA, LEED AP, is distinguished in its ability to handle disasters.
| Dec 20, 2011
Gluckman Mayner Architects releases design for Syracuse law building
The design reflects an organizational clarity and professional sophistication that anticipates the user experience of students, faculty, and visitors alike.
| Dec 19, 2011
HGA renovates Rowing Center at Cornell University
Renovation provides state-of-the-art waterfront facility.
