Oberbeck sees magic in sentry’s disappearing act

BLUEPRINT Building: Sentry Insurance Headquarters, Stevens Point Completed: 1977 Builder: J.H. Findorff & Son Inc., Madison Architect: Flad & Associates, Madison Biggest Fan: David Oberbeck, Becher-Hoppe Associates Inc., Wausau

Sentry Insurance’s headquarters in Stevens Point is huge.

The 800,000-square-foot complex has a theater, a restaurant and a golf course. When the company embarked on its project, it excavated a lake and used the fill for construction.

But the size of the company's headquarters isn't what makes it David Oberbeck's favorite building in Wisconsin. For the senior project manager at Becher-Hoppe Associates Inc. in Wausau, the really amazing aspect of the facility is the way a structure so large can blend into its surroundings so seamlessly.

"The first thing I notice when I drive past the facility is its integration within the site, and it's also one of the largest buildings in the area," Oberbeck said. "It doesn't impact the community, but it's a large facility.

"When you drive up to it, it becomes monumental, but when you back off, it blends into the landscape."

Landscape plays an important role for the structure even from the inside, he said. The building is linear in nature but formed in a rectangle with interior courtyards framed by the corridors, creating a figure-eight feel.

Photo courtesy of Sentry Insurance

"That allows natural light into the areas, and it's very interesting walking through the building because you're always able to look outside to different areas," Oberbeck said.

Situated in a park-like setting, the facility's ability to merge with its environment speaks volumes about the planning that went into the project, Oberbeck said.

"It's much ahead of its time," he said. "It's a total concept of master planning, and that's what sets it off to me.

"I believe in master planning a site and looking for all possibilities. The building has impacted me. It shows how to make the best of a site and how a building impacts a site.

"Its presence in the community is outstanding on Highway 39."

And it was while driving on Highway 39 back in the 1970s that Oberbeck first noticed the building.

"I went to school at Wisconsin Rapids and had a job in Stevens Point my sophomore year in high school," he said. "I was able to see that building go up and see that area transform, and it's still up to date as far as the grounds and the building. It's a world-class building in the area that sets a standard others should follow."

- Chris Thompson