Learning environment

Barron County upgrades its university

The construction team at the UW-Barron County is building a renovation and expansion that will create more education and administration space on the campus. Photo by Barb Lang

By Jennifer Pfaff

Wisconsin’s Northwoods offers a world of natural wonders.

And those who wonder often turn to science for answers.

The University of Wisconsin-Barron County is making itself a crossroads of science and nature with a building expansion that will allow for more modern science classrooms and laboratories while creating a strong entrance point for the Rice Lake campus.

The addition also will result in an expansion of administrative offices and gathering spaces for students.

After a 24,000-square-foot renovation and a 32,000-square-foot addition are complete, the existing Meggers Hall, which houses student services offices, and Ritzinger Hall, the science facility, will be connected.

“Previously, it was two buildings with green space separating the two,” said

David Cihasky, project manager with project architect SEH Inc. of Chippewa Falls. “We enclosed that green space with the addition.”

The project adds a greenhouse to the science building as well as five classrooms and a lecture hall with seating for 100 people. Furnishings are being updated to make classrooms and laboratories more flexible.

Construction began in October and is expected to be complete in August.

“We had three design goals,” said Paul W. Chase, campus executive officer and dean. “The first was to keep the human scale of the campus. The campus is all essentially one story, so it is comfortable to be in.

“The second was to respect the original architectural style, and the third was to let in more light.”

The campus was built in the 1960s with textured, multicolored bricks. The construction team tracked down the original brick supplier, General Shale Brick Inc. in Tennessee, to match the original façade to the new. Although the exact style is no longer manufactured, a similar brick was found.

Vonasek & Schieffer Inc. and SEH Inc. are teaming up to create a prominent entrance to the UW-Barron County campus. Photo by Barb Lang

School and construction officials now are attempting to use the new brick, which doesn’t have the yellow fleck in it that the old brick had, without drawing a sharp division between the original building and the addition, Cihasky said.

“One of the problems we ran into, as years have passed, some of the colors that were available then aren’t available now,” he said.

County Materials Corp., Marathon, is assisting in the search for the right mix of colors to blend the new and old bricks.

In other areas, stone panels removed from the face of the existing building were preserved for reuse on the addition.

Barron County and the state are sharing the $6.7 million project cost, with the county pitching in the $5.5 million for construction, and the state paying $1.2 million for furnishings, Chase said.

When all is said and done, the project will greatly enhance science education in the area.

“Avid learners will learn in spite of the space,” Chase said. “But for most students, having a comfortable, enjoyable space encourages learning.”

In addition, the extra space will let student organizations, such as student government and the school newspaper, have actual office space to work out of instead of the “little closets” they are now housed in, Chase said.

Construction, led by general contractor Vonasek & Schieffer Inc., Rice Lake, is running concurrent with academic instruction, but few conflicts have arisen, both Cihasky and Chase said.

The latest project at the university won’t be the last, Chase said. The school’s theater now faces away from the parking lot, making it difficult to enter. Reorienting that entrance and expanding back-of-set spaces and rehearsal rooms likely will be the next big project on campus.