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Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Building Project

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"Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Building," Perspective, the College of Engineering newspaper, Volume 31, Spring 2005

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Building

Artist's conception of the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Building renovation and expansion as seen from Engineering Drive. (21K JPG)

Built in 1930, the Mechanical Engineering Building at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has seen engineering evolve from drafting tables to high-tech computers. The building was constructed around a machine shop — "the Sawtooth" — that dates back to 1920. Today, the ME Building is home to the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Department of Industrial Engineering, the Manufacturing Systems Engineering Program, and the Engineering Physics Nuclear Reactor Laboratory.

No major renovation of the ME Building has been done since its construction over 70 years ago. A major renovation has been needed for several years, but was not possible because the college's facilities did not have space to temporarily house the ME Building occupants during construction. Now, the recently completed Engineering Centers Building, next door to the ME Building, can provide the surge space necessary for proceeding with the renovation and expansion of the ME Building.

An effort is under way to fund a $50.6-million renovation and expansion of the Mechanical Engineering Building that will provide 279,429 gross square feet of new and improved space. Of the total cost, $23 million will be funded by the State of Wisconsin. The college must secure the remaining $27.6 million through private gifts and other sources.

Artist's concept of the new Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Building

Artist's concept of the atrium in the renovated and expanded Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Building (32K JPG)

Project highlights

Having state-of-the-art facilities will be crucial for continuing to provide high-quality educational experiences for undergraduate and graduate students. Many of the current facilities in the ME Building are unable to adequately support modern education and research activities. Many students from across the college take classes and use labs in the building. Improved facilities for research will enhance the ability of the Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering departments to attract the best faculty and graduate students. This is of great importance to positioning both departments for greater national visibility and prestige.

To create a facility for 21st century engineering in this pre-World War II building, we plan to demolish the Sawtooth structure and replace it with a new four-story addition for academic and research programs and a fifth floor that will house the mechanical systems supporting the building. The addition also will have a basement level that will house heavy-duty laboratories.

The existing ME Building will be completely renovated. New electrical and data infrastructure will be installed, supporting several modern research laboratories, classrooms, and lecture halls. An atrium will provide a central gathering place. A new central HVAC system will replace the substandard, multiple mechanical systems currently serving the building. A new elevator will make all areas of the building accessible to the disabled. The historical façade of the ME Building will be preserved. A new main entryway will be created on Engineering Drive, the main street of the Engineering campus.

Timing is critical

The new Engineering Centers Building provides significant space for research, classes and seminars, student organization offices and activities, and is the new home of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Engineering Career Services Office. The Engineering Centers Building also creates an unprecedented opportunity — a temporary home for the occupants of the ME Building while the ME Building is being renovated and expanded.

The generosity of alumni, friends, and corporations will make possible a Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Building that will honor its past tradition and be a home to next-generation research and education programs.

College of Engineering leaders strongly endorse the ME & IE Building Project

"The ME & IE Building project absolutely cannot occur without the space the new Engineering Centers Building will provide. There simply isn't enough space elsewhere on the campus for the large number of people and labs that would be displaced. We hope everyone will recognize that we have the chance to leverage state funds with private funds, and also leverage the surge space needed for the project with the Engineering Centers Building. We can't lose our golden opportunity to make this happen. It's a combination of factors that we will never see again."

Paul S. Peercy
Dean, College of Engineering

"Our needs range from replacing one of the worst lecture rooms on campus to keeping computer rooms from overheating to providing space for graduate student research. The ME building renovation and expansion will address these needs and many others. Our department currently has faculty in three different buildings. The project will allow them to be housed in one building, enhancing collaboration in education and research. Almost one-third of our faculty will retire in the near future, and the new faculty being hired need facilities to do research never dreamed of in the 1930s when our building was constructed. Our students need places to meet for team projects and gain hands-on experience in all kinds of technologies. The ME department is tremendously excited about this project and the impact it will have on our students."

Neil Duffie
Chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering

"Many of our research centers are located off campus because there's no space for them here. We're losing opportunities for faculty and students to interact with each other, especially across disciplines. Bringing them together in one facility will create a synergy within our research and education efforts that's very exciting."

Harry Steudel
Chair, Department of Industrial Engineering

Naming opportunities planned for donors

Opportunities for donors to sponsor rooms in the building include:

A variety of research laboratories are planned for construction or renovation:

The names of donors who make contributions of $10,000 or more in support of this project will be listed on a Wall of Honor in the new building.

For more information about the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Building Project, please contact:

University of Wisconsin Foundation
Engineering Development Office
P. O. Box 8860
Madison, WI 53708-8860
Tel: (608) 263-4545



Copyright 2005 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
Last modified: Tuesday, 02-Nov-2004 13:44:47 CST
Date created: 26-Oct-2000
Content by: deb.holt@uwfoundation.wisc.edu

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