A desire to increase capacity for teaching and research at the UW – Platteville College of Engineering called for a new building addition and extensive renovation of Engineering Hall. The vision for the building as a hands-on learning lab for students created opportunities to completely re-imagine the site as an educational experience highlighting interactive stormwater features and flexible student-centered spaces. Project objectives included: implementing engaging and functional stormwater management, improving pedestrian and vehicular circulation to support engineering functions in the building, prioritizing local materials and native vegetation of southwest Wisconsin, and creating a site program that aligned with the vision for ‘learning on display’ at the UW – Platteville College of Engineering campus.

The landscape architect was brought on to the project to lead planning and design for the entire site of Engineering Hall and the new addition, Sesquicentennial Hall. The landscape architect worked closely with UW – Platteville faculty and staff, the project’s architects, and the project’s civil engineers to develop functional and engaging stormwater features, establish small group gathering areas including an occupiable green roof, and provide a welcoming and accessible circulation plan for pedestrians and specialized vehicles to support adjacent makerspaces inside the building. The landscape architect was also responsible for developing an entirely native planting design accented with locally sourced dolomitic limestone seating and detailing a black locust boardwalk to fit within the surrounding driftless area context.

Envisioned as an innovative campus learning center, this project successfully integrated the teaching tool philosophy and program of the building with educational ‘learning on display’ site components for student engagement. The site design highlights interactive stormwater management techniques including a 5,000 square foot green roof, permeable pavements, and a tiered bioretention system to accept roof runoff, creating opportunities for students to measure water quality and permeability rates during and after rain events. A large bioretention basin and black locust wood boardwalk softens the parking lot and enhances the pedestrian experience along with carefully sited custom covered bike parking structures that complement adjacent architecture and create a cohesive language between building and site. Designed to be photovoltaic-ready, these covered bike parking structures can accommodate future solar panel installations. Thoughtfully designed circulation in the parking lot supports vehicular access to interior makerspaces and includes designated ‘test bed’ stalls for evaluating student projects, effectively extending the ‘learning tool’ building function into the site. These interior and exterior functional spaces work together to create a comprehensive learning lab for student education.

An entirely native planting design accented with local materials helped this project achieve LEED Gold Certification in 2023 and reinforce its context within the Wisconsin Driftless Area. As a campus hub for engineering students, establishing functional but beautiful stormwater features was an exciting challenge of the project. Several bioretention basins of varying sizes display stormwater management in action during rain events and allow students to measure water quality and permeability rates of rainfall and roof runoff. The occupiable green roof space utilizes sub-surface geofoam to create mounding and vertical interest, reinforcing public and private spaces for independent study, small group gatherings, and classes like astronomy.