Renewed Education Building quickly taking shape

Friday, July 31, 2009 -

Six months into the construction phase, the Education Building Renovation/Addition Project has brought dramatic changes to the 100-year-old Bascom Hill structure.

On the north side of the building, facing Observatory Drive and Lake Mendota, the foundation for the new east wing has been set and massing of the three-floor section has begun. The foundation also has taken shape for the classroom/commons section, nestled between the wings.

Currently construction of the new sections of the building may be viewed through a pair of webcams, including one just added. Here are the links to those webcams:

View from Science Hall: http://educam2.aims.wisc.edu/view/index.shtml

View from Helen C. White: http://educam.aims.wisc.edu/view/index.shtml

This side of the building will include underground parking, topped by a landscaped plaza that complements Muir Woods across Observatory Drive. Work on the utilities leading to the Education Building has closed a section of Observatory Drive through the summer.

Meanwhile, the brick façade of the original 1900 building, facing Bascom Mall, and the west wing, added in 1910, has been undergoing a thorough cleaning. Otherwise, this familiar view of the Education Building will remain largely unchanged.

Inside the existing structure, most of the old walls have been removed, and steel framing for new walls is being installed.  On the third floor, built with high windows to accommodate drafting rooms, the floor has been raised 18 inches — with ventilation and other mechanicals run underneath — which will make it easier for occupants to look outside.

The original lecture hall, reached by descending a flight of stairs from the main lobby, is being restructured to serve as a presentation room on the main level. This has involved complete removal of the old, sloping floor, replaced by new, level floors.

The schedule for the project calls for the renovation of the 1900 and 1910 sections to be essentially completed by the end of the year. This includes restoring the central grand staircase, as well as refurbishing and reusing cabinetry and other woodwork from the original building.

Construction of the new sections is due to be completed by early next summer, allowing occupants to move in time for the fall 2010 semester.

A photo gallery of the project, updated frequently, is posted on the UW-Madison School of Education's Facebook page.

(Anyone, whether signed up with Facebook or not, may access these photos. Facebook users who sign up at the School of Education page are notified when new photos have been posted.)

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