The Coffee Generation

Okay I admit it, I am old. I can say that not just because I turned fifty last week (boo hoo) but because when I think about coffee a really old , very nostaligic ad campaign hits me - describing the "coffee generation" and "coffee achievers" - check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rea-yBgOSo Way back when coffee was described as the drink that "picks you up and calms you down" - only Madison Avenue could have crafted such a brilliant line. Coffee achievers in this ad spot include David Bowie (really? David Bowie?) and Kurt Vonnegut, the brilliant mind of "Slaughterhouse-Five." I love my java...and in just about a year I will be able to get a cup o'joe in the cafe of the new building. The cafe is located on the second floor, visible from the Link and across the way from the Student Clubs area, making this a lively juncture. The Union will be operating the cafe and if one thing is clear, it's that our students, staff and faculty run on coffee -- and its gotta be good coffee. But what else should the Union be thinking about in terms of menu and offerings? Take a few moments and share your opinion by clicking the link below for a quick, online survey: https://uwmadison.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_b1Qy2jnATpm2qmE If it's good enough for David Bowie, that's all I need to know.

Rock My World

It's my new obsession...sheetrock.

Frankly I feel a little freaked out that while I have been watching the web-cam of the construction of the new addition, there has been a frenzy of activity in the existing building. My 17-year old daughter would say I am "hovering" or a control freak, but the construction camera doesn't tell the whole story. I can't seem to get other there fast enough to track all the progress in the existing building-it's like a huge beehive. Just a few short weeks ago, most talented photographer Lori Ushman and I were strolling around open floors, weaving in and out of metal studs. And now I find out the construction has progressed to a stage where the walls are about 2/3 sheetrocked (or as they say in the trade, rocked).

What the heck? I'm not mentally prepared - I've been looking at paper plans for so long I get woozy.

So yesterday I drove over to the site, pulled on my Wellington boots and walked up to the third floor. Yup, the walls are up in the Interior Design studios, faculty offices and the department office. I stood in the new space specifically for critiques, nestled in between two studios. It's wicked cool.

My world is officially rocked.

Are you mocking me?

I may have mentioned this a few times, but I am learning more about design and construction every day. Some experiences have already paid off - I've switched my dining room light fixture from traditional glass to a drum shade and the result was dramatic. Simple change you say? In my house, nothing is simple but that's a story for another day.

The thing that now has me really intrigued is the construction mock-up.

For years I've seen these modest installations on construction sites and never knew what they were. When Microbial Sciences was being built, I thought the mock-up was actually an elevator lobby. One person told me it was where the electric was connected to the rest of campus. A third thought it was the start of a bus shelter designed to match the building.

We were all wrong.

The mock-up is a valuable tool for the architects, contractors and campus. Built outside on the construction site, these "mini-buildings" are constructed with the exact materials specified for the project and are representations for viewing and inspecting how each material performs and if needed, make adjustments. For instance, the team may look at different colors of mortar, or test the reflectivity of glass. I learned the mock-up is useful for testing the structure for air infiltration or water penetration, and believe it or not to test for seismic movement.

The mock-up for Human Ecology is slated to begin in the next few weeks - it should be really great.

I've Changed my Mind

Now I think the wood posts (in place while the concrete cures in the new addition)...

...look more like idols from Easter Island.

Cool New Space

One of the most impressive areas in the complex will be the Concourse, located on the west end of the third floor in the new addition. The third floor of the addition has been poured and the contractor is working on the fourth and final floor - this photo taken March 2 is from the perspective of standing in the Concourse looking up towards the fourth floor-Centers area.

The south facing glass wall will be two stories high, and when complete this special gathering space will serve as a point of connection for students, faculty, and visitors.

Land Shark Siting

Candy gram.

Described as a "cunning urban predator" Land Shark is indeed the "cleverest of all the sharks".

This one was sited in the existing building, waiting silently in the hallway outside the new Dean's suite.

C'mon, who doesn't remember "Land Shark", the character from the glory days of Saturday Night Live? Season One?

Guess I am that old.

A Chemical Peel

The Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection - roughly 13,000 items - was for decades kept in a tighly packed storage space in the existing building. The storage room was on the south side of the building, windows covered with wallboard to prevent sunlight and help keep the environment at a consistent level.

As part of the existing building rennovation, the walls of the old storage room have been taken down and the windows are uncovered - and we get a glimpse of the paint colors through the years, before the windows were boarded. This photo is of a very large sheet of paint (about 6-8") that literally peeled off the walls of room 333.

The new storage space for the textile collection is greatly expanded, will have state-of-the art controls to manage the environment within the storage area and - here's the kicker - more space!

I, for one, am looking forward to the renewed and refreshed spaces.

And the Oscar goes to...

(Elevator) Shaft
Perhaps we can have the theme from "Shaft" as elevator music...that's one bad motha' -- can you dig it?

Okay, that was an easy one. I couldn't resist!

The New Phone Books are Here!

Does anyone remember the Steve Martin movie, "The Jerk"? One scene came back to me last week...when he gets the new phone book and is so delighted to see his name in print he runs around shouting "the new phone books are here, the new phone books are here".

Well my "new phone book" has arrived - the skylights and I am super excited!!

Look at the image to the right to see what the fifth floor looked like in October 2010....





And to the left, the new openings for skylights will open the space and bring in much needed daylight. With the walls down and the skylights moved to the north, Plenary Hall (the old fourth floor) is transforming before my eyes.


Can you imagine what this room will look like when complete? No?

Take a look at a photo-realistic rendering of Plenary Hall...The new skylights are here! The new skylights are here!