Mechanical Engineering Building project wins preservation award

The addition to the 78-year-old Mechanical Engineering Building at the University of Wisconsin–Madison won an award from the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation at its annual awards ceremony this week.

The project, which involved an extensive renovation and construction of a four-story addition, won the trust’s award in the category of “Sensitive Addition to a Historic Building.”

“We’re grateful to be recognized for our efforts to preserve this historic building. We added space for academic and research programs that will keep it functional for generations to come, but kept intact the historic character of the building,” says Alan Fish, associate vice chancellor for facilities.

Fish says care was taken to ensure that the design and the materials chosen for the addition closely matched that of the Italian Renaissance-style building that first opened its doors in 1930.

“The campus has long demonstrated a commitment to historic preservation, and this project is a great example of how new and old can coexist and complement each other,” he says.