University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Chemistry Building

Shaping the next generation of advanced research

Client: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Location: Wisconsin, United States
Size: 163,400 square feet
Status: Completed

Chemistry is the bedrock of numerous burgeoning industries, and the demand for STEM professionals is rapidly outpacing that of non-STEM fields. Today's employers are seeking graduates who possess practical research experience and problem-solving skills. To meet this demand, the cutting-edge new chemistry building at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) will equip its students with the necessary tools to excel in a vast array of opportunities.

One of the few R1 research institutions in the Midwest, UWM's new chemistry building replaces a 50-year-old building that had not been updated or renovated since 1972. The building is designed to shift paradigms for how chemistry is taught, studied and shared, and include space for thousands of students who take chemistry and biochemistry classes each year.

This new facility represents much of what the Wisconsin Idea is all about — to meet the state’s biggest and thorniest challenges and, most importantly, to equip our students with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed.

Tommy Thompson University of Wisconsin System President

Glass walls are incorporated throughout the building to create transparency and encourage collaboration.

The building offers students several options to gather and collaborate outside of the classroom.

The new chemistry building is designed to share, enhance, visualize and promote the profound research and dedicated academics of the department while fostering a cross-disciplinary and collaborative environment. There is an emphasis on providing connectivity on all floors between learning and research, with a strong focus on highly functional laboratory spaces that celebrate the synergistic spirit of the department.

The new building includes a variety of learning spaces for lectures, tutoring and study groups, as well as laboratories that integrate teaching and research in ways that make collaborative research easier to do.

A DNA of chemistry

The building is not only designed to advance the practice and teaching of chemistry, it is physically structured to resemble protein and lattice structures like those found in chemistry research. State-of-the-art labs spaces are separated by breakout zones and pockets of public space throughout the interior, which is reflected in the building’s exterior braided pattern. This design efficiently created space to embed the alternative learning and teaching spaces that make the building unique.

The building's inside-out structure directly responds to the internal programming.
The building's inside-out structure directly responds to the internal programming.
The building's inside-out structure directly responds to the internal programming.
The building's inside-out structure directly responds to the internal programming.

As the newest addition to the schools “STEM quad” — buildings that house science, technology, engineering and math courses — the building is a destination for the broader science and research communities. The first level features two lecture halls, social spaces and expanded presentation areas that will be shared by the STEM community.

The goal is to create a green campus quad north of the new building that invites people to linger and engage in this STEM-centered region of campus. The quad will include small and large gathering spaces, pedestrian pathways, a drop off road, stormwater management and bicycle and vehicle parking.