<p>On behalf of the University and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), Ballinger programmed and designed one of the nation's most unique interdisciplinary research institutes. The first phase, located in the geographic center of the sciences "precinct" in Madison, supports research ranging from engineering to computer sciences to biology. The "public" institute focuses on federally-funded team-based research, while the "private" side extends their agenda to include provisions for commercialization, partnerships with industry and venture capitalists, an entrepreneurship clinic, and an education and outreach center. Laboratories anticipate highly specialized functions demanding vibration isolation, electro-magnetic interference management, high-bay prototyping, and heavy loading. The design concept focuses on transparency and maximizing interaction space throughout the building. A focal point of this concept is a town center created to attract people from the broader campus community and beyond to the building. </p>

Photo Credit: Jeff Goldberg@ESTO, Tom Crane Photography, Zane Williams Photography