flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Weiser Hall, University of Michigan: Campus upgrade

Reconstruction Awards

Weiser Hall, University of Michigan: Campus upgrade

A Mid-century building becomes home to a new International Institute.


By John Caulfield, Senior Editor | November 19, 2018

The renovation of Weiser Hall, a Mid-century academic building at the University of Michigan, provides new daylit spaces, community clusters, greater accessibility, and sustainable design features. The building had been mostly vacant since 2014, when the astronomy department moved out.

Weiser Hall is now home to the university’s International Institute and associated programs of the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. (It is named after Board of Regents member Ron Weiser, who has committed $90 million to the university.) Improvements include 98,000 sf of barrier-free, gender-neutral, code-compliant space.

Each of Weiser Hall’s 10 floors accommodates learning spaces, meeting rooms, glazed offices, conference rooms, and student and staff lounges. The abiding renovation strategy was to open up the space and foster collaboration by reorienting closed offices to face open ones.

The ground floor has been turned into a multipurpose learning space adjacent to a feature stair amphitheater. On the southwest corner, the project team stacked four double-height commons that overlook an area visible from the main pedestrian thoroughfare and quad on the central campus.

Each common space has a two-story biofilter living wall that is connected to the HVAC system. The biowalls remove VOCs and moderate indoor temperatures.

The 10th floor was reconfigured as an event space, art gallery, and boardroom by removing columns and raising a section of the roof.

Thermal-efficient windows and mechanical systems, including chilled-beam cooling, were installed. The brick façade was restored to maintain Weiser Hall’s aesthetic alignment with the rest of the campus.

Interiors have been modernized through lighting design and digital displays. Solid walnut was used in the feature stair, doors, and butcher-block millwork.

Weiser Hall is Diamond Schmitt’s third project for the university. It was preceded by the Computer Science and Engineering Building and Thayer Academic Building.

 

Weiser Hall interior living wallPhoto: Tom Arban Photography.

 

Gold Award Winner

BUILDING TEAM Diamond Schmitt Architects (submitting firm, architect) University of Michigan (owner) EJC Engineers (SE) Crossley Engineering (M/E) DeMaria Building Company (GC) DETAILS 99,500 sf Total cost $37 million Construction time December 2015 to April 2018 Delivery method Design-bid-build

 

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE 2018 RECONSTRUCTION AWARDS LANDING PAGE

Related Stories

Reconstruction Awards | Dec 1, 2017

Rescue mission: Historic movie palace is now the centerpiece of Baltimore’s burgeoning arts hub

In restoring the theater, the design team employed what it calls a “rescued ruin” preservation approach.

Reconstruction Awards | Dec 1, 2017

Gothic revival: The nation’s first residential college is meticulously restored

This project involved the renovation and restoration of the 57,000-sf hall, and the construction of a 4,200-sf addition.

Reconstruction Awards | Dec 1, 2017

Rockefeller remake: Iconic New York tower is modernized for its next life

To make way for new ground-floor retail and a more dramatic entrance and lobby, the team removed four columns at the ground floor.

Reconstruction Awards | Nov 30, 2017

BD+C's 2017 Reconstruction Award Winners

Provo City Center Temple, the Union Trust Building, and the General Motors Factory One are just a few of the projects recognized as 2017 Reconstruction Award winners.

Reconstruction Awards | Nov 29, 2017

College credit: Historic rehab saves 50% on energy costs

The project team conducted surveys of students, faculty, and staff to get their input.

Reconstruction Awards | Nov 29, 2017

Amazing grace: Renovation turns a church into elegant condos

The windows became The Sanctuary’s chief sales edge.

Reconstruction Awards | Nov 28, 2017

Broadway melody: Glass walls set just the right tone for a historic lobby in Lower Manhattan

The adaptation of the 45,000-sf neoclassical lobby at 195 Broadway created three retail spaces and a public walkway.

Reconstruction Awards | Nov 27, 2017

Higher education: The rebirth of a Washington, D.C., high school

The project team, led by architect Perkins Eastman, restored the original cupola.

Reconstruction Awards | Nov 27, 2017

Bank statement: A project team saves a historic bank, yielding 100% leaseup for the developer

The project team had to fix poor renovations made in the ’50s.

Reconstruction Awards | Nov 27, 2017

Patient friendly: The University of Chicago Medicine Center for Care and Discovery adds 203 new beds

Strict infection control and life safety measures were implemented to protect patients on other floors as work proceeded.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Giants 400

BD+C Awards Programs

Entry information and past winners for Building Design+Construction's two major awards programs: 40 Under 40 and Giants 400



halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021