Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh: Alumni Welcome and Conference Center

  • 07/01/16
University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh: Alumni Welcome and Conference Center

PHOTOS © DON STOLLEY/STOLLEY STUDIO

The UW–Oshkosh Alumni Welcome and Conference Center serves as the new “front door” to the university, while also providing an enhanced conference and visitor’s center for the campus and extended Oshkosh communities. The 40,000-gross-squarefoot facility, designed by Uihlein/Wilson Architects of Milwaukee, houses UW–Oshkosh Alumni Relations, Foundation and Business Success Center offices.

The Center features a Campus Concierge desk area and Great Hall that serves as the first point of contact for visitors. The building offers a 430-seat divisible banquet hall with floor-to-ceiling windows and four breakout spaces that are designed for flexibility and for groups of up to 40 people.

Also included are over 7,000 square feet of new office space for the university’s Foundation, Alumni Relations, Phone-athon Center and Admissions Department. Interior office suites on the second floor are located along the building perimeter to maximize views, with the Alumni Relations office overlooking into the Great Hall to borrow daylight. A 40-person executive boardroom features state-of-the-art technology, and outdoor function areas including a roof deck, brick patio and gas fire pit. Use of regional materials throughout the exterior and interior finishes are key factors that contributed to the project’s LEED Gold certification.

Challenges the project presented included the construction of the foundations on piles, and accommodating the building program without a basement. The required volume of space for the banquet hall allowed for the mechanical spaces to be designed into a mezzanine space between the building’s two floors, which saved cost on overall size and exterior enclosure materials. Castellated beams spanning the banquet hall allowed for the integration of mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protections systems within the depth of structural frame and maximized the volume of the event space. Careful planning for required fire lane access helped preserve the pedestrian nature of this “building in the park.”

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

    Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort.

  • Children walking along bright school corridor with motion blur

    How Next-Gen Design Is Reshaping the Student Experience

    The environments where students learn play a crucial role in shaping their growth in and out of the classroom. By centering design on well-being, flexibility, and purpose, districts can ensure their facilities remain vibrant community assets for many years to come.

  • UT System Approves First Funds for New Campus

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved funds to build the first facility of a new campus in far west Fort Worth, Texas, according to university news. UTA West will serve as a branch of the University of Texas at Arlington and is scheduled to open in fall 2028.