Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Concrete Slab Falls from UW-Madison Campus Building

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/07/21

A large concrete slab, part of the façade of Van Hise Hall on the campus of UW-Madison in Madison, Wis., fell three stories and crashed near the building’s entrance on Sunday. No injuries were reported. Campus officials are working to discover the cause of the collapse.

“We’re grateful no one was hurt and are working diligently to understand what caused this to occur and what action may be needed to keep everyone safe,” said Lori Getter, public safety communications specialist. “We will provide more information as it becomes available.”

Getter elaborated that there was no construction work in progress that would have triggered the collapse. Van Hise is home to multiple academic departments and offices in the University of Wisconsin System.

Van Hise Hall was built in 1965. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers recommended earlier this year that part of his $1 billion Capital Budget be used to demolish and consolidate campus buildings—including Van Hise. The project is tentatively slated to begin in Sept. 2025.

Wisconsin Public Radio reports that many state university buildings built in the 1960s and 1970s are starting to age and have demonstrated “similar exterior issues.” A 2005 master plan for UW-Madison recommended the building’s demolition sometime in the next 20 years, but the 2015 master plan pushed that demolition to at least 2035.

“Van Hise Hall has exterior envelopes not unlike other buildings throughout UW System that are aging and in disrepair,” the UW System said in a Tweet on Monday. “It’s why over 83% of our capital budget is for renovation and replacement. Van Hise Hall is not even on our short list, but Albertson Hall and Cofrin Library face similar exterior issues and improving them is critical.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Quattrocchi Kwok Architects Opens New Office in Denver

    Education planning and design firm Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) recently announced that it has opened a new office in Denver, Colo., the firm’s third overall. QKA is headquartered in Santa Rosa, Calif., and runs an East Bay Area office in Oakland.

  • DFW-Area District Opens New Replacement Middle School

    The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District near Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new replacement middle school campus, according to a news release. The new facility for Wayside Middle School, originally established in 1964, was built on the site of the former district administration building and funded through Bond Proposition A in 2023.

  • Hawaii Elementary School Breaks Ground on New Classroom Building

    Kealakehe Elementary School in Kailua, Hawaii, recently began construction on a new, $16-million classroom building for its campus, according to a news release. The 13,000-square-foot building will stand two stories and connect the existing upper and lower campuses.

  • Chicago District Completes Construction on New Elementary School

    North Chicago School District 187 in North Chicago, Ill., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Forrestal Elementary School, according to a news release. The new school marks a major investment in military-connected students and families at Naval Station Great Lakes.