Members of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery discussed design plans Monday to add a new University of Wisconsin research building that would host various projects and programs to enhance human health.
The project will cost approximately $150 million, split evenly among the state of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, and John and Tashia Morgridge, according to Carl Gulbrandsen, chair of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery.
John Morgridge is a UW graduate and the founder of the Morgridge Institute for Research. He has been involved with the planning of the building's construction since 2004.
The state's contribution to the construction of the building will not exceed $50 million, Gulbrandsen said.
According to Janet Kelly, communications director for the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, the state's funding for this building was designated in 2005, and no additional allocations in this year's budget will be needed.
Monday's meeting was the second of four discussing funding and possible services the building will offer. The new building will be located next to Union South, between University Avenue and Campus Drive, and is scheduled for completion by fall 2010.
Kelly said the building is "totally structured and built to encourage collaboration of scientists and to nurture it."
Design plans include three floors of secure research labs and workspace, authorized only to researchers. Though final plans for the building's use remain undecided, members of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery said the three research floors would not be used for timetable classes.
The main floor of the building will be used for public dining and retail. According to Craig Spangler, one of the designers responsible for the project, the design's goal is to create an area where all members of the campus can meet and interact.
"We want to provide a connection between the north and south sides of campus," Spangler said. "This building will hopefully adapt to a wide range of possibilities."
The designers discussed the importance of a building with changeability. According to Gulbrandsen, this means the building could possibly "foster other areas of education besides science and engineering."
Because the building is designed to last a long time, Gulbrandsen said, designers intend to make the building adaptable to all forms of education.
The new building is also designed to be environmentally friendly — designers have set a goal of a 50 percent reduction in energy and water usage, as well as an 80 percent reduction in waste compared to other UW buildings.
According to Kelly, all four meetings discussing building plans and goals were scheduled to inform as many people as possible about the ways in which the new addition to the UW will benefit them.
"We want to promote a vibrant scheduling of events that will engage the public," Kelly said.