Witte Residence Hall Renovation

Madison, WI

Project Size: 10.5M

Client: CD Smith Construction Inc.

Owner: University Housing

Trades: HVAC

Witte Residence Hall, which opened in 1964, was a two-tower structure that was home to 1,150 residents in double rooms. The project was planned over a two-year span to upgrade the original mechanical systems and improve resident spaces.

A new connecting link was built to connect the two towers of Witte on all floors, including new elevators and new floor lounges in this central section. New, expanded bathrooms were created on each resident floor. A new resident floor was added to the top of the building to compensate for resident rooms that were displaced by the renovations. The first floor and basement levels also saw upgrades, including improved classroom, kitchen, laundry, and studying spaces.

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems were replaced, adding individual temperature controls in rooms and air conditioning throughout the building (including resident rooms). All windows were replaced to make the building more energy-efficient. The entire project took place during the academic year while at full capacity.