BURLINGTON, Wis.—General contractor and construction management company Scherrer Construction has finished work for the Burlington Area School District’s new Karcher Middle School. The new school is part of a general plan by the district to expand the number of students that can be taught within the district.

Designed by Plunkett Raysich Architects, the $35 million Karcher Middle School encompasses 145,000 square feet of educational space that will be utilized by over 700 students. In addition to modern security features, the school will feature fitness rooms, locker rooms, a common area that offers a library, staff office space as well as a modern cafeteria. When it comes to the actual classrooms themselves, Karcher will offer rooms for STEM, art, music and special education classes.

The new school is meant to replace the original Karcher Middle School, which was 100 years old and had for years been in need of so many upgrades that it was more feasible to replace it entirely than renovate the century-old educational space.

Indeed, the reborn Karcher represents just one small part of the Burlington Area School District’s plans for making improvements across the district to its various schools and support facilities.

“The Burlington Area School District continues to grow, and we’re excited to be able to help them do that with the best equipment and learning technology available,” Dan Bay, senior project manager of Scherrer Construction, said in a recent statement. “As learning continues to evolve, Scherrer is proud to be at the forefront of creating enhanced learning spaces for children to excel in school.”

When inquired by School Construction News as to some of the challenges of fashioning a brand-new school to replace an older one might have entailed, Bay said that the ongoing pandemic presented problems not only for constructors’ health but also for materials that were needed for the buildout.

“As is common for many companies in 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting supply chain issues continues to be a challenge in the building sector,” Bay said. “Delays in both materials and manpower impacted our overall schedule, however, due to our strong project team and communication efforts, we were able to hit critical milestones and still finish the project ahead of schedule. As a result of completing the project early, we were able to vet out any issues with the new facility prior to the owner taking occupancy.”

Furthermore, Bay added that the new school needed to be built within mere feet of one that was still in use.

“Due to this situation, additional safety measures and coordination efforts were taken to make sure construction did not affect the school’s daily activities and student learning,” he said.

Scherrer Construction has been in operation, and family-owned, since 1928. The firm has several offices in its home state of Wisconsin, and many projects beyond the Badger State as well.

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MADISON, Wis.—The new $24 million Goodman South Campus of Madison Area Technical College (Madison College)—which opened last fall—is unique in that it incorporates biophilic-inspired elements, an earth tone palette, regional materials and other local character found throughout Madison College’s additional campuses around the state.

Designed by Plunkett Raysich Architects, the 93,000-square-foot facility brings a sense of the natural outside environment to this indoor space. When designing the school, the firm selected Rockfon’s ceiling systems in an oak woodgrain finish to create the distinctive overhead appearance.

Presenting the look of actual wood without the associated weight and maintenance, a metal wood finish was applied to Rockfon’s metal Planar® linear ceilings and matching Infinity perimeter trim.

Miron Construction was the general contractor on this impressive project. Contractor Central Ceiling Systems, Inc. installed approximately 4,000 square feet of linear metal ceiling systems, fashioning them into both straight and curved shapes, and accommodating recessed light fixtures.

Suspended ceiling clouds appear to float above the upper loft area and mimic the circular lights of the main floor’s café below. These large, open common areas promote a welcoming space for students and community to come together.

In the classroom corridors, the ceilings are installed as rectangular sections to break up what could have otherwise been long, monotone stretches of hallway.

Throughout the building, transparency and daylight enhance the openness and a connection to both the surrounding community and natural environment. Expandable and accessible community rooms and classrooms create an inviting multi-use facility. Flexible furniture and room dividers allow rooms to be configured as needed to fit the use of the building.
The Goodman South Campus building contains 34 classrooms for instruction in STEM and IT related fields, hands-on learning labs, a library and multiple computer areas. Nursing students are taught in a simulated hospital environment with interactive mannequins and medical equipment.

The new building is more than six times the size of the college’s current Village on Park location. The campus serves as an entry point for south side residents to receive high-demand skilled job training, earn an associate’s degree or start a path toward a bachelor’s degree. An early college STEM academy also is offered for high school juniors and seniors in the Madison Metropolitan School District.

Along with providing quality education to an underserved area of Wisconsin, Madison College intended the building as a showcase for the college and the community, and as a successful example of public-private partnerships. Construction of the campus was funded with private donations, and honors Irwin A. and Robert D. Goodman—namesakes of the foundation that contributed a lead gift of $10 million to construct the campus.

The college serves more than 30,000 students throughout a 12-county district in south-central Wisconsin, offering nearly 180 diverse career programs, diplomas, and certificates. Madison College is the second-largest institution in the Wisconsin Technical College System.

“Building a new campus in south Madison isn’t about Madison College. It’s about serving a population that has been historically underrepresented and marginalized,” said Madison College Dr. Jack E. Daniels III, in a statement.

“It’s about answering the call to break the multigenerational cycle of poverty for south side residents and opening the door to a future of possibilities that have escaped the reality of those who live here.”

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