New Leopold Residence Hall and Commons Renovation

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Campus wanted to meet the demand for on-campus housing for first year students while also improving housing and food services in the West Lakeshore area of the campus.

IMEG provided mechanical and electrical engineering services for a new, LEED Gold, 155-bed residence hall and the 4,200-sf renovation of the adjacent Holt Commons to address these needs.

The new residence hall includes a two-bedroom apartment for residence life staff, classrooms, staff offices and conference room, a main building lounge, recreational areas, laundry room, music room, study den on each floor, and a social lounge with attached kitchenette on each floor. This new residence hall also incorporated a greenhouse on the roof to provide an environment for the residence to grow their own food and learn about managing a garden as part of the University’s special interest group, the GreenHouse Learning Community. A demonstration kitchen was also provided to further the learning experience.

The Holt Commons renovation included converting the former server kitchen and dining room to a banquet area and supporting catering kitchen. The lower level was converted to provide student support areas for the area residence halls including a mail area, social areas, and a coffee shop.