The construction crew for UW-Madison's new research facility, the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, held a ""topping-out"" ceremony May 26 to recognize the completion of the building's external framework.
The ceremony, which is traditional among construction sites, consisted of those who donated to the facility as well as members of the construction crew signing the building's last beam before placing it, and speeches from several crew members.
According to George Austin, WID building project manager, the ceremony marked a turning point in the building's construction process.
""Essentially the structure of the building has reached its farthest most point,"" he said. ""It now allows for the internal part of the construction to begin.""
Austin said once the building is complete, the WID will be a facility designed to bring together several areas of scientific research regarding health related issues.
""[The WID] is a collaboration among world class researchers focused on improving human health that will lead to discoveries to improve our overall quality of life,"" he said.
According to Austin, the institute is partnered with the Morgridge Institute for Research, which is a privately funded research institute that will also conduct scientific research within the building.
""[The building] will provide the campus with a unique public and private institution under one roof,"" he said. ""It will act as a crossroads for ideas within the UW-Madison community.""
Austin said the WID is projected to have economic benefits by eventually creating countless commercial applications like spinoff companies and ideas.
He added that the building's construction process also benefits the environment, as a majority of the resources used in construction are recycled.
""The recycling program continues to move along very well,"" he said. ""We've been able to recycle or re-use over 90 percent of the original building debris.""
Funding for the MIR comes from donors John and Tashia Morgridge, while the state of Wisconsin, UW-Madison and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation provided funds for the WID.
Austin said the construction for the WID is currently on schedule and under budget and the expected date for completion is October 2010. For more information visit discovery.wisc.edu.
