ASID Wisconsin recognizes Madison College’s new South Campus
A long-term PRA client, Madison College, recently added to their success with the recognition by ASID Wisconsin’s Chapter of Madison College’s Goodman South Campus with a 2019 Silver Interior Design Award!
This project gave PRA Interior Designers the perfect opportunity to carry out Madison College’s vision for their new campus. The goal of this two-story, 76,100 sq. ft., facility was to create a new collective space that would attract and retain staff and students for growing programs in this under-served area of Madison. Another important goal was to engage the surrounding community to ensure cultural integration.
Community involvement
Madison College and PRA enlisted the help of the entire neighboring community to gather input that proved to be instrumental in confirming the location of the Goodman South Campus, and also identified the background and stories of the neighborhood cultural groups. This was informed the design team about how to support the users and the community. The resulting interior design highlights the diversity of the surrounding community and shares cultural touch points in a variety of ways.
Privately funded
Goodman South Campus was completely funded by private donors through an extensive fundraising effort initiated to avoid the project creating a tax impact upon those it sought to help. Donors are recognized within a large mosaic, designed to allow additional names. The patchwork of this mosaic “quilt” features images and artifacts that support the neighboring community’s rich history, tying the past and present to this culturally significant communal space.
Interior design features
Nature provided inspiration for the interior design palette. The palette is intentionally kept neutral, with the exception of the college’s brand colors. The branding palette of blue, green and orange act as a backdrop organizational and community messaging. The goal was to make the students feel completely comfortable in this next step of their lives, and be immersed in an environment that is energizing, engaging, and familiar.
The entry atrium has a large day-lit café that creates a sense of community and encourages collaboration. The two-story space incorporates café tables, lounge furniture, and built-in perimeter benches in support of both socializing and study. An open staircase allows easy access to the second level and helps to build coherence between levels. Each classroom includes flexible furniture and room dividers to maximize flexibility for a variety of teaching modalities. The corridors are engaged by built-in benches and integrated art and branding, building connections to the cultural groups nearby.
The Goodman South Campus project has become a showcase building for the south side community and Madison College. The building truly illustrates the potential of higher education and the public-private partnership that all communities should strive to achieve.
We at PRA thank Madison College for inviting us to partner on this project, Miron Construction for their attention to design and detail while building the campus, and all of the neighborhood members who helped make this a success.