The new, 35,000 square-foot, multi-tenant office building is the first building constructed in the new technology park. The building represents a collaborative project for the City of Whitewater and the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. The sustainable design incorporates energy saving technologies such as geothermal heating and cooling system and photovoltaic generation of electricity. The project was partially funded by the US Dept of Commerce Economic Development Administration. The building achieved USGBC LEED Silver certification
Preconstruction Services that Saved $740,000 for the Whitewater Innovation Center Building Project
The owner set the original budget at $5 million, but soon after start of design, it became apparent that the owner wanted more. This was the “flagship” building for the new Technology Park and had to have a higher level of attractiveness and finishes. The new requirement — the building would be LEED certified so it could obtain federal funding and set the standard for energy efficiency by using a geothermal system for all of the heating and cooling needs.
J. P. Cullen’s initial estimate, including all of the new requirements was $5.7 million, which shocked the Board, but this was a necessary reality check. This drove the team to focus intently on an economical design, and give real scrutiny to “needs” versus “wants.” Collaborating on 60 different ideas, the team brought the project cost down to a bid day cost (April 15, 2010) of $4.96 million and were able to include the geothermal heating system.
