EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Quorum Architects, Inc. would like to congratulate the Forest County Potawatomi  for their recent development of the Wgemas Building located on the Wgema Campus. It was an honor to work with the team of engineers from Ring & Du Chateau and Pierce Engineers to push the envelope of sustainability in a unique and holistic approach. This project combined the challenges of restoration, with providing a new identity for FCP in Milwaukee, and making sustainable design decisions that would support LEED® certification, thereby improving the built environment for seven generations to come. The team worked diligently to respectfully restore the Wgemas Building while also integrating all of the modern elements to preserve and revitalize this historic building. Under the management of the Potawatomi Business Development Corporation, Greenfire Management Services and WasteCap Resource Solutions, this project exceeds standard design. As an historic existing masonry building, Wgemas had undergone extensive masonry repair, window and roof replacement, site and interior design. The Wgemas building follows the same sustainability benchmarks established during the previous renovations on the Wgema Campus. 

​

NOTABLE SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES USED IN THE PROJECT:

The Forest County Potawatomi (FCP) believes decisions should be made based on the outcome over seven generations. Through this lens, they transformed the former Concordia College Campus, which occupied these buildings from the late 1800’s until 1983, into FCP Wgema [O-ga-mah] “Chief” Campus. This project combined the challenges of restoration and sustainable design solutions.

The goal for redevelopment of the Wgemas building was to provide a community space for the local Indian Council of the Elderly (ICE) program, primarily to serve their meal program as well as various group events such as drum classes, technology classes and beading groups. In addition to the ICE programming, a commercial kitchen space and offices were to be provided for Lisa Kaye Catering, a neighborhood entrepreneur that won the Rev-Up MKE competition in 2017. The project also includes a second floor future tenant space that the FCP is looking to further their community outreach by welcoming an outside tenant to their campus, as well as, offices in the lower level for the United Indians of Milwaukee. The redevelopment of the Wgema Campus creates an environment that supports healthy and sustainable lifestyles by focusing on indoor environmental quality and responsible use of natural resources.

​

The design team saw the opportunity to find synergies between historical detailing, sustainability and FCP cultural identity to transform the space. Elements that aided to the project’s success were: replacing the entire mechanical system throughout, new energy efficient windows, smart LED light fixtures with daylight controls, reducing the plumbing load and water use, as well as choosing high recycled content materials and fixtures. The team worked diligently to respectfully restore the Wgemas Building while also integrating all of the modern elements to preserve and revitalize this historic building.

Site design was important to this project because the building is part of a campus masterplan that focuses on greenspace and natural elements. The interior design followed the historic restoration efforts in keeping as much of the original materials as possible for both sustainability and historical content. The tribe’s cultural heirlooms were also used as inspiration in the design as well as being displayed in the front entry. An existing skylight was originally used for natural ventilation of the toilet rooms on the upper floor. As part of the interior renovation, a majority of the walls on the upper floor were demolished to provide an open space for a future tenant. The skylight was then replaced with new insulated glass and aluminum frame to provide natural light to the upper floor. Being a LEED® v4 project, we focused heavily on providing materials that met the more stringent guidelines. In the end, the project successfully demonstrates the use of sustainable design working together with historic renovation practices.

​