is an architectural designer and researcher based in Milwaukee, WI.
About
The design for the Archive of the City of Milwaukee is intended to honor and celebrate the rich history of the city by providing space for collecting, conserving, documenting, and exhibiting the historical records of the community.
Its collection is to house original letters and books from historical figures such as Pere Marquette, Byron Kilbourn, Increase Lapham, and Solomon Juneau, as well as some of the earliest deeds and plat books held by the city. The archive is also intended to contain the vast collection of photographs owned by the Milwaukee County Historical Society, including the archives of the Department of Public Works.
The first floor and subterranean gallery are dedicated to public engagement, while the second, third, and fourth floors are reserved for housing the archive’s extensive collection of written works and artifacts.
Lastly, the fifth floor presents itself as a glass box sitting atop the sandstone archive and is reserved for administrative use.
Local Context
Located at the Northeast corner of Wells and Market Street, the site sits across from City Hall in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward. The sandstone cladding of the archive mimics the sandstone used on the first level of City Hall.
The specific orientation and spacing of the curtain wall mullions placed within the arches and top story of the archive emulate the glazing style of the remaining industrial buildings in Milwaukee’s Third Ward—an integral part of its history.
The arches themselves are a reflection of the site’s neighboring buildings—the marquee at the Frank P. Zeidler Municipal building, and the prominently featured arches of the City Hall Clock Tower directly across the street.
Diversity
Gender-inclusive restrooms located on the first floor of the archive follow suite with UWM’s Student Union as Wisconsin’s first building to include gender-neutral toilet facilities. Inclusive design thinking for toilet facilities is particularly important as they remain one of the most significantly segregated spaces in American public buildings.
Environment
The design of the archive is intended to minimize the building footprint on site to leave room for the replanting of oak trees and grasses native to the oak savanna that downtown Milwaukee once was. Radiant heating and cooling of the building is provided by closed-loop geothermal piping embedded in 140-foot-deep piles which serve the building's foundation. The geothermal system also provides hot water to sinks located in the restrooms, archive work room, and administrative kitchenette. A small, 6-inch diameter duct provides fresh air throughout the building. A holding tank is located below grade to provide storage for stormwater on the site. These design decisions were made to reduce energy usage as far as possible for the archive, and to minimize the immense environmental impact that plagues many urban design projects.