Library board chooses architect for addition

Posted: July 7, 2009

The Library Board has chosen Uihlein Wilson as the architectural firm for the Mukwonago Community Library addition.

According to information released by the library capital campaign in 2007, when the library was built in 1996, 24,000 square feet were needed; however, the current library is only 12,200 square feet. And while the village has an estimated population of 6,540, the library's service area is 18,500 people, as determined by the state based on circulation patterns.

The library is much too small to meet the needs of the community, with books stacked on top of the 8-foot shelves, according to capital campaign documents. For every book added, one must be removed and placed in storage or sold.

Staff quarters are also cramped.

Plans are now moving forward for the much-needed expansion.

Board members heard from three firms before finally deciding on Uihlein Wilson.

Engberg Anderson first presented to the board, stating their firm specialized in public libraries and had completed more than 80 public libraries nationally. Plunkett Raysich, which has worked on several Mukwonago buildings, including the Mukwonago Fire Station, stated that its team has worked on about 60 libraries.

It was Uihlein Wilson that impressed the board the most, however.

"All three firms were very good," said Library Director Nick Weber. "The deciding factor was that we all felt Uihlein Wilson had the best ability to get the community involved …and to take the information from the community and work it into the design process."

Del Wilson will be the partner in charge of the project. He said he did his first library project in 1980 and has been working on them ever since.

"We have a rhythm of libraries," he said. "We have lots of experience in library projects and expansions."

Wilson described his team's working style as reaching out to the community.

"It needs to be about the community and not about us," he said.

The firm plans to spend a series of full days and evenings working at the library as it goes through the design process, which will let the firm better understand the needs of the community. Some of the advantages to these working sessions will be the early recognition of key issues, that the stakeholders' voices will be heard early and often, and an efficient use of the stakeholders' experience and the firm's resources, they explained.

One thing that set the firm apart was its use of dynamic cost modeling. Wilson explained that he has never missed a public bid by going over on budget. This transparent model is part of the workshop formation process and eliminates wasteful redesign caused by traditional end of phase estimating, said Wilson.

Essentially, instead of building a budget using estimates from various different contractors, the firm plans the budget using known costs.

The firm sees an excellent opportunity for expansion on the current site, to include both a civic and a green space, using the park and already planted trees.

They used 3-D modeling to show three different possibilities for the approximately 15,000-square-foot expansion.

"We are experts at growing and repurposing libraries, and our process is transparent," Wilson said.

The firm said it also helps with the fundraising process and plans to hold several workshops to build a design with the community.

According to Weber, plans and preliminary cost estimates may be complete by October. This phase will include public workshop sessions presenting three different approaches to expansion, which will take place later this summer and early fall. The next phase for plans and cost estimates may be complete by March 2010. This phase will take the three preliminary approaches and refine them down to one approach.

"Community, stewardship, spirit. These are three words that are important to me," said Wilson.