Wisconsin Housing Economic Development Authority (WHEDA)

This June, the Wisconsin Housing & Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) celebrated its move to a newly constructed five-story, 92,000-square-foot building in downtown Madison. Part of a planned revitalization, the building’s full-brick façade with large windows showcases a contemporary industrial style, bridging between the neighborhood’s historic buildings and the East Washington Corridor’s new developments.

Designed by Potter Lawson, the refined industrial-inspired exterior continues inside WHEDA’s offices. Expansive windows, glass and metal partitions, and exposed infrastructure are complemented with a neutral color palette, including Rockfon’s white acoustic stone wool ceiling products.

To support the interior aesthetic and optimize acoustics for the open offices, Potter Lawson specified multiple Rockfon ceiling systems. Performance Contracting, Inc. installed all of Rockfon’s ceiling systems for WHEDA’s offices.

WHEDA provides affordable housing and business financing products by working with lenders, developers, local government, nonprofits and community groups.

This June, the Wisconsin Housing & Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) celebrated its move to a newly constructed five-story, 92,000-square-foot building in downtown Madison. Part of a planned revitalization, the building’s full-brick façade with large windows showcases a contemporary industrial style, bridging between the neighborhood’s historic buildings and the East Washington Corridor’s new developments.

Designed by Potter Lawson, the refined industrial-inspired exterior continues inside WHEDA’s offices. Expansive windows, glass and metal partitions, and exposed infrastructure are complemented with a neutral color palette, including Rockfon’s white acoustic stone wool ceiling products.

To support the interior aesthetic and optimize acoustics for the open offices, Potter Lawson specified multiple Rockfon ceiling systems. Performance Contracting, Inc. installed all of Rockfon’s ceiling systems for WHEDA’s offices.

WHEDA provides affordable housing and business financing products by working with lenders, developers, local government, nonprofits and community groups.

In total, WHEDA’s offices currently house 150 workstations and 50 enclosed offices, modified by size and layout. The enclosed offices, meeting rooms and conference rooms are positioned within the core of the building. These areas of concentration and collaboration feature Rockfon Alaska® 2-by-2-foot acoustic stone wool ceiling panels. The ceiling panels and light fixtures were installed in a Chicago Metallic® 200 Series Snap Grid™ 15/16-inch suspension system.

Over the open office workstations, Rockfon® Island™ acoustic stone wool ceiling clouds and decorative pendant lights are suspended. Each ceiling cloud is composed of panels in 4-by-4-, 4-by-6- and 4-by-8-foot sizes. Positioned in the middle of the open office areas, they were configured and installed to intentionally expose the plenum and reveal HVAC, electrical and other service utilities.

In the walkways around the core, Rockfon® Contour™ acoustic ceiling baffles and dappled lighting signify the travel path and distinguish it from the workspaces.
According to Rockfon’s experts in Optimized Acoustics, full-height walls to block sound transfer and ceiling panels to absorb sound, combined with appropriate background noise, are the three key steps to a good acoustic experience.

Where quiet and privacy were most important, Potter Lawson specified the ceilings have best-level sound absorption. For ceiling panels, this is demonstrated by a Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) of 0.90.
Designed well, ceiling systems in offices can have a positive effect on the bottom line. With more than 90 percent of an organization’s operating costs linked to employee efficiency, a good acoustic experience can contribute to increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, higher job satisfaction and retention, and overall well-being.

Enhancing the industrial architectural style, the bright white Rockfon ceilings contrast with the black metal window framing and furnishings to create bold lines throughout the interior.

Rockfon Alaska ceiling panels reflect up to 86 of light from its surface, maximizing both daylight and electric light. This generates a diffused light, reducing glare on screens and monitors, and in turn, lessening eye strain and associated tension.

Products that support healthy indoor air quality offer another opportunity to support WHEDA employees’ well-being. All of Rockfon’s stone wool products are UL® Environment GREENGUARD® Gold Certified for low-emissions in offices. Without added chemicals, stone wool also is inherently resistant to fire, water and humidity, and does not provide sustenance for microorganisms, mildew or mold.

Along with good acoustics and daylighting, Potter Lawson prioritizes U.S.-made materials and sustainable products whenever possible. Supporting design professionals in making informed choices, Rockfon’s comprehensive material and product transparency documentation includes Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), Health Product Declarations (HPDs), and the International Living Future Institute’s Declare Label 2.0 – Living Building ChallengeSM Red List Approved.

WHEDA’s new building was completed in January 2022. With many employees working from home during the pandemic, the team waited until June to celebrate their new office.

WHEDA currently occupies the third, fourth and fifth floors plus part of the first floor, where it has a large training room and fitness center. The second floor remains as a white box until it too is built-out. A skywalk on the third-floor connects the offices to a five-story parking ramp and a rooftop patio adds outdoor space for WHEDA and future tenants.