Marquette University – Eckstein Hall
ABOUT MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY – ECKSTEIN HALL
Marquette University’s Eckstein Hall is appropriately situated on a prominent spot on the south edge of campus. The structure’s glass façade curves seem to compliment those of the adjacent Marquette Interchange ramp carrying southbound I-43 traffic to westbound I-94. Its striking design reveals it is no ordinary building as the home of Marquette’s Law School, replacing the former Sensenbrenner Hall where it was housed since 1924.
Eckstein Hall was constructed as a “100-year building” and is considered to be “a signature building on a signature site.” The interior is just as grand as it support’s the law school’s key role in the Wisconsin legal. The building’s namesake is MU alumni Raymond and Katherine Eckstein, who donated $51 million to the $85 million project.
PROJECT DETAILS
The quality of the project extends to the roof system, which was handled by F.J.A. Christiansen Roofing Co., Inc. “It’s a great quality roof, designed and installed to protect a great building,” said Rob McNamara, FJAC President. From the outside, the building’s glass facade is its most striking aspect, and the inside is just as grand. The interior includes the unique Eckstein Library — “The library without borders.” Unlike any other law school in the nation, Eckstein Hall’s library spills seamlessly (without walls, in many places) into the rest of the building, on all four floors, allowing easier access from classrooms and faculty offices.
Multi-level Roof
FJAC’s role involved five multi-level roof areas and three terraces. A temporary roof was installed in early winter to allow interior work to proceed. “The temporarily modified bitumen membrane was retained and now acts as a vapor retarder under the permanent roof,” said Don Walter, FJAC Sales Manager. Tapered polyisocyanurate roof insulation was installed in a cold-applied adhesive over the temporary membrane, covered with a white colored Derbicolor XPS membrane. “Derbigum XPS is a premium triple reinforced cap sheet that offers strength, stability, and longevity well suited for the signature building,” Walter said.
The total roof area is about 55,500 square feet and includes a mechanical penthouse. FJAC crews also waterproofed three terraces and placed pavers on a patio off the courtroom. Trim and metalwork on the roof were done in a custom champagne color. Access to the three-acre job site was challenging, McNamara recalled. “It’s a very congested area due to the campus, nearby offices and roads and the freeway,” he said. Cranes, man lifts and snorkel lifts all were used to access the roof. The builder’s project manager said FJAC’s solutions helped make the project a success. “The F.J.A. Christiansen project team collaborated with our construction team to bring the Marquette University Law School– Eckstein Hall to successful completion. Their team helped address challenging project issues with balcony and overflow drainage, in addition to managing the inherent difficulties of five different roof elevations on the project.”
Both FJAC President Rob McNamara and former Owner/President Don McNamara are MU Law School graduates. Rob McNamara serves on the Law School Advisory Board that, among other responsibilities, provided input on the law school building project.
“From the day Don and I first spoke with Dean Kearney about Marquette’s vision for this project, we knew our community was going to witness a facility of unique character and grand scale. And, it certainly appears the final result will not disappoint,” remarked Rob McNamara.Marquette’s signature facility is now protected for the long-term as Eckstein Hall has set a new “bar” as a state-of-the-art facility amongst law schools nationally.[stm_project_details style=”style_2″ title=”PROJECT DETAILS” css=”.vc_custom_1428651906989{margin-bottom: 41px !important;}”][stm_project_details_item label=”Operating Unit:” value=”F.J.A. Christiansen Roofing, A Tecta America Company”][stm_project_details_item label=”Client:” value=”Marquette University – Eckstein Hall “][stm_project_details_item label=”Indsutry Type:” value=”Education”][stm_project_details_item label=”Project Type:” value=”Roof Replacement”][stm_project_details_item label=”Location:” value=”Milwaukee, WI”][stm_project_details_item label=”Square Footage:” value=”55,500″][stm_project_details_item label=”Systems Installed:” value=”Modified Bitument membrane, Insulation”][/stm_project_details][stm_contacts_widget title=”CONTACT INFO” address=”2101 W. Purdue Street, Milwaukee, WI 53209-0350″ phone=”414-445-4141″ fax=”414-449-4748″ email=”milwaukee@christiansenroofing.com”]