IMEG provided mechanical, plumbing, fire protection, and ice rink design services for the new Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center at the UW Madison campus. The project included demolition of the existing gymnasium/natatorium facility to create the needed space for the new center.

The complex includes eight multipurpose courts, ice rink with spectator seating, natatorium, indoor track, climbing and bouldering wall, multipurpose studios, indoor jogging track, rooftop fitness area, and sports simulators. The school’s adapted fitness program for the kinesiology program is also housed in the Bakke Center.

In addition to the physical/athletic spaces, Bakke also offers spaces dedicated to support student wellbeing including the Wolf Teaching kitchen, massage therapy rooms, peer wellness coaching, and meditation.

The Sub-Zero ice rink will be home to the university’s intramural hockey program and will also host local youth teams. IMEG provided full ice system design services including design of the ice rink chiller, refrigerated slab, sub soil heating system, and dehumidification system. To help with the project’s sustainability goals, IMEG designed the ice rink chiller to include multiple forms of heat recovery including rejecting heat to the subsoil heating system, Zamboni snow melt pit, and the natatorium pool heaters.

Additional sustainability features include high efficiency variable air volume (VAV) systems, air-to-air heat recovery systems, and demand control ventilation.

To prevent the proliferation of odors from the hockey equipment (a problem at the old facility’s locker room), IMEG designed a locker “bake-out” dehumidification system to heat and dry the equipment in the lockers overnight.

As part of the overall project, IMEG also designed the extension of site thermal utilities, including chilled water, steam, steam condensate, and compressed air. Direct-buried chilled water was extended from an existing 48” main and direct-buried steam, condensate, and compressed air was extended from an existing steam pit. A phasing plan was developed to ensure minimal utility outages to adjacent buildings.