Winner – Commercial
Ascendium’s Corporate Headquarters
Location: Madison
Owner: Ascendium Education Group, Inc.
Concrete Supplier: Wingra Redi-Mix, Inc.
Architect: Flad – Architectural
Engineer: Flad Structural Engineers
Contractor: The Boldt Company
Contractor: Ceco Concrete Construction
Ascendium Education Group needed a new headquarters that better aligned with the diverse needs of their organization. As a provider of student success and financial wellness solutions, a national education charity, and an education impact investor, the organization needed a place for employees to come together in their pursuit to make education and training beyond high school a reality for more people.
Their leadership engaged the contractor as part of a highly collaborative design-build team to construct their headquarters. This state-of-the-art facility is a stunning example of architectural refinement and modern design.
The 63,000-square-foot, three-story office building features an almost entirely concrete structure, with a unique curved design. The company wanted a minimalist look highlighting a combination of smooth white surfaces and exposed concrete.
Concrete was also a significant element in the landscape design. There were concrete slabs poured beneath all site pavers to provide a stable foundation, a poured drive at the entrance, a sidewalk, and decorative landscaped bands to create the courtyard aesthetic. The project required just over 5,000 cubic yards of concrete and was completed in October 2021.