IAD seniors tour construction site of The Couture

The Couture 2023.

Interior Architecture and Design (IAD) seniors from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) were taken to new heights on November 13 when they toured the construction site of The Couture, a 44-story skyscraper under construction that will be Milwaukee’s tallest residential and mixed-use building. The tour was part of a series of tours their senior thesis “Building Systems” class is taking with instructor Dan Kalkman, AIA.

The MIAD students toured several floors in different phases of construction, starting on the deck of the 39th floor. Previously, they toured the Marquette College of Nursing renovation and expansion, for which Kalkman is project architect with firm HGA.

“One of the most valuable things you can do as a designer is to see things being built – how they come together – all the components, parts and pieces,” says Kalkman. “[The students] can talk to these experiences and show future employers, hey, I’ve been on construction sites, I’ve seen things get built.”

“They have to keep a journal, and actually sketch different building system components. Showing that process to a future employer is really important, because it’s all about process and how you arrive at your decisions and how you think through complicated problems.”

Posting on LinkedIn about the MIAD students’ visit, Donnie Bogle-Boesiger, preconstruction engineer for Findorff, said, “We talked about MEP system design and construction as well as how BIM is used on The Couture. The conversation extended to how this wonderful technology can be a unifying force between all project stakeholders, from conceptual design through building operations! It takes a village to build a building! I’m excited to see what the next generation of designers and builders do for the industry.”

“MIAD’s IAD program is bringing a lot more understanding around how buildings get built, the systems that go into them, and how interior design students can start leveraging those skills and abilities into the projects that they’ll have not only in the classroom but once they actually get out into the profession,” adds Kalman.

Learn more about MIAD’s Interior Architecture and Design program!