University of Wisconsin-Madison Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center

The Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a cutting-edge facility designed to meet the campus's current and future recreation, fitness, and wellness needs. Replacing the old Natatorium, Bakke emphasizes both mental and physical health, featuring state-of-the-art equipment and spaces like restorative studios, massage therapy rooms, a 25-yard pool, multipurpose courts, a Sub-Zero Ice Arena, climbing walls, and more.

GRAEF provided civil engineering and landscape architecture, focusing on preserving native trees, protecting a Native American burial mound, and maintaining the environmental buffer along Willow Creek. The design also included sustainable elements like bio-infiltration swales and outdoor roof gardens, with a strong emphasis on pedestrian and bicycle circulation.