Located in Bellevue, Wisconsin, the new Northeast Wisconsin MRI Center building strikes a balance between timeless and modern design. The owner required a facility for the treatment of patients in a calming, progressive atmosphere while also providing an efficient working environment for its main offices. These public and private functions needed to coexist in a single building with interconnected circulation. The owner also desired a contemporary, noteworthy design that would set a precedent for the community. The resulting environment helps put patients at ease for a typically stressful procedure.

The two MRI scan rooms have stringent planning requirements for exterior vehicular traffic, ferrous materials (such as steel structural members) and vibration concerns, all of which affect the final imaging quality. These demands drove the layout and building form.

The office, or private portion of the building, was to have plenty of natural light with visual access to the exterior for all staff members. A separate rear entrance and parking lot was also required for the office area. The site itself is situated in a transitional area surrounded by both agricultural land and an ever-expanding commercial district. This dichotomy of landscapes called for a building that was sensitive to the existing agricultural context but also addressed the changing face of growth. 

The facility contains 11,500 square feet of finished space on the main level with the remaining area in the basement reserved for medical records and general storage. The building is orientated on site to align with a nearby main thoroughfare. Future expansion to the east was also accompanied in the design with strategically located window openings at the
first floor and knock-out panels at the basement level. The elevator and dumbwaiter were centrally located for staff use during the transfer of records and equipment.

The vernacular forms and materials of the building are borrowed from agricultural buildings and homesteads in the area. The metal roofing and shed roofs are reminiscent of machinery buildings while the expanses of glass add a contemporary feel to the building#s character. The standing seam roof also provides a long lasting, maintenance-free roof system. The dynamic arc across the facade is derived from the geometry of the magnetic fields or gauss lines produced by the MRI units themselves. This concept was carried through into the floor patterns of the tile and carpet.

A commonality between vernacular agricultural buildings and modern architecture is the expression of function. The building#s massing grew out of this type of exterior expression. A monolithic wall running the length of the building serves to tie all functions and elements together, while also providing a circulation spine. This wall was wood framed and clad in EIFS for ease of construction and as a lightweight alternative to precast panels, or other forms of masonry. The remainder of the exterior received a brick or burnished block veneer to blend in with the materials and colors found on adjacent buildings in the immediate area.

Manufacturers/Suppliers
DIV 04: Brick: The Belden Brick Company.
DIV 07: Membrane Roofing, Insulation: Johns Manville; Metal: Copper Sales; EIFS: Senergy. 
DIV 08: Wood Doors: Algoma Hardwoods; Entrances & Storefronts, Windows: Kawneer; Automatic Door Openers: Besam.
DIV 09: Acoustical Ceilings: Armstrong; Paint: Sherwin Williams, ICI, Pratt & Lambert; Resilient Flooring: Forbo; Base: Johnsonite; Carpet: Durkan, Mohawk.
DIV 14: Elevators: Otis; Dumbwaiters: Atlas Elevator.