UW-Platteville Rountree Commons | Projects Origin Design

Set into a hillside overlooking the Rountree Branch of the Platte River, Rountree Commons at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville gives students a picturesque community to live and learn in.

Design of this unique six-story residential hall started in Spring of 2011 and opened for 620 students in the Fall of 2012 under the direction and expertise of Origin Design’s civil and structural engineers.

project overview

Low maintenance designs were utilized in the storm water quality portion of the project utilizing a pollution-reducing, multi-stage approach. A grass filter strip in the parking lot slows the storm water and acts as the first filtration method. The water then flows to a bioretention area where it is filtered down through the engineered soil to remove many of the remaining contaminants—the bioretention area also allows for small rain events to percolate into the ground to recharge the groundwater. The storm water then flows to a detention basin. Origin Design’s engineers utilized the shape of the existing ground to construct a small storm water detention facility to lessen the rate of storm water leaving the site.

Origin Design partnered with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Real Estate Foundation, the project architect and the general contractor to create picturesque living spaces with four-person suites, kitchenette areas with full size refrigerators, a game room, a fitness center, on-site dining and a convenience store.

Origin Design provided boundary and topographic survey, structural design, site design and storm water quality design for the project.

This residence, named after the founder of Platteville Major John Rountree, is not located on University property and is not directly owned by the University. It is among the university’s residential offerings through a partnership between the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Real Estate Foundation and the University Residential Life.