W.E UPJOHN INSTITUTE

The W. E. Upjohn Institute is a long-standing non-profit organization in Kalamazoo devoted to employment research. The existing facility was a distinctive modernistic structure in the downtown business district adjacent to a historic residential neighborhood.

The expansion and renovation mirrors details and materials in the existing building to create a sense that the addition has always been part of the facility. Exterior features include brick and curvilinear marble, insulated metal panels and glass curtain wall. A courtyard brings a sense of the outdoors to the interior environment. Extensive use of natural light, open stairs with glass railings and rich wood veneer finishes rejuvenate the building’s interior. The completed project modernizes the facility without altering the Institute’s long-established identity.

Miller Davis completed the 21,850-square-foot addition and 20,000-square-foot renovation in 2003 under a Construction Manager/Constructor contract and also self-performed all General Trades work. Designed by Eckert Wordell Architects, the $5 million project received an AIA Southwest Michigan Honor Award.