at the Town Hall,” Reto shares. “The community has been very supportive of the project, and we’ve received a lot of positive feedback from a newspaper article that was run outlining the vision for the project.” The community’s enthusiasm for the project is not surprising, given the deep connection many locals have with the school. For many, the revitalization of the school represents a chance to preserve a piece of their history while addressing a critical need for affordable housing in the area. Millie Rounsville, CEO of the Northwest Wisconsin Community Services Agency, speaks about the importance of the project for the community. “Our organization focuses on providing services for homeless and low-income individuals,” she says. “There’s a significant shortage of affordable housing in our area, and this project will help address that.” Rounsville also highlights the broader impact the interior spaces like bathrooms will be kept more central. Despite the challenges, the design team created a blueprint for 18 unique housing units, including three accessible units, within the building. Each unit is designed to be functional and comfortable while preserving the building’s historical charm.“Every unit will be unique,” Komas notes. “While some of them could be copied from floor to floor, there are still different structural elements and organization the original building has that we have to work around.” COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND SUPPORT One of the most remarkable aspects of the Ondossagon School Revitalization Project is the level of community involvement and support it has received. From the outset, the project was designed to serve the local community’s needs, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. “We’ve been a part of some of the township meetings office@csdesignengineering.com Ashland, WI 715.682.0330 C&S has over 30 years of experience on residential and commercial projects, many with unique funding sources. Our team of designers and architects have an eye for design with a practical overlay that brings clients and contractors together, making our projects from the West Coast to the Midwest a reality. LOCALLY OWNED. NATIONAL EXPERIENCE. REAL DESIGN. 86 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 09
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