Sometimes the best gifts to a community really do come in small packages.

The new Reedsburg Municipal Airport Terminal is a case in point. At 2,300 square feet, it’s a construction welterweight, but the combination of superior strength and charming architectural features make it a true asset to Central Wisconsin.

In addition to accommodating visitors, the terminal also provides 24/7/365 pilot access, while maintaining security for management personnel together with lockable offices.

Located in Reedsburg, Wisconsin—the city Friede & Associates calls home—the new municipal airport terminal replaces an outdated pre-engineered structure. Designed by MSA Professional Services, Inc. of Baraboo, its design has become a model for other community airports in Wisconsin due to the fact that the structure can withstand extremely high winds. Design elements include a “multi-winged” exterior look, complete with premium standing seam roof panels, large overhangs, and massive sandblasted concrete columns that flank the entry.

Much of the fun is inside. The creative interior design features an aviation theme, including a propeller ceiling fan and trim work designed to replicate the look of instrument panels—and all with materials that will require little-to-no maintenance. Interior millwork includes an arched laminate beam and trim over the transaction counter—a jointly accomplished feat, as three different firms worked in concert to build the beam and create its unique finish.

The complicated and visually attractive roof and overhang system, rare for a building of this size, required extensive planning and communication between the designer, suppliers, and Friede construction crews. The result? An eye-catching architectural feature as well as a strong, watertight roof system.

Airfields are wide open spaces with few wind breaks. To ensure the terminal could handle high-velocity wind, we used large Simpson Shear Wall panels. These panels are solid corrugated steel with welded steel plates at the top and bottom. This interior structural wall system is tied to both the exterior walls and roof structure to provide the necessary support to meet the wind loads that this building is designed to withstand. Additionally, the panels are attached by 36-inch anchor bolts to the interior foundation walls that run through the middle of the building.

The Reedsburg Municipal Airport Terminal building was completed in a mere six months—quite the accomplishment considering its many architectural and structural enhancements.

A small package, perhaps, ­but the terminal is a gift that will keep on giving to the community for decades to come.

About Friede & Associates:

When you select Friede & Associates, you are buying more than our quality-assured construction services. You also get the performance and reliability of some of the top suppliers and subcontractors in the area. While other contractors may be cutting quality to remain competitive on price, Friede is forging relationships with members of the project team to bring you the best value and highest quality for your investment.