Wright Design Series - The Frautschi Center: A Welcoming Gateway to the Lakeshore Nature Preserve
Presented by Therese Hanson, AIA

At the edge of UW–Madison's Lakeshore Nature Preserve, the Frautschi Center is designed to be less a destination than a doorway; a building for people who would rather be outside. This session traces the project from TKWA's pattern-writing process through community-driven site selection, threshold design, and a building and landscape pursuing Living Building Challenge certification. Attendees will see how "the health of the land" became the measure for every decision, from floodplain avoidance and native plant communities to solar, battery, and rainwater systems. ► More Information

Learning Objectives:

• Apply a pattern-writing process (issue + solution statements) to build shared understanding among clients, stakeholders, and design teams and to guide design decisions.
• Evaluate potential building sites against ecological, cultural, and safety criteria, including floodplains, archaeological resources, historic features, and pedestrian and traffic conflicts, to minimize disturbance and favor previously developed land.
• Describe design strategies that turn a building into a safe, welcoming threshold to a natural area, prioritizing pedestrian experience and making stewardship work visible to the public.
• Identify the requirements of Living Building Challenge Core and Petal certification and the strategies used to meet them, such as net-positive solar with battery resilience, rainwater capture and reuse, native plant communities, and regionally sourced materials.

Therese Hanson, AIA, is a project architect who brings a poetic sensitivity to place—crafting vibrant, human‑centered environments that breathe in rhythm with their surrounding ecosystems. Her portfolio spans some of Wisconsin’s most meaningful work, from the Bayview Redevelopment in Madison to the revival of Milwaukee’s beloved Oriental Theatre and transformative visioning for the Milwaukee Downtown Plan Update 2040.

Celebrated with honors such as the 2026 AIA Wisconsin Young Architect Award and BizTimes Notable Women in Construction and Design, Therese blends technical rigor with deep empathy. A trusted partner to nonprofits and communities, she leads projects of every scale with collaboration, optimism, and humility.

She also contributes more than a decade of leadership to Women In Design Milwaukee, championing a more equitable and inclusive design profession.

For in-person, there will be on-site registration at Monona Terrace.

Please click the button below to register for virtual viewing in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Submitted for AIA/CES approval

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