Award of Merit Office/Retail/Mixed Use Innovation One

Exact Sciences is a Madison, Wis.-based molecular diagnostics and early cancer detection laboratory analysis provider. While the company has experienced tremendous growth over the last few years, they have remained committed to Madison as their home. They partnered with the University Research Park, Valerio Dewalt Train Associates Inc., Potter Lawson Architects and J.H. Findorff & Son Inc. to create a single, amenity-rich space for a headquarters for executives and research and development teams. Among the challenges, Findorff and the excavating contractor had to deal with the heaviest rain recorded in southern Wisconsin in more than a century. More than 6 ft of standing water filled the 45,000-sq-ft excavated parking garage, requiring it to be immediately pumped out. When exterior construction progressed during the winter, a polar vortex brought temperatures of negative 20 degrees Fahrenheit, forcing construction to a temporary halt. Despite the hurdles, the project opened on time and received LEED Silver certification.