Side of Design

When Upland Hills Health's existing facilities—some dating back to the late 1800s—could no longer keep pace with patient needs, the Dodgeville, Wisconsin-based health system partnered with BWBR to reshape rural health in the communities they serve. What started with a clinic relocation in 2023 has since developed into a full master facility plan, guiding strategic growth for the organization.

In this episode, we dive into the partnership between the healthcare system and BWBR. Joining us from Upland Hills Health are Mark Thompson, President and CEO, and Ryan Teasdale, Director of Facilities. From BWBR are Principal Mike Boldenow, Senior Project Manager Andrea Cecelia, and Healthcare Innovation and Operations Strategist Jessica Sweeney. Together, they unpack what makes rural healthcare design different and how they’re working together to create community-centered, future-ready facilities.

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Student health today encompasses far more than physical wellbeing—supporting mental health is equally critical to academic success and overall student wellness. For colleges and universities, offering mental and behavioral health services on campus is an essential first step, but designing those spaces to feel accessible, inclusive, and welcoming is just as important.

Chris Fischer, Associate Principal and Design Leader at BWBR, was part of the team behind the Carleton College Class of 1974 Student Health and Counseling (SHAC) Center—a LEED Platinum-certified facility designed to holistically address students' medical, counseling, and wellness needs. In this episode, Chris joins us to discuss the design process.

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For families seeking behavioral health care for their child, the process can feel confusing, disjointed, or even scary. When diving into the planning process for the Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services’ Pediatric Center of Behavioral Health, the team approached each design decision with a different goal: creating an experience rooted in clarity, connection, and comfort from the moment families arrive.

Melanie Baumhover, BWBR Principal, Director, and Behavioral + Mental Health Market Leader, joined us to discuss the recently completed project and how its “no wrong door” model is improving access to care for families in Michigan and beyond.

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A hospital addition does more than just expand and refresh a campus—it can improve wayfinding, make room for new spaces, and prompt a broader rethink of how the environment supports patients, visitors, and staff both operationally and emotionally.

We spoke with BWBR Principal Jason Nordling about the Avera McKennan Hospital Women’s and Children’s Inpatient Addition and Remodel, an exciting project that highlights the complexity, collaboration, and powerful opportunities involved in expanding these services.

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n today’s competitive labor market, companies across sectors are grappling with the same question—how do we attract and retain top talent? As organizations grow, evolving industries require increasingly technical skillsets, and people-first cultures that prioritize employee wellbeing continue to rise, leaders are seeking innovative solutions for recruitment and retention. 

We sat down with Healthcare Practice Leader Ryan Johansen and Science + Technology Practice Leader Nate Roisen to discuss the challenges and opportunities they’re seeing in their respective markets. A key takeaway they share: design can make all the difference.

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Located in the heart of downtown overlooking Wisconsin’s Capitol Dome, BWBR’s Madison office provides proximity to the ever-expanding markets statewide. Leading the talented, tight-knit team is Leigh Streit, who joined us for this episode of Side Notes to share insights into the Madison market, the opportunities shaping Wisconsin’s future, and the work driving meaningful impact across the region.

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At BWBR, we believe in being stewards of exceptional design—which means sharing our team’s unique skills, specialized knowledge, and abundance of passion with the next generation. Many BWBR staff members are involved in fostering young designers, whether that’s helping high school students navigate career paths or sparking creativity in elementary school classrooms. 

In this episode of Side of Design, we sat down with Senior Project Manager Andrea Cecelia and Marketing Manager Danielle Hilmo to chat about their deep commitment to outreach in their communities, the innovative new lenses students are bringing to design, and what it means for the future of the industry.

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Senior Planner Jessica Sweeney took a unique path to planning healthcare environments at BWBR. With a background that helps bridge the challenges health organizations face with the solutions architecture can provide, her specialized insight brings key value to our design teams and client stakeholders. In this episode of Side Notes, she shares her fascinating career journey and how it lends itself to creating high-performing facilities that are data-informed, staff-friendly, and patient-centric.

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 Quality in design and construction is easy to recognize, but far more complex to achieve. It’s not just about how a building looks when it’s finished, but about the processes that carry a project from concept through construction. In this episode of Side of Design, we sit down with BWBR’s Director of Professional Services Dan Hottinger and Construction Administration Manager Bryan Desma to unpack what “quality” really means in design and construction—and how it begins long before a project breaks ground. 

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Sustainability, quality assurance (QA), building codes, and specifications—at BWBR, these critical design functions are overseen by Rachael Spires, Associate Principal and Performance Design & Quality Manager. In this episode of Side Notes, she explores how the seemingly distinctive roles intersect, all working together to drive design excellence in powerful ways.

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