Mill Creek Academy

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Visitors to Mill Creek Academy in Waukesha may not realize it at first, but the school is built in the shape of an “H,” allowing natural light to shine into every classroom.

“Adding this exterior window type brings in ample daylight, improving the children’s well-being,” said Remington Stittleburg, marketing and communications specialist for Kraemer Brothers, the project’s general contractor.

Mill Creek Academy, a tuition-free charter school, is the first school developed by National Heritage Academies in Wisconsin.

The school is for grades 4K through 8 and includes more than 30 classrooms, student support spaces, offices and a large gym that sits at its center.

Kraemer Brothers used many natural materials in the building’s construction, Stittleburg said.

“Exposed cedar trusses, beams and supports welcome visitors to the school. Cedar shiplap ceiling lines the canopy ceiling and a stone veneer base complements the rest of the facility,” he said.

The school includes an upgraded fire protection system. The fully automated system includes a nitrogen generator, advanced leak detection, an integrated bypass alarm and web-enabled monitoring. The upgrade slows corrosion and lowers the maintenance costs of the fire protection system.

Among the project challenges were the property’s high water table and poor soil conditions. Built on undeveloped agricultural land, Kraemer Brothers’ crews built several bio-retention ponds to address the high water table and poor drainage. They also removed the unsuitable soil mix of silt, clay and sand and brought in fill to ensure the building’s footprint and pavements leading up to the building were suitable for construction.