A full-elevation envelope restoration in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. RSI removed 30,000 SF of failed coating from a 1914 cast-in-place concrete building — adaptively reused as UW Milwaukee on-campus student housing — and rebuilt the substrate with a breathable mineral coating system over a 9-month schedule.
Request a Project Consultation →A 1914 Ford Model T plant, adaptively reused in 2006 as UW Milwaukee on-campus housing — returned to a sound, breathable concrete envelope.
Originally built in 1914 as a Ford Model T plant, this four-story cast-in-place concrete building was re-adapted in 2006 as an on-campus housing facility for UW Milwaukee students. Over time, an improper coating application caused the concrete structure to retain moisture, leading to damage that threatened the long-term integrity of the building.
In coordination with UW Milwaukee and the Wisconsin Department of Facilities Development, RSI utilized recyclable crushed glass to media-blast and remove 30,000 square feet of failed coating across three elevations of the building. Once the coating was removed, RSI completed the underlying concrete repairs — including epoxy crack injections, sealant replacement, and vertical concrete repair work — before applying a specialized mineral coating designed to protect the concrete while matching the aesthetics of the original remodel.
The nine-month project demonstrated RSI’s ability to coordinate large-scale envelope restoration on an occupied institutional building in Milwaukee, balancing the technical demands of full-elevation coating removal with the day-to-day operational needs of an active student housing facility.
The Kenilworth scope required full-elevation coating removal, substrate-level concrete repair, and a breathable replacement coating — sequenced around an active student housing facility and coordinated with UW Milwaukee and the Wisconsin Department of Facilities Development.
30,000 SF of failed coating was removed across three elevations using recyclable crushed-glass media — a non-toxic, silica-free abrasive selected for substrate compatibility and worker safety on an occupied site. Learn more about RSI’s approach to media blasting and coating removal.
Once the coating was off, RSI executed 2,000 LF of polyurethane and epoxy crack injection, 1,000 SF of concrete repair, and 1,000 LF of sealant replacement — addressing the underlying moisture damage before recoating.
30,000 SF of specialized mineral coating was applied to protect the concrete while matching the aesthetics of the 2006 adaptive-reuse remodel, plus 10,000 SF of traffic coating — a complete envelope restoration built to last.
The nine-month UW Milwaukee Kenilworth restoration is one example of how RSI coordinates large-scale envelope work on occupied institutional buildings across the Midwest — preserving the places and spaces that fuel the future.
From a 1914 adaptive-reuse concrete envelope at UW Milwaukee to commercial properties across the Midwest, Restoration Systems delivers full-scope coating removal, concrete repair, and envelope restoration. If your building is showing the same coating failure or moisture damage we addressed at Kenilworth, let’s talk.