TruStage “Lighthouse” Headquarters

Location: Madison, Wisconsin

Areas of Expertise: HVAC

At the height of the Lighthouse construction project, Hooper’s HVAC team deployed 40 skilled sheet metal and steam fitting professionals, logging over 55,000 hours. The team installed more than 260,000 pounds of ductwork to support the building’s complex climate systems.

Working closely with general contractor Findorff, Hooper safely installed multiple air handling units on the fifth floor, including the largest unit—measuring 37 feet long, 19 feet wide, 13 feet tall, and weighing 40,000 pounds. These units were precisely lifted through a roof opening coordinated with Findorff and secured onto concrete pads with meticulous planning.

The project also included a 40-foot welded kitchen exhaust stack, which was crane-lifted and installed through a roof opening by Hooper crews with exacting control.

To meet cooling demands, Hooper expanded an existing chiller plant in another building on the TruStage campus. This required routing over 1,800 feet of 8-inch welded carbon steel piping through an occupied structure to supply chilled water to the new facility.

The project earned LEED Gold Certification with 72 points – the highest awarded to any new construction project in Wisconsin. The project was also recognized as a 2023 AGC Build Wisconsin Award winner.