Previous Experience
Binks Sames Corporate Headquarters and Demonstration Facility
The client, a leading manufacturer of high quality industrial finishing systems, sought a building that would serve both as a corporate symbol and a resource to its clients. The program included corporate offices and two product demonstration halls where potential buyers could test spray finishing equipment. The resulting solution is a unique three-story building with an elliptical plan enveloped by a gracefully curving aluminum and green-glass curtain wall.
The demonstration halls and support spaces occupy all of the ground level and most of the first level of the building. Since natural light is a necessity for the evaluation of spray finishes, the ground level remains almost entirely above grade. This resulted in a unique configuration that uses a curved entry ramp to access the main entrance and viewing atrium on the second level.
Two grand stairways rise from this atrium, giving convenient access to the open office spaces on the upper level, and offer dynamic views into the demonstration halls. The atrium is ringed with shared conference rooms and informal meeting spaces which encourage interaction among employees. All partitions on the office level are demountable to accommodate future reconfigurations. A long, narrow tensile-cable skylight structure crowns the atrium space and is detailed to recall the finally machined products manufactured by the client.
University of Detroit Mercy Dental Education Clinic
Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Union Hall Renovation
The Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Union is headquartered in its original 1920's era building. After seven decades of continuous use, the building was suffering from severe space limitations, mechanical equipment deficiencies and accessibility problems. The renovation of this 42,000 SF Union Hall focused on restoring the original elegance of theoriginal building while performing extensive reorganization of the interior spaces and incorporating the necessities of a modern office environment. A parcel of land between the Union Hall and the Plumber's Apprentice School to the west will be developed into a landscaped entry drive and tree-lined parking lot to form a campus. A new main entrance to the building, oriented toward the landscaped lot will be established on the currently blank west wall. The original ornamented limestone facade, removed and replaced with black granite in the 1950's, will be restored. This new facade will be extended around the corner to the new entrance on the west side of the building. The storefront space on Washington Boulevard is planned to allow for conversion into leasable commercial space at a future date. The interiors of the union hall have been designed in the spirit of the original building, and are intended to project the sense of confidence and security the union strives to provide its membership. Particular attention was paid to making the public spaces within the building more attractive, since the facility is rented by numerous outside groups for their own events. Each of the three existing floors of office space will be renovated to provide more flexible and interactive work spaces. The large assembly hall will be air conditioned and a mezzanine will be built at the rear to serve large functions more comfortably. On the ground floor, a small tavern and meeting hall have been designed for more intimate gatherings. A small preparation kitchen will be remodeled to better serve the needs of catering services. The building is scheduled for completion by the Union's centennial this fall.
Sherman Park Pool House Restoration
Reconstructed
Life Guard Building
View Prior to Restoration
The Sherman Park
Pool House is actually a symmetrical complex of several buildings,
including men's and women's gymnasiums and pool house buildings
and a central outdoor shower/changing facility. The project
involved renovation of the pool buildings to include indoor showers
and club rooms and replacement of windows throughout. The original
life-guard building was also reconstructed. During the design
process, the architects proposed that the project include reconstruction
of the missing pergola structure that had originally flanked the
lifeguard building. Additional money was allocated during
the project to replace the original green clay tile roofs as well.
View of New Pergola After Reconstruction
Davis Square Field House Restoration
View of Reception Desk
Prior to Restoration View of New Windows
St. Pauls Lutheran
Church had experienced tremendous growth in the five years prior
to its decision to build a second Worship complex. It had operated
two church facilities and a school in two separate Aurora locations.
Downtown, the church was housed in its original nineteenth century
gothic building. On the growing west side of town, the church
rented a community center for worship services. A new six hundred
seat sanctuary was designed for a twenty acre site adjacent to
several rapidly developing subdivisions. The design of the building
and site was predacated on future expansion, requiring a balance
of present day needs and those of the future. The new facility
was planned as a half circle divided into a series of radiating
segments, which can be extended outward to expand the worship
seating. Several long-span trusses were designed to enclose the
initial sanctuary, which is separated by a glazed wall from a
concentric ring of lower foyer and overflow seating space. At
opposite ends of the outer ring, two additional spaces house Daycare
and Christian Education functions, giving the building a crescent
shape in plan. The area between these nodes will eventually be
enclosed to form a new entrance foyer, when the present foyer
is integrated into the sanctuary. Corridors will eventually connect
the Christian education space to a new school, and the Daycare
center to a new gymnasium.
St. Zachary Church
and School shared a building built for the school in the mid 1960's.
The original master plan for the property called for a sanctuary
to be built later. As the parish had grown, however, the plans
were never executed, and for nearly thirty years the worship space
shared the gymnasium with physical education classes. While the
Parish continued to grow, funds were limited and a scheme that
renovated the gymnasium to become a new worship space was chosen
from among numerous alternatives. By using other spaces for physical
education classes, instead of building a new structure, additional
funds were made available for the renovation.
The existing
gymnasium was a glue-laminated structure with a wood deck enclosed
by a brick perimeter wall. The center five bays rose from twelve
feet at the perimeter to 24 feet at the peak. The north and south
bays were covered by lower roofs running the length of the building
on each side. These lower roofs were removed and raised to the
height of the adjacent bays.
The north
and south walls were raised to a height of two stories plus a
parapet and fenestrated with small square windows to accommodate
stained glass panels. The eastern half of the center bay was removed
and replaced by a new roof monitor which continues the slope of
the western half, to a peak of thirty six feet. 
A
very large stained glass window with mullions in the form of a
Latin cross was punched through the resulting end wall. Beneath
this window a raised platform was established for the altar. An
addition was placed at the west of the existing building to form
a large Gathering Space to encourage interaction among parishioners
before and after mass. A modest kitchenette and serving area were
placed adjacent to this space to accommodate receptions. The addition
also established space for the storage of vestments and provisions
for hearing reconciliations. The plans for the renovation of St.
Zachary Church were guided and personally approved by Joseph Cardinal
Bernadin to reflect his vision for modern Catholic worship.
This
growing city on the outskirts of Chicago housed its Police Department,
City Hall and Circuit Court in a cramped outdated structure originally
built as an insurance company headquarters. The city desired to
remain in the building, but to better adapt it to its governmental
functions. In addition, the three major entities each desired
greater independence, security and more distinctive architectural
imagery. After a detailed program was prepared, it was determined
that an additional 10,000 square feet of space was required. The
building, originally an open 'V' shape in plan was extended by
the addition to form a 'Y'. The Police department, located in
the basement was extended into the addition and is now entered
through a depressed grade level court.
A clear span
space on the second level of the addition houses the Circuit Court
and doubles as the City Council Chambers. Handicapped access was
provided by a ramp concealed behind a columned arcade which gives
a distinctive and judicial character to the Court entrance. With
these departments relocated, the original building was renovated
to serve the City's administrative offices. A central lobby with
a colonnaded rotunda connects the new Police and Court entrances
to the original City Hall entrance.