Two years ago, The Walsh Group, a $4 billion construction firm that traces its roots in Chicago back to 1898, found it needed more space for a new training and conference center. Unfortunately, there was no room at its West Loop headquarters for such a facility.
The fourth-generation, family-run firm could easily have built a new structure. Instead, the Walsh Group chose what it considered to be the more environmentally responsible path and rebuilt an underused 90-year-old warehouse/factory building. The project earned 86 points on the way to achieving LEED Platinum certification—at the time, the sixth-highest number of LEED points ever awarded.
PROJECT SUMMARY
WALSH GROUP TRAINING AND CONFERENCE CENTER
Chicago, Ill.Building Team
Submitting firm: The Walsh Group (owner)
Architect: Solomon Cordwell Buenz
Structural engineer: CS Associates Inc.
Mechanical/electrical engineer: McGuire Engineers Inc.
General contractor: Walsh Construction Co.General Information
Size: 93,000 sf
Construction cost: $24 million
Construction time: April 2010 to June 2011
Delivery method: Design-build
With its Building Team partners—architect Solomon Cordwell Buenz, structural engineer CS Associates, and M/E engineer McGuire Engineers—Walsh Construction, acting as its own contractor, turned the former automobile showroom and paperboard package facility into a 93,000-sf showcase of sustainable design and construction.
Most of the original three-story structure, including 30,000 bricks, was salvaged, and 96% of construction waste was diverted from landfill. A fourth story was added, and the designer created a central atrium that provides natural daylighting through a massive skylight in the roof.
Sustainable features included a vegetated roof, a rainwater recovery system, and smart building technology that allows for partially localized environmental control.
Sophisticated MEP systems were employed: an HVAC system that uses solar thermal technology to pre-heat outdoor air before being inducted into the air-handling units, resulting in a projected 42% savings in energy costs; boilers with an 88% efficiency rating; and chemical-free water treatment for the evaporative condenser. The building’s exhaust air provides primary heating for the garage.
In the opinion of BD+C’s Reconstruction Awards jury, The Walsh Group made the right decision, for itself and for its home town. +
Related Stories
| May 11, 2012
Chapter 9 The Key to Commissioning That Works? It Never Stops
Why commissioning for existing and renovated buildings needs to be continuous to be effective.
| May 11, 2012
Chapter 8 High-Performance Reconstruction and Historic Preservation: Conflict and Opportunity
What historic preservationists and energy-performance advocates can learn from each other.
| May 11, 2012
VFA to acquire Altus Group's Capital Planning division
Strategic move strengthens VFA's facilities capital planning market osition in North America.
| May 11, 2012
Betz promoted to senior vice president for McCarthy’s San Diego Office
He will oversee client relations, estimating, office operations and personnel as well as integration of the company’s scheduling, safety and contracts departments.
| May 11, 2012
CRSI appoints Brace chairman
Stevens also elected to board of directors and vice-chair.
| May 11, 2012
Dempster named to AIA College of Fellows
Altoon Partners’ technical and construction services leader honored for his contributions.
| May 11, 2012
AIA launches education and training portal
New portal to host Contract Documents training, education resources in one convenient place.
| May 10, 2012
Chapter 7 When Modern Becomes Historic: Preserving the Modernist Building Envelope
This AIA CES Discovery course explores the special reconstruction questions posed by Modern-era buildings.
| May 10, 2012
Chapter 6 Energy Codes + Reconstructed Buildings: 2012 and Beyond
Our experts analyze the next generation of energy and green building codes and how they impact reconstruction.
| May 10, 2012
Chapter 5 LEED-EB and Green Globes CIEB: Rating Sustainable Reconstruction
Certification for existing buildings under these two rating programs has overtaken that for new construction.