With Dirk Denison Architects and Gilbane Building Company, the Illinois Institute of Technology has recently completed a $70 million housing project that has restored three Ludwig Mies van der Rohe buildings. With the completion of the Carman Hall residential facility, the three-building project has renewed Illinois Tech’s front door as it prepares for its highest recorded enrollment numbers—more than 25% higher than last year.
Located at the campus entryway and offering views of the Chicago skyline, all three buildings were designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a pioneer of modernist architecture. Historic preservation was a top priority for the project, along with ensuring energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.
Dirk Denison, the project’s lead architect, is also an architecture professor at Illinois Tech. His students regularly visited the job sites for a hands-on, up-close learning experience—aligning with the school’s philosophy around learning by creating. Denison’s firm includes five Illinois Tech alumni, and two recent graduates who studied under Denison now work full-time at Gilbane. Founded in 1870, Gilbane provides comprehensive construction and facilities-related services and has more than 45 office locations worldwide.
“It was rewarding for students to have the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills as part of this iconic project located on their campus,” Denison, founding principal of Dirk Denison Architects and professor and MCHAP Director at Illinois Tech, said in a statement. “It’s particularly gratifying to help deliver projects that acknowledge the timeless quality of modernist architecture and the value of preserving them. IIT has a respectful commitment to its Mies legacy and has led the way to recognize the original intent of the buildings by bringing them back to life through thoughtful reuse and sustainable strategies.”
On the Building Team:
Owner and developer: Illinois Institute of Technology
Architect: Dirk Denison Architects
Mechanical: State Mechanical Services, LLC
Electrical: Gurtz
Plumbing: The Hill Group
Structural engineer: Matrix Engineering Corp.
General contractor/construction manager: Gilbane Building Company
Related Stories
Building Team | Apr 4, 2017
Dispelling five myths about post-occupancy evaluations
Many assume that post-occupancy (POE) is a clearly-defined term and concept, but the meaning of POE in practice remains wildly inconsistent.
Structural Materials | Apr 3, 2017
Best of structural steel construction: 4WTC, Fulton Center, Pterodactyl win AISC IDEAS2 Awards
The annual awards program, sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction, honors the best in structural steel design and construction.
Reconstruction & Renovation | Mar 16, 2017
Pols are ready to spend $1T on rebuilding America’s infrastructure. But who will pick which projects benefit?
The accounting and consulting firm PwC offers the industrial sector a five-step approach to getting more involved in this process.
Contractors | Mar 15, 2017
Dan Ulbricht joins Skender Construction as Vice President
Ulbricht will be working with Skender’s executive leadership team to augment partnerships and expand new markets.
Contractors | Mar 9, 2017
5 reasons why Millennials are great for the construction industry
Millennials often are unfairly saddled with the dubious reputation for being entitled, disloyal, and self-centered, but it turns out that they are actually not that different from their older work colleagues, according to an FMI study.
Industry Research | Mar 7, 2017
These are the 10 most expensive cities in the world to build in
Paris, Frankfurt, and Macau are all on the list, but none of them are more expensive than the city in the number one spot.
Architects | Jan 4, 2017
The making of visible experts: A path for seller-doers in the AEC industry
Exceptional seller-doers have the ability to ask the right questions, and more importantly, listen.
Building Team | Jan 3, 2017
How does your firm’s hit rate stack up to the AEC competition?
If your firm is not converting at least a third of project proposals when competing for new work, it may be time to reassess your marketing tactics and processes.
Contractors | Dec 22, 2016
New commercial building energy code released
The update includes a new compliance path and significant technical changes affecting building envelope, and mechanical and lighting systems.
Contractors | Oct 13, 2016
Contractors’ financial performance improved in 2015
The Construction Financial Management Association’s latest survey found gains across the board, but notable variances by the size of the companies.
