advertisement

A Cook County ordinance, passed in 2002, requires all new county buildings to be LEED certified under the U.S. Green Building Council in Washington, D.C. However, the $64.2 million courthouse project at 555 W. Harrison St. in Chicago is going beyond the lowest LEED designation, "certified," and is shooting for a Silver designation.

After the design phase by Chicago-based lead architect Campbell Tiu Campbell, the joint venture of Wood Dale-based George Sollitt Construction Co. and Chicago-based Oakley Construction began construction in February 2004. The project is slated to be complete by the end of July and will open this fall.

The existing Domestic Violence Courthouse at 13th Street and Michigan Avenue is "very overcrowded, and there isn't adequate separation of victims from the accused," said Elizabeth Melas, deputy director of capital planning for Cook County. The existing facility will be closed once the new facility about a mile to the northwest is complete.

The new facility's 10 courtrooms replace six at the Michigan Avenue facility and one offsite. The new courthouse's design keeps victims, judges and the public separated from prisoners, who will enter the 192,636-sq.-ft. building via the sally port at the basement level. Also, an onsite day-care center provides a safe, fun environment for the children of victims during court proceedings.

'Green' Items

A major "green" component is a 110-kW photovoltaic system that will supply 5 percent of the building's power. Manufactured by Bedford, Mass.-based Spire Corp., the solar panels cover about 40 percent of the building's roof.

The PV system will be one of the largest in the Midwest and would provide the equivalent of electrical energy used annually by 20-25 Chicago homes.

Other environmentally friendly elements include high-efficiency boilers, recycling of at least 50 percent of the construction waste, a system of capturing parking-lot rainwater into cisterns for watering the landscaping, use of low-odor-emitting materials and paints and buying 20 percent of construction materials from local and regional suppliers.

Another effort was made to make environmental choices easier for employees.

"We'll have a shower and changing room in the basement for people who want to ride their bikes to work," Melas said. "There'll be a place to lock up the bikes outside."

While some of the "green" items carry higher upfront costs, Melas said it should result in building lifecycle savings.

A Grand Entry

Through a redesign, the front of the building is repositioned to what was formerly the building's rear.

The new main entrance on the north elevation was incorporated to take advantage of the site. A different warehouse that was once north of the project site was previously demolished to create empty space that will become a parking lot.

Therefore, an architectural challenge was faced in creating a new facade on the beige brick that would complement the other three sides' rust-colored brick. Instead of simply cladding it, Chicago-based Booth Hansen, architect for the north elevation, designed a rust-colored wall 16 ft. in front of the facility that is secured to the front of the building with steel trusses to form an atrium.

At roof-level, the atrium wall curves to south-facing glass panels that "scoops sunlight from the south and throws it into the atrium," said George Halik, principal of Booth Hansen. "A new front for the main entrance gives it a new, fresh facade."

Melas called the atrium a grand-entry point. "It's open and welcoming and allows space for circulation."

Booth Hansen designer Scott Cyphers added that the large windows that comprise 40 percent of the atrium wall draw in natural light and won't obscure the original building, which will keep the beige brick.

"You can see through to the existing building," he said. "It plays off the new versus the old. We're not covering up the history of the building. It adds to the richness of the space."

The two metal-paneled end conditions and roof also highlight the atrium wall.

The interior of the atrium wall and the public spaces are lined with a blond wood veneer hardened by resin to resist scratches and wear. Black granite accents and terrazzo floors will also be in the common areas.

Terracotta Rain-Screen System

In addition to its pleasing aesthetics, the exterior atrium wall uses a rain-screen system, a method of sustainable wall construction that's making its debut in the Chicago area on this project.

With no examples of this product locally, Cook County representatives traveled to St. Louis to see how it looked on a building there.

"We wanted a material on the new atrium that worked with the brick on the other three sides," Melas said. "We wanted a complimentary material, but not brick."

To install the system, clay tiles are attached to an aluminum framing system.

The open joints allow air to circulate behind the clay tile, equalizing pressure so the building doesn't suck in air and water. It also functions as a ventilation system for the interior cavity.

Past this air pocket are 2 in. of rigid Styrofoam insulation. Behind that, a waterproof membrane is applied to the structural block wall. The pressure equalization eliminates inherent maintenance problems of traditional enclosures that require tuck-pointing and resealing of caulk over time, Halik said.

While the system is used extensively in Germany, it's only present in a handful of locations nationally. However, it's gaining popularity.

"There's tremendous interest in this system with architects and owners," said Kevin Lynch, vice president of Tinley Park-based Architectural Glass Works, the subcontractor installing it on the project.

Since construction began on the Domestic Violence Courthouse, Lynch said he's started working with four architects in budgeting and design details for incorporating this system on other projects. "Architects are looking at more unique enclosure elements on a building," he added.

The cost of a rain-screen system ranges from $40 to $70 per sq. ft. depending on the quantity, color and size, Lynch said.

Demolition and Excavation

One of the biggest construction issues was demolition of large parts of the clay tile arch floors to make way for seven new elevators. The old limestone foundation under about half of the north elevation was also excavated for the below-grade sally port.

"We were temporarily supporting the building with shoring, concrete, structural steel and needle beams," said Jamie Rahn, vice president of George Sollitt Construction. "The most challenging part was the structural aspect, trying to take it apart delicately and gingerly and put it back together in a sound way."

In addition, the project has complex mechanical and electrical systems that were coordinated with the PV system as well as elaborate security, lighting and audiovisual systems.

"They had to be squeezed into an existing basement with low hanging ceilings," Rahn said. "A rooftop penthouse was also added to house air-handling equipment for the PV system."