$1-Million Grant Seeks to Restore Courthouses

Chicago philanthropist Richard Driehaus has announced a four-year, $1-million commitment to Landmarks Illinois, a nonprofit, to establish a grant program that assists communities throughout Illinois in restoring historic county courthouses.

The announcement came in March during Landmarks Illinois’ annual Legendary Landmarks Gala during which Driehaus was among four being honored for their contributions to the state’s cultural legacy.

The Richard H. Driehaus Community Initiative Grants will be managed by Landmarks Illinois through its statewide Preservation Heritage Fund Program and administered as “challenge grants” that would go to local volunteer groups or public campaigns aimed at preserving their county courthouses.

The grants would go to the restoration of critical features of the courthouse, such as clocks, bell towers, cupolas and ornament, as well as to support cutting-edge—and energy-efficient—exterior lighting technologies. A principal program goal is that by helping to showcase these public buildings through improvements and dramatic lighting, this also will help to revitalize the surrounding town squares.

Applications will be accepted from one of the 31 communities with a county courthouse already on the National Register of Historic Places or the 25 courthouses deemed eligible for inclusion.

Serta Facility Peacefully Rests on Prairie

Evoking a bed, the distinctive, 90,000-sq-ft headquarters for Serta International headquarters was recently completed by Chicago-based Epstein.

Located in northwest suburban Hoffman Estates, the site borders and takes advantage of a protected wetlands area, allowing all work areas to have vistas to the outdoors.

The project consists of 60,000 sq ft of office, showroom and presentation areas, a 20,000-sq-ft research and development center and 10,000-sq-ft basement.

The architectural massing of the building was developed to express the two main programmatic functions: research and development and office workspace. The office workspace is contained in the linear “bar” structure which parallels the property line of the site, opening to the wetlands. This allows natural light and equal visual access to the wetlands for all workers in the building.

The structure containing the research-and-design facility is designed to engage the “bar” structure at the programmatic center of the building.

The second level opens onto an outdoor deck area covered by a sunshade canopy, which is articulated as a pattern that reflects Serta’s interest in textures and fabrics. Epstein was also responsible for the design and engineering of a new 1,100 square foot data center within the main building.

10 Local Architects Named AIA Fellows

Ten architects in Midwest Construction’s area were named to the American Institute of Architects’ College of Fellows, with their chapter affiliation:

• Bill Browne Jr., founding principal with Ratio Architects Inc., AIA Indianapolis

• Steven Burns, president and CEO with Orange Loft LLC, AIA Chicago.

• Walter Eckenhoff, cofounder and principal with Eckenhoff Saunders Architects, AIA Chicago.

• George Efstathiou, managing partner with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, AIA Chicago.

• Jonathan Fischel, senior associate with Wright Heerema Ι Architects, AIA Chicago.

• Jeanne Gang, president and design principal architect with Studio Gang Architects, AIA Chicago.

• Louis Garapolo, principal with Garapolo Ι Maynard Architects, AIA Chicago.

• Joseph Gonzalez, principal with DeStefano + Partners, AIA Chicago.

• Walter Hainsfurther, president of Kurtz Associates Architects, AIA Northeast Illinois.

• Patrick Loughran, associate principal with Goettsch Partners.

The Fellowship program was developed to elevate those architects who have made a significant contribution to architecture and society and who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession. Election to fellowship not only recognizes the achievements of architects as individuals, but also their significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level.

In total 112 architects nationwide were elected to the College of Fellows. The other 102 were outside the magazine’s circulation area.