James McHugh Construction Co., Corporate Headquarters — Chicago

Development Team
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: James McHugh Construction Co., Chicago
ARCHITECT: DeStefano + Partners Inc., Chicago

James McHugh Construction Co.'s headquarters building at 1737 S. Michigan Ave. represents the first structure to bring back the glory days of Chicago's Motor Row, the new landmark district on the Near South Side.

The City of Chicago created the district in 2000 to commemorate and preserve a range of buildings built between 1905 and the 1930s on South Michigan Avenue. This largely intact streetscape once comprised the nation's largest number of automotive dealerships.

Working with Chicago-based architect DeStefano + Partners Inc., McHugh preserved the detailed brick facade and restored many interior elements, including the original brick and timber frame and a skylight-capped central atrium.

Bringing Back a Building

The main project challenges included returning the building to its former glory by exposing its steel columns, beams and wood deck flooring, creating functional and attractive office space and working within restrictive landmark preservation guidelines.

The team gutted the building, including the existing mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. With no stairways or holes in the floors, save one for an aged freight elevator, the team cut in a large atrium in the third and fourth floor to bring in light through a skylight and improve circulation.

Updating the flooring, which was 0.75-in. hardwood on heavy timber decking, while preserving it presented another challenge. The flooring was removed, a layer of lightweight gypsum floor topping was put down and hardwood flooring was screwed down. In selected areas, added gypsum topping was applied with conduit concealed within the floor slabs. The heavy timber deck was exposed and sandblasted to give a distinctive ceiling look.

The double-height atrium with staircase in the third and fourth floors was almost derailed by city fire codes. Safety codes originally required a fire-rated glass wall sealing off the atrium, but McHugh created a fire shutter system to meet safety standards while maintaining the open design. Fire shutters hidden in soffits next to the skylight are wired to the building's fire alarm and smoke detection systems and drop down when the alarms trigger, creating a closed-off shaft.

The centrally located freight elevator, originally designed to transport cars, became a key design element. The elevator remained in use as a service lift throughout construction. Then, as the building neared completion, the elevator was demolished and its brick shaft was incorporated into the atrium space. A part of the shaft was filled in, creating gallery walks to connect the north and south ends of the building and provide access to restrooms.

The jury said, "There is nothing worse than trying to build offices for a construction company with executives and project managers all going around making changes. Add that to the strain of having to be working on client's projects, and you've got a big construction challenge. They did a very good job. They also made an effort to stay on the South Side of Chicago, which was an appropriate thing for the company to do. It shows leadership in the community."

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