Awarded since 1956, the Chicago Building Congress’ Merit Award Program celebrates achievements across the building industry. A panel of 40 CBC member volunteers judged the projects, submitted across nine categories, for safety record, impact on the community, quality of construction, and distinctive, functional or innovative design.

The five-story, 169,000 square-foot, steel and reinforced concrete building, houses a 250-seat thrust theatre, a 100-seat flexible theatre, rehearsal, scenery and costume space, classrooms, and administrative offices. Though primarily made of limestone, it also features both translucent and transparent glass, allowing passersby a glimpse of the building’s interior while also giving the building’s users a view of the surrounding community.

However, according to Thornton Tomasetti the building’s location also presented the design team with a few challenges, including a small site space and strict zoning laws in the historic Lincoln Park neighborhood. To accommodate the site while still providing the necessary square footage, the five-story building’s design includes a gradual stepping out of the higher floors from the base at the northeast corner, increasing the floor space at each level. Support for the design feature is provided by cantilevers that, with each step of the terrace, extend in length beyond the cantilever at the floor below.

According to Pelli Clarke Pelli, wide corridors, open lounges and rooftop courtyards, encourage interaction between users. An interior courtyard introduces light and air into the surrounding offices and design studios. The facility’s entrance opens into a lobby, lounge and concessions space, while the thrust theater lobby serves as the “living room” of the building, where theater patrons and students congregate.

Designed to a high level of sustainability, the facility also minimizes energy consumption through the use of fritted glass, green roof areas and daylighting for offices, design studios, and classrooms. Outdoor terraces on the upper floors also contributed to the building’s LEED Gold certification, and many recycled content and regionally sourced materials were integrated into the design.

Bob Janis, vice president for facility operations at DePaul commented in a release that the certification was no small feat, as the building contains a number of large volume spaces and operates long hours. The Theatre School was the third campus facility to earn LEED Gold.

“DePaul’s new Theatre School underscores the fact that Chicago is a great theatre city, and a great architectural city,” said Brian Imus, executive director of the U.S. Green Building Council-Illinois, in a February 2014 release. “Our city now boasts a performing arts building that is a role model for sustainability, and that deserves a thunderous round of applause.”

The facility was completed and dedicated in 2013.

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UC Santa Barbara’s Institute for Energy Efficiency is dedicated to researching and developing technological solutions for a sustainable energy future. Upon completion, the three-story Henley Hall building will provide a new home for the renowned institute, which was created in 2008. It will primarily include a 125-seat lecture hall, 17 laboratories, 34 faculty and postdoctoral offices, nine administrative offices and ample group office space. An estimated 50 faculty members and 120 graduate and postdoctoral students collaborating on energy-efficient technologies will occupy the new structure.
Designed to create prime research space and leading paradigms in energy efficiency, the new institute building will also feature adaptable laboratory space for evolving research needs. According to the school, the addition of this new structure will go a long way toward addressing the high priority, campus-wide need for more quality lab space. Though UCSB has made concerted efforts to upgrade and expand its facilities to match their academic goals, the school reports it is still significantly under-resourced in this area.
Along with increasing lab and research space, the new facility will also be a showcase of the schools’ commitment to environmental sustainability, and a strong reflection of the research being conducted within. According to a release by the university, the building will be as close to zero-net energy as possible, incorporating numerous state-of-the-art technologies and design features. The $38.5 million facility will include a variety of efficient systems and building materials, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) with low-voltage wiring, intelligent energy monitoring and control systems with interactive displays, and extensive natural lighting.

The Henley Hall Institute for Energy Efficiency will be named for 1966 UCSB grad Jeff Henley and his wife Judy, who contributed $50 million to the school’s capital campaign in 2012. Nearly $30 million of those funds will be dedicated to construction, and toward faculty recruitment for both the institute and the school’s College of Engineering.

University leaders named award-winning architectural firm Kieran Timberlake to design the Institute’s new home in August 2012. According to a release issued by the university, the firm was chosen through a highly selective review process by a team of Institute and UCSB faculty and staff. The team reviewed more than 30 proposals, met with nearly a dozen firms and visited some of the finalists’ buildings. Kieran Timberlake was ultimately selected for its experience with energy-efficient lab buildings, innovative design, and for the firm’s close client-architect design process. The San Francisco office of environmental design, engineering and consulting firm Atelier Ten also provided support and expertise.

Sundt, one of the country’s largest general contractors, has a strong track record in higher education construction. The company has completed multiple higher education builds, including the University of California, Merced’s Social Science and Management Building, and the University of California, Davis’ Veterinary Medicine 3B Building.

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