IIT Innovation Center

The Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a steel frame structure with composite floors and braced cores. The two-storey building was constructed with a basement. Apart from the regular grid and rectangular floor plan, the ETFE facade on the upper floor is striking. It is supported by cantilevers up to 5 m long.

LEED Gold Certification Achieved

The ground floor facade is completely glazed. The supporting structure is designed to be extremely efficient and slender. Connections and details were worked out with the utmost care according to strict aesthetic specifications. The solar radiation into the building can be varied with the help of the ETFE facade. Heating and cooling are provided by building component activation.

Due to its sustainability, the building was awarded a LEED Gold certification.

The Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship was designed by John Ronan, Werner Sobek was responsible for the structural design and the facade design substructure.

Architecture
John Ronan Architects, Chicago/USA

Planning time
2014 − 2015

Construction time
2016 − 2018

Services by Werner Sobek

  • Structural engineering
  • Facade substructure engineering
    (Concept design; Schematic design; Design development; Construction documents; Construction administration)
  • BIM discipline coordination
    (Demand planning; Visualisation; Analysis, simulation and verification; Quantity take off and cost analysis/estimation)

GFA
9,290 m²

Client
IIT Innovation Center, Chicago/USA

Photography
Steve Hall, Chicago/USA

Awards
Education Facility Design Awards − Award of Merit 2019
AIA Chicago Destinguished Building − Honor Award 2019
AIA Divine Detail Award 2019
AIA Awards − Architecture 2020

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