• YWCA Campus Expansion Project modernizes a long-standing institution that has served Evanston and the North Shore for over 90 years.

• The building renovation and addition allowed the YWCA to retain its presence as a relevant community resource and equity hub

• The final design creates two specific zones to allow for the public and private functions to interact but also be safely isolated when desired.

• The project addressed sustainability and accessibility

Established in 1931, YWCA Evanston/North Shore has been in Evanston for over 90 years. Located in the Historic Ridge District of Evanston, the organization serves a broad and diverse range of residents and needs, from swimming programs to gardening, counseling, justice and equity training, and an emergency domestic violence shelter
The design process began with extensive and in-depth programming sessions. The design creates two specific zones to allow for the public and private functions to interact, but also be safely isolated when desired. A modern, metal panel and storefront-clad main public entrance lead into a comfortable social area for lounging and gathering. The northern portion of the site is dedicated to the domestic violence shelter, counseling and social services, and administrative staff and office space. These two portions of the building are linked by a ’bridge’ over the pool areas that serves to untangle the circulation and provides overflow social space.

The new 4-story addition is constructed of an architectural pre-cast, using a shiplap siding pattern and cast in brick. The project team visited the pre-cast plant to inspect and perform quality checks of the pre-cast panels in various stages of production so as to ensure the product met the Owner’s standards and expectation prior to delivery to the site. The ability to pre-fabricate the building envelop off site, in a controlled environment not only ensured a high-quality product to be used, but provided for smaller crews and less congestion on site to erect the facility on a tight site during the pandemic. The use of pre-cast allowed for an expedited completion of the building envelope, and additional control of the openings sizes so windows could be ordered early.

As part of the ongoing process to promote quality throughout the process, WBO conducted daily “huddles” with the trades, and regular coordination meetings at each definable feature of work so as to ensure upcoming and current work was at the forefront of each trades thoughts, and no one trade was left waiting as work progressed.

To encourage questions and ensure all trades were pressing towards the same goal, WBO had one of the residential units completed as a full mock up, so not only the Owner could walk thru the final product, but the trades had a point of reference to consult during construction so as to ensure quality MEP placement and finishes were maintained. An expectation was provided for all to reference, and include as the facility was completed.

As part of the renovation phase, the existing CMU walls within the existing facility were to remain and be re-used as is, with M/E/P systems being surface mounted or “channeled” into the CMU. WBO was able to revise the wall construction, by furring out and drywalling, eliminating exposed MEPs on the existing walls, and providing for a clean new look at an overall savings to the Owner.

Similarly, an independent evaluation of the original old fiber board duct was conducted, it was clear that the upgrades to the HVAC system would be too much for this old duct system to handle. W.B. Olson and their team replaced all the ductwork in the facility, eliminating the inefficient air delivery components, and providing a new HVAC system that will efficiently service the facility long into the future. This was accomplished with no impact to the overall schedule.

W.B Olson also took steps to evaluate and review the new building envelope and transition points from new to existing buildings. Water testing of the new building envelop was performed at all material transitions and penetrations, likewise intersections of the new to old building were evaluated to identify potential building enclosure compromises. Special attention was paid to those areas of transition in building material type and penetrations, so as to ensure a proper installation, eliminate future infiltration of the elements, and provide for a sound and safe building for the Owner.

The end result is a well-constructed modern facility that will service the community and the YWCA’s mission well into the future.

The building renovation and addition allow the YWCA to remain a relevant community resource and equity hub. As a social justice organization, YWCA seeks to raise awareness of the issues of racial and gender equity and to affect real change in our communities. Focused on racial justice, domestic violence, women’s economic advancement, and youth health and safety, YWCA Evanston/North Shore serves the northeast metropolitan Chicago area with a variety of programs and services that improve the lives of women, families, and communities.

The YWCA’s pool is heavily used and functions as a foundation for healthy activity and socialization for all ages. The pool provides entry-level swim lessons, after school swim training and swim meets, and senior exercise programming. The upgraded pool facility scope included locker room upgrades, family restrooms and changing rooms, staff office and locker room, and increased equipment storage. Updated lighting and mechanical systems create a light and bright atmosphere. New windows and an outdoor patio provide a link to the outdoors, giving the swimmers a place to rest and recover in warmer weather.
The emergency domestic violence shelter is a driving component of the YWCA’s programming and mission. The shelter serves a large, underserved area on the north side of the Chicago region. The existing shelter was not large enough or configured properly to meet the demand for shelter space and provide the security and dignity desired by the YWCA. The new shelter provides 19 studio rooms and 4 family rooms—doubling the number of rooms and allowing for flexible family compositions. The new rooms are private—providing kitchenettes, closet space, and respite for the residents. New gathering spaces within the shelter allow the residents safe spaces for eating, indoor and outdoor play spaces.

There were approximately 59,410 hours of labor expended in the construction of the facility, and during a global pandemic, with no accidents or lost time injuries during the life of the project.

• HIP’s new entry is a retail project done with the care and quality of a hospitality environment

• The design team sliced up the enormous and closed Carson Pirie Scott into a thoughtful entry and more easily leasable spaces for our client.

• Our team’s creativity and engineering prowess was on full display for thousands of shoppers

• Construction took place with minimal disruption to retail operations, despite considerable internal work and the onset of the global pandemic.

• The beloved institution – “the HIP” as it’s called – remains relevant today for its diverse, intergenerational community.

The northwest corner of Harlem Irving Plaza had been anchored by a 150,000sf Carson Pirie Scott. However, in 2018, Carson’s owner liquidated and closed all the stores leaving the owner, Harlem Irving Companies, with a significant vacancy. The challenge was clear: in today’s retail environment, leasing such a large space to one tenant is becoming increasingly difficult. But renovating the space for a new use could dramatically disrupt daily operations within the mall, potentially jeopardizing business for the existing tenants. During an acutely fragile moment for retail at large, this would have been unacceptable. To address the first challenge, the project team cut out a large volume of the vacant space’s southeast corner to create a dramatic, three-story atrium space that would achieve two goals: (1) create a centralized and more intuitive entry to the second-floor roof parking deck, and (2) provide a dramatic entry and instill a rewarding sense of arrival for employees and customers.

Retail architecture is plagued by the scourge of “disposable architecture,” where structures are understood to have a shelf life that maxes out around twenty years. Our owners refused to make such a compromise and instead urged the project team to create something meaningful that would resonate with the shoppers of today and the future.

To rise above this expectation, we used high-quality finishes in our metal panels, carefully designed the illuminated ceiling panels to create a grand sense of entry, and installed terrazzo flooring to carry that elegance throughout the new space. The project was more than a new entry to the mall – it was a community asset that should exist for 50 years or more. By partnering with the contractor early, we were able to vet a lot of the systems and phasing, which saved money upfront. These funds were then invested in the project itself to ensure a high-quality environment.

HIP is a proud fixture in its community – a space that generations have used and can share with their children. To ensure that legacy continues, our project team couldn’t skimp on design or materials.

“Please be careful with it,” a colleague told us as we were designing it. “That’s my HIP.” Comments like this make it clear that those who visit Harlem Irving Plaza are longtime residents who hold the mall dear to their hearts. As one of the true Chicago malls accessible by CTA, it has been a gathering hub for generations, changing along with its people over the decades.

The vibrancy that the HIP brings to its community transcends generations and backgrounds. The architecture of the new entry and atrium had to therefore align with these vibrant and diverse consumers. Dividing the space into smaller sections certainly allows the owner more flexibility to navigate leasing, and ultimately provides more stability in a volatile market sector. But more importantly, its design and lighting create a 21st-century visual experience for guests that elevates the mundane into something truly special.

In turn, this improves the much-loved shopping center so that it can continue to draw the many diverse people that have always been its most faithful supporters. At a time when malls are an endangered asset, HIP continues to attract foot traffic, and thanks to this new entry, its loyal visitors will feel a heightened sense of place as they pass through its doors.

Throughout the entire construction of the project, the General Contractor only logged one injury, which included dust particles entering a worker’s eyes while drilling.

The contractor’s Good Catch and Brother’s Keeper programs are in large part to thank for this track record. They encourage workers on site to spot any potential hazards – a loose handrail, an exposed hole – and reward them with gift cards for reporting them.

In addition to the nearly unsullied safety log, the project did not suffer a single covid-related shutdown despite construction starting before the first months of the global pandemic. The team had to create immediate sanitation and safety protocols and implement them globally across all their projects.

For HIP, this meant health scans for the hundreds of workers that entered the jobsite each day. Thanks to frequent health checks, questionnaires, additional sanitation products, and a masking mandate, the project continued smoothly through the most uncertain months of the covid-19 pandemic.

• The project’s profound impact ensures that all University of Chicago students have access to the physical, mental, and social health resources they need to thrive, creating an environment for students to feel comfortable and safe while seeking wellness services that are housed under one roof.

• Having disconnected and outdated health and wellness facilities prompted the University to embark on a project to expand and connect those services, and by utilizing a fast-track design-build delivery method, they were able to complete the project nearly two years faster than their normal process.

• Wight worked with the University to quickly assess broader needs and potential impacts when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived midway through construction, adjusting the complicated construction phasing plan so that a portion of the space could be used as a COVID testing facility. Near project completion, a mass vaccination site for students was developed within the newly renovated space, providing much-needed relief for a community of students struggling with remote classes and elevated stress levels.

• Wight’s construction team involvement during design development enabled a deeper understanding of the project goals, transferring these quality expectations to the subcontractors. This extension of the project’s guiding principles to the trades who were putting the work in place was critical to its success.

• The project transformation focused on maintaining and highlighting the historic façades, allowing a strong connection to the natural stone and rich materials from the original building. The design embraces and enhances these existing historic elements throughout.

With the goal of taking a more holistic, integrative approach to providing health services to their students, the University of Chicago sought to create a facility that would bring together the departments of Health, Counseling, and Wellness. The new 30,000-sf facility was renovated and expanded to infill an existing courtyard to create more program space.

The primary feature of the design is a continuous band of skylights around the courtyard perimeter that separates the historic existing building from the new addition. This artful blending of gothic façades and modern construction brings natural light into the interior spaces and creates a clear division between old and new. A full-height glass wall at the new main entrance is visible through the open stone arches of the original street-level cloister and is meant to reflect the surrounding landscaped courtyard. An interior glass wall separating a multipurpose room from the main lobby becomes a secondary façade.

As the Design-Builder, Wight was wholly responsible for providing uninterrupted and direct assurance that the construction conformed to the design intent and adheres to the high quality expectations that Wight and the University demand. Because the construction team was involved during the development of the design, we were able to provide constructability input which made the documents more biddable and buildable. This early involvement also enabled us to gain a deeper understanding of the project goals and transfer these quality expectations to the subcontractors. Extending the project’s guiding principles to the trades that were putting the work in place proved critical to its success.

One example of this approach are the continuous skylights that trace the perimeter of the new building addition. The project entailed infilling the former courtyard completely, and the skylights are the transition from the renovated historic building to the new addition. The steel frame supporting the skylight assembly was cantilevered 10’ from the interior construction around the perimeter of the courtyard to eliminate bearing of any kind on the existing structure’s delicate historic gothic façades. Point cloud scans were taken around the perimeter of the existing building and input into the three-dimensional architectural and structural models that were ultimately coordinated with the steel and glazing contractor’s fabrication drawings. Thousands of data points were incorporated into the design to enable exact connections to the inexact nearly 100-year-old façade. The team’s guiding principle and mantra with this element was to design and construct a connection that, should it ever need to be removed, would leave no remnant or evidence of ever having existing.

Another key element in ensuring the quality of construction in this process was our design team’s presence in the field during construction. Our architects and structural engineers worked side-by-side with the construction team and subcontractors. Having these resources on site was invaluable to the construction team, providing more timely answers to field issues as they were encountered and an extra set of eyes to observe the work as it was being installed. The integration of our design and construction teams consistently assured that issues were identified early, and that cost and schedule were maintained without compromising design.

The community impacted by the University of Chicago Student Wellness project was the body of students that call Hyde Park and the University of Chicago home. Because it had disconnected and outdated health and wellness facilities, the University embarked on a project to expand and connect those services and utilized a fast-track design-build delivery method to complete the project nearly two years faster than their normal process.

The benefits to the student community began even before the project was complete. Construction started in 2019, so it was midway through construction when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. Working with the University to quickly assess broader campus needs and potential impacts, the complicated construction phasing plan was adjusted so that a portion of the space could be used as a COVID testing facility, thus offering the student body access to a secure and convenient testing location. As construction was nearing completion, a mass vaccination site for students was developed within the newly renovated space, providing much-needed relief for a community of students struggling with remote classes and elevated stress.

The completed facility has transformed the student community’s access to quality and convenient health care, addressing their mental health needs in ways that were not previously possible on campus. With consolidated Student Health Services, Student Counseling Services, and Health Promotion and Wellness in one location, the student community is now able to receive integrated care in a welcoming, secure, and private location.

Wight is proud there were no lost-time incidents recorded in the construction of the University of Chicago Student Wellness Center after logging over 55,000 man-hours dedicated to the job across 25 different trade contractors. A high level of safety was achieved by implementing Wight’s corporate safety program, dovetailing it with site-specific needs

Particularly high-risk operations required preconstruction meetings to outline strategies on mitigating hazards and to review safety protocol for ‘what if’ situations. The skylight preconstruction conference was an example of a successful plan that involved not only subcontractors, but also second tiers that were actively involved. The group collectively reviewed the documented crane pick plan and exit routes, selected spotters, and identified appropriate fall protection needs. This pre-planning allowed all parties to arrive on site well prepared to carry out skylight installation without any interruptions.

This project involved multiple phasing strategies. Wight was diligent in posting signage well in advance with revised egress routes and contact information when new phases of construction affected tenants. When appropriate, temporary walls or barriers were provided for clear separation between accessible areas and construction zones.

This project involved linking new construction directly to an active hospital, adding another layer of routine safety measures for the team to address. These measures included daily Interim Life Safety Measure (ILSM) Inspections and daily Infection Control Risk Assessments (ICRA). The team was proactive in obtaining templates for ILSM Inspections and ICRA forms from the UChicago Medicine Department of Environmental, Health, and Safety and the University of Chicago Medicine’s Department of Infectious Control groups respectively to ensure compliance with the departments’ requirements prior to construction. Select work was also phased to limit impact on the hospital’s operations. Each transition to the next phase was documented ahead of time for Ownership review and acceptance and dates were communicated well in advance for all to adjust as needed. The open communication between the construction team and UChicago Departments were the gateway for the end-user to have assurance that Wight made the safety of the hospital’s staff and patients a priority.

When COVID-19 hit the Chicagoland area, the University considered this an essential project, and work continued uninterrupted throughout the pandemic. The site had a considerably higher exposure risk than most construction projects due to the nature of the scope connecting directly to the University of Chicago Hospital, which was a primary focal point of COVID patients and healthcare workers. Wight’s on-site supervision was vigilant in maintaining adequate separation from the active construction site and the hospital. Temporary vestibules equipped with zipper doors, HEPA filters, sticky mats, and signage helped maintain the safety of construction workers, hospital staff, and patients.

To address COVID-specific safety concerns for the site workers, Wight Construction mandated and enforced masks, hired weekly construction cleaning crews, and encouraged social distancing via separate entrance/egress routes and signage. Wight also developed a daily COVID questionnaire for tradesmen to complete and submit to limit the jobsite’s exposure to symptomatic workers.

In addition to COVID- and hospital-specific safety protocols, Wight deployed standard safety practices such as weekly safety talks with contractors, monthly safety inspections, third-party safety consultant inspections, and toolbox talks to keep contractors aware of the risks on site. Since it can be easy to fall into complacency with a project spanning 2 years, routine safety talks and inspections were employed to re-channel contractors’ focus to choose safe strategies to complete their work. The trades were also encouraged to get involved with safety talks, and some of the trades with a larger site presence invited their safety representatives to engage in site walks. Trade involvement in safety discussions and walks complemented Wight’s safety program to meet and uphold the job-specific needs throughout the life of the project.

• Marshall Field’s Chicago roots run deep with its flagship State Street store once serving as the iconic retail experience for visiting patrons from around the world. While preserving its historical landmark qualities, this 740,000-square-foot retrofit and renovation project brought critical components for modern office tenants to the building’s top floors which, in recent years, became obsolete.

• The LEED Silver project involved the design and construction of a new steel and a concrete structure in the middle of an existing and active retail space, a new separate lobby entrance with fourteen cabs forming a throat to the top floors, an office build-out of the top seven floors, and a finished roof deck among other world-class amenities.

• Construction required extensive structural coordination given the scope of work, age of the building, and collaborative constructability planning around the operating retail space.

• Unique challenges were uncovered at every turn. Within the structure existed seven different buildings constructed at varying times, 46 different rooftop elevations, a landmarked atrium spanning 14 floors, and a central core atrium in which 14 escalators were removed to make way for 14 passenger elevators to service the upper floors.

• To top off this mega-building’s transformation, a new address was born—24 E. Washington—to welcome its office tenants through a brand-new separate entrance.

Spanning a full city block, the Marshall Field’s building has undergone a $152 million facelift. Boasting rare 110,000-SF floorplates, 28-foot-tall ceilings and a central location near public transportation, the iconic flagship is now positioned to serve high-tech amenities to modern office tenants with a historical flare. In reimagining 24 E. Washington for the future, the design-build team remained loyal to the past, incorporating the untouched Tiffany dome ceiling, grand atrium, exterior clocks and Walnut Room into the new aesthetic.

Thousands of office workers can now call 650,000-SF worth of space home in this fully operational mega-landmark. A grand entrance and exterior canopy lead into a refreshed main lobby. A new ground floor elevator lobby with fourteen cabs services the top floors. Floors 8-14 were remediated from their historic condition into white space for office build-outs. Previously inaccessible views of Lake Michigan are now available from the new amenity roof deck.

Understanding this project’s historic opportunities and limitations was paramount to its success. Also, construction operations were not allowed to disturb daily operations inside Macy’s existing retail space. As a result, demolition and other loud work activities were performed during after-hours seven days a week.

Unique challenges were uncovered at every turn. Within the structure existed seven different buildings constructed at varying times, 46 different rooftop elevations, a landmarked atrium spanning 14 floors, and a central core atrium in which 14 escalators were removed to make way for 14 passenger elevators to service the upper floors.

Other unique construction elements included pouring new concrete foundation walls and structural steel through the existing core of the Macy’s building from floors 1 through 10. A new core structure was built from floors 11 through 14. 14 new elevators were installed to service the developer floors on floors 8 through 14. Construction included a new owner’s entrance vestibule and lobby which replaced a previously unused atrium. Abatement and demolition of existing floors 8 through 14 and white box finishing was required. The team coordinated the installation of new rooftop mechanical equipment on the newly finished amenity roof deck on the 14th floor. The team also designed and connected a new steel structure with existing steel structures in spite of very limited access to the historical building structures.

The upper floors of the building consisted of a clay-tile arch building structure and existing utilities that needed to be capped in order to make way for new white box, future office spaces.
The entire façade (interior/exterior) included window restoration/glass replacement/terra cotta installation that was landmarked protected. Additionally, skylights were restored within the rooftop floorplan and new skylights installed on the amenity roof deck.

Scheduling and sequencing work in the limited space with limited access during limited hours was consistently a challenge for the construction team. Perhaps most notable was how the project team created a new building within the historic building which required building a separate new heating and cooling system and a bank of 14 new elevators within a new structure, among other improvements.

The once thriving Marshall Field’s flagship has reclaimed its status as a fully operational mega-building in which thousands of workers can now access 650,000-square-feet of office space in this 14-story historical landmark. Modern office tenants seeking large floor plates for single contiguous operations, big assembly spaces, and high-tech capabilities enveloped by an aura of history should look no further than 24 E. Washington. Its restored, mammoth-sized offerings will help bring workers back to the Loop while offering previously untapped views of Lake Michigan and the surrounding community.

At 24 E. Washington, safety was continuously paramount to ensure all subcontractors went home the same way they came to work—injury free. Each subcontractor went through our prequalification process to ensure their safety performance met or exceeded Clayco’s expectations. This project was design-build from start to finish with various challenges such as demolition and abatement, high risk activities such as roof work and window replacement, working during store hours and around busy city streets. The subcontractors participated in daily stretch and flex and prepared for the day by completing daily pre-task safety analyses that the subcontractors review with their crews, that day’s work activities and the hazardous associated with their work. Each worker attends Clayco’s safety orientation and foreman review the pre-planning documents in their first day, first hour meeting. This meeting is used to review Clayco’s safety policies more in depth. Once a week, Clayco’s site teams walk the project together and use the management safety audits as a learning session.

To date, there have been 577,000 workhours reported. Clayco employs a full-time safety professional and an on-site nurse to provide support and resources for daily construction activities. The project has had multiple triple digit day streaks without a recordable incident, including a current streak of 270+ days presently. In addition, the site stayed active during the COVID-19 pandemic and daily operations ran so safely that the job site had no shut downs and has maintained the overall project completion schedule. This effort was due to a team commitment to implement the company’s COVID-19 protocol plan.

• The project has successfully transformed the base of this Modernist icon into a vibrant destination for visitors, Loop workers and residents, as well as Tower tenants.

• Maintained access to the Willis Tower for 15,000 tenants plus Skydeck guests throughout the renovation and addition to the base.

• Provided 35 unique Tenant Spaces to serve the Tower tenants as well as employees and residents in the Loop neighborhood.

• Provided over 30,000 square feet of landscaped outdoor terrace for public and tenants.

• Created a five-story atrium (Catalog) space for access to Skydeck as well as various food, retail and services. All covered with a 5,600 square foot glass domed skylight.

Renovation and new construction of 450,000-sf of lobby, building amenity and retail space. Required demo of existing pink granite base of the tower and removal of structure several stories below to rebuild a base that provided a more architecturally cohesive podium for the tower. The new base is three stories above grade on the south, east and west sides and two stories on the north. It includes complete renovation of all building lobby areas on the first and second floor providing a new entry experience for building users. Each of the lobbies is uniquely part of a cohesive design and the two stories of lobby space remain connected.

A significant portion of the added retail/food service space is on the south side of the building beneath the 5,600-sf skylight which crowns the space branded as “Catalog” – a historic nod to the Sears Corporation. This is also the entrance for Skydeck visitors previously required to cross through the more tenant-oriented lobbies on Franklin and Wacker.

The project included many unique challenges some due to technically challenging design details and others due to the nature of marrying up a new curtainwall and podium base with an existing 110-story+ high-rise, with stack effect and security-related measures specific to its iconic height and identity. Attention to detail was of paramount importance when tying new structural, MEP, and architectural components to an existing nearly 50-year-old building. Evaluation of existing systems for deterioration and potential repair or refurbishment was part of the project scope. MEP coordination included not only BIM of duct and pipe, but survey and modelling of existing systems. Similarly, where new façade met the exiting tower, careful measuring of existing systems and custom fabrication were required for perfect fit. Individualized details were needed to join the existing 50-year-old façade to the new for a visually seamless, weathertight product.

There were multiple structural challenges to the project. Extensive selective demolition was carried out as the new design required removal of multiple stories below grade. Extreme care and planning were needed to allow for temporarily brace the original slurry wall when the floors bracing it were removed. Floors within the existing tower were also demolished to create new high-volume spaces at lobbies. This also required care in execution of the sequences to first provide temporary bracing to columns, then demolish existing floors, reinforce columns, and finally remove the temporary provisions. Maintaining the integrity and quality of the original edifice was critical for the overall project success.

Multiple unique architectural materials were used for the project. The new building podium exterior was realigned to follow the tower’s 15’ column grid spacing to help achieve a cohesive architectural solution. The Franklin and Wacker entrances feature white terra cotta clad portals signaling these key entry points as beacons. Custom white terracotta panels were created for the Wacker and Franklin entrance portals while custom black and gray terracotta panels were made for the typical bay conditions at street level. The team worked together to develop extrusion die shapes for panel profiles as well as glazes, worked to understand construction tolerances related to shrinkage of this unique material, and conducted multiple manufacturer visits to review quality and production.

Mockups of large portions of the façade both at lobby conditions and at typical bay conditions were created to work through final details and ensure that the final work in place would achieve the desired architectural vision. With multiple stone types throughout the project and large quantities of square footages of specialty stones, multiple trips to quarries and mason shops overseas were made by various team members to both select material for the job as well as inspect proposed patterning of stone. Pieces were individually numbered after dry lays to ensure that the pattern would be replicated in the final install.

With complexity being a theme throughout the project, the Turner-Clayco Joint Venture team used several lean practices such as pull planning and constraint logs to ensure the work was organized, and both materials and work were coordinated properly to not only eliminate day two work, but to also confirm a high-end quality of work.

With few structures as iconic as Chicago’s Willis Tower, it was critical that the reimagining of the tower be respectful to the place the tower occupies in architectural history while transforming the building into a destination for tenants and visitors alike. At the time that the tower was constructed, it was a center for business and its lobbies were largely a passageway to business tenant spaces above. Now its lobbies and entries feature a new vibrant, welcoming design drawing in users from outside of the tower and shifting the gravitation center of the loop southwest.

The design team was conscious of supporting a people-centric planning approach and understanding how people move in the city and how the new podium building is part of their daily routines. An early focus was to determine the needs of the three main building user groups. Office workers want a good variety of food options throughout the morning and afternoon, but also have fitness needs after work. Skydeck tourists will be there to learn and be entertained with views and food options. Local residents and workers often come to the Tower for lunch, Now with the newly added amenities, the tower will likely drive more local Chicago visitors during the day and after work. In order for these building groups to cohesively co-exist, buffer zones were created along with private and co-mingling spaces with the private spaces located furthest away from the central atrium.

The Tower was originally conceived as a single use office tower. Retail and food amenities were not a programmatic driver nor major consideration for the public at the time. The addition of 300,000 square feet of retail, food, entertainment, green space and meeting room space recognizes not only the needs of tower tenants, but also the surrounding city at large. Today’s workforce has the expectation of certain closely available amenities and the tower’s wide range of retail and food experiences serve as a magnet. The owner carefully curated a restaurant and retail tenant mix to provide a diverse range of options to appeal to all users. EQ Office’s strategy was to mix local craft businesses with more established brand-names to create a balance in the space.

Early on in the design phase, there was a strong desire from EQ Office to incorporate a large publicly accessible outdoor green space. Within the new fourth floor outdoor terrace, Gensler worked with OLIN to create open spaces for both people to gather and smaller places for quiet contemplation. This variety provides office tower tenants an opportunity to work outdoors, but away from where visitors might be collecting. Being able to connect with nature in dense urban environments has tangible benefits for building well-being for tenants and visitors alike.

With the new lobby area and amenities, Willis Tower can now comfortably house more than just its tenants. Local residences and tourist alike have space to really take in and enjoy the history of the Tower.

Turner-Clayco’s safety program focus was to create and sustain a culture which promotes an incident-free environment and provides the safest workplace possible for our employees, contractors, clients and the communities in which we work. At Turner-Clayco, safety was a core value and we were striving to get better every single day. Nothing comes before the safety of our people and our workforce. Building L.I.F.E (Living Injury Free Everyday) is a business improvement strategy focusing on safety which is built on continuous improvement and respect for people. Building L.I.F.E. centers around pro-active safety involvement at all levels that is based on observation and feedback.

Willis Tower has over 20,000 people entering and existing the building in one day. In response, Turner-Clayco put in place a site specific safety plan comprised of four elements:

1) We expect safe and organized worksites. Injuries are preventable.
2) Avoid risks to yourself and others. Only perform a task if it is safe.
3) Everyone on and around a Turner-Clayco project is important. Therefore, working safely is a condition of employment.
4) You are empowered to stay safe and provide feedback. Practice and expect safe behavior
everywhere, every day.

On this project, Turner-Clayco empowered the workforce by involving them in the safety processes and safety planning activities that included:

• Daily BL Huddles: a daily two-way discussion of risk and control plans
• Five Worker Lunches: a foreman or supervisor invites five workers to lunch to encourage discussions about workplace safety
• Pre-task Planning: workers and those “closest to the risk” were involved in the PTP
• Job Hazard Analysis: workers can review and provide input to Turner-Clayco’s JHA
• Safety Observation and Recognition (SOAR): provided workers a vehicle to express what’s working and what’s not working on the jobsite
• Safety Perception Surveys and Follow-Up: collecting worker feedback and addressing concerns
• Jobsite wide safety lunch rewards for “No Lost Time Accidents”
• Glove vendor workshops to eliminate hand injuries
• Vendor safety training on fall protection, mobile elevated work platforms and powered industrial trucks

The project team provided an orientation for all workers and made sure they met the project safety requirements for being on site. At the orientations, workers were encouraged to participate and “actively care” for their fellow workers. The key is the workers and they play an integral role in safety. Daily observations and feedback are how we work at Turner-Clayco to provide a positive safety culture on our projects. We build safe work habits by providing real-time feedback and safety coaching for at-risk behavior and all of the safe work behaviors on the job.

Numerous voluntary Safety Stand-Down’s gave Turner-Clayco an opportunity to gather alongside colleagues, trade partners and customers, focus on key safety topics, and collectively re-affirm our commitment to sending every worker home safe each day. Topics included, but were not limited to hand protection (gloves 100% by all), situational awareness and ladder/fall protection safety.

Stand-Down presentations focused on reducing the most common causes of jobsite incidents – such as slips, trips, and falls – by practicing a number of key safety behaviors deemed critical, and by fostering a culture of active caring. Turner-Clayco fostered an environment in which all team members were gracious when receiving feedback, recognizing that it reflects respect, care, and a commitment to mutual responsibility.

• Adaptive reuse provides state of the art facility for world class music programs: Wheaton College’s new Armerding Center for Music and the Arts is located at the heart of campus and anchors the north end of the main quadrangle. The 90,600 sf facility features a start-of-the-art 650-seat auditorium and 100-seat recital hall that hosts a wide range of events. Previously operating out of six different buildings spread out across campus that were built from 1924 to 2008, the new home for the Conservatory of Music provides classrooms, practice rooms, rehearsal spaces and faculty studios, nearly doubling the space previously available. The gracious lobby between the existing Armerding Building and the Concert Hall addition acts as a gateway to welcome visitors and knitting together these campus precincts. The Armerding Center for Music and the Arts invites musical participation and artistic engagement of all students, staff, and faculty, allowing the College to host a greater number of campus guests, and allowing the College to achieve higher levels of artistic excellence.

• Stewardship of facilities brings the Conservatory of Music together for the first time: Dating back to 2005, FGMA and the College completed several studies for renovating or repurposing Armerding Hall, which had previously served for 38 years as the College’s main science building. Ultimately, it became clear that the existing infrastructure could not support contemporary lab modules resulting in the construction of the new Meyer Science Building in 2010. Armerding’s journey from science center to music conservatory began in earnest in 2012, when President Philip Ryken and Wheaton’s board of trustees declared the “[enhancement of] music and the arts” as one of four strategic priorities for the College. The first step to achieving this goal was finding a new home for the conservatory. According to Conservatory Dean Michael Wilder “we ended up with [Armerding] as a result of our trustees and our president saying, ‘Maybe we ought to put music in the middle of the college,’ where it so often is in Scripture.” With the building now sitting vacant, the College initially put together a plan for entirely new construction on the existing site. However, one factor was not compliant with these visions: money. So, the plans were redrawn — this time, using the existing structure of Armerding Hall as the shell for the new conservatory. “To call it a remodel or renovation probably isn’t the right descriptor because it’s a brand-new building inside of a repurposed box,” Wilder said.

• Commitment to excellence results in facility that serves the arts community. This project is more than just an adaptive reuse of an existing building and is the result of stewardship, vision, and patience. The Armerding Center for Music and the Arts opened to students in the fall of 2020, after a two-phase construction process. The grand opening was delayed until the fall of 2021 due to the pandemic, and the larger performance spaces were able to temporarily be converted to teaching spaces due to the ability to maintain social distances for in-person learning. Beyond providing an excellent environment for the teaching, practice, performance, and enjoyment of music, the Conservatory’s new home serves as center of activity for the College and community at large.

The “making of music” is an integral part of the Wheaton College experience. Music is embedded in the College’s culture and all students are encouraged to hear, understand, and participate, regardless of major. The Conservatory’s mission is to “inspire joy and passion among all students…while serving as a cultural resource for the college, the community and the world.” To provide a world-class facility for this ambitious music program, FGMA and its associate architect, HGA collaborated with the College and Mortenson Construction in a phased renovation and addition project. Armerding Hall, a 51,000 SF former science building, was renovated to provide a 100-seat recital hall, music classrooms, practice rooms, faculty studios, and administrative offices. The new 29,000 SF addition houses a 650-seat concert hall and choral rehearsal space. The gracious lobby knits together the addition and renovation and serves to welcome visitors as well as the primary gathering space for students.

In the past, Wheaton College Conservatory of Music facilities had been in critical need of improvement despite its historical record of outstanding, professional-level accomplishments. Major decisions for the new facility were driven by performance, with acoustics at the forefront. To this end, a high level of quality was maintained throughout that met and exceeded the College’s expectations despite some unique challenges related to renovating the existing building. The former tiered lecture hall was transformed into a 100-seat recital hall specifically designed for music performance though the use of engineered ceiling shapes and wall treatments. Faculty studios worked around the challenging floor-to-floor dimensions to maximize ceiling heights and acoustics.

In the older facilities, practice and performance spaces lacked proper acoustics and sound isolation and often battled interior and exterior noise issues. Acoustical separation between spaces was a key component of that included collaboration between the design and construction teams. A chilled-beam heating and cooling system was chosen for its energy efficiency and ability to operate with less noise and greater humidity control. Mechanical equipment and piping were acoustically isolated to minimize vibration. Practice rooms and studios utilized double wall construction, isolated floor and ceiling systems, and acoustic wall treatments. Because every opening had the potential to impact acoustical excellence, Mortenson Construction utilized 3D computer modeling and laser scanning to coordinate pathways for utilities and to reduce the number of penetrations.

One of the biggest challenges was the assembly of the acoustic wall panels for the new concert hall. Needing to a specific density for absorption and an engineered patter for dispersion, a prefabricated glass-fiber reinforced gypsum wall panel was selected. The challenge was backfilling the panels with a low-moisture grout, which had not previously been done. Through a series of mock-ups and testing, the entire team worked together to detail out the best approach to support and fill the panels while controlling moisture. The result was a flawless process that resulted in a high-quality installation that met strict performance requirements. In addition, the new concert hall incorporates features to help tune the room for different performances, from a soloist to full orchestra to opera. Several rounds of acoustic testing were completed prior to occupancy and the results exceeded expectations. The following is from Dawn Schuette of Threshold Acoustics – “The sound in the concert hall is warm, engaging, exciting, and literally breathtaking. The subtlest of sounds are supported – as evidenced by the ability of even the clavichord to be heard throughout the room. The full frequency response is as friendly to cello as to the harpsichord. The operatic singing of one of our staff members was magical. In fact, she was brought to tears hearing the cello’s soulful tones.”

The need for phased construction required that design decisions affecting the overall project had to be finalized early in the process. Phase 1 included the complete renovation of the existing Armerding Hall and demolition of a portion of the existing building (Breyer Hall) to make way for the new addition. Phase 2 included the concert hall addition, constructed while the renovation portion of the building was fully occupied. The timing of all activities was carefully planned out with the college to ensure no surprises and disruptions to their operations, teaching and performances.

Mortenson’s commitment to quality was shared by the College and the design team. An exterior envelope consultant was engaged to review the construction documents during design and confirm that the work was installed correctly through inspections and testing. Improvements to the exterior envelope were incorporated to ensure that the facility met performance requirements. During the design phases, the BIM model was shared between design and construction teams to minimize conflicts. A couple of unexpected uses of the BIM model included the layout of the sloped and curving floors of the performance spaces and the ability to pinpoint the exact location of the suspended acoustic ceiling clouds in the concert hall using the Trimble GPS. Mock-ups of the exterior enclosure, acoustic details, interior finishes, and other critical components were part of the process and contributed to the overall success of the project. In addition, the team utilized a shared construction management software during construction to streamline the quality assurance process. Subcontractors were able to sort and access issues related to their scope of work and alert the Mortenson project team when the issue was resolved and ready for sign-off. FGMA utilized the system for submittals, requests for information and observations/punchlist items.

Located at the heart of Wheaton’s campus, the new Armerding Center for Music and the Arts invites musical participation and artistic engagement of all students, staff, and faculty; allow the College to host a greater number of campus guests; and allow the College to achieve higher levels of artistic excellence. The first thing Conservatory Dean Michael Wilder wants people to know about the new Armerding Center for Music and the Arts is that you are welcome there. “We hope to say to folks right out of the gate, ‘We’re glad you’re here, [and] we thought about you in advance,’” Wilder said. “We want all of Wheaton College and the broader world to know that you’re welcome here. This has been built for you and your musical training and needs.”

The Armerding Center for Music and the Arts offers limitless possibilities for the arts-going public. The College supports a wide range of programming that welcomes and encourages community participation, including a long-standing relationship with Chicago Symphony Orchestra. When the first phase opened, Wilder stated “This building says a lot about our invitation to excellence and to creativity, to collaboration, working in community.” In addition, the new facility provides program space and support for the Community School of the Arts (CSA). The accredited school provides music lessons to over 1,000 students from 50 Chicago suburbs.

The phased construction took place on an active college campus that operates year-round, and the safety of students, faculty, staff and visitors was of paramount importance. The phased construction included environmental abatement, demolition of a portion of the existing building, complete renovation, and the phased construction of the concert hall – directly connected to the occupied facility. Regular meetings, active communication, ongoing coordination, and an exhaustive level of detailed planning with the team at Wheaton College helped to ensure a clear demarcation between the construction zones and areas of public use and circulation.

Safety is a key component of Mortenson’s culture and each meeting starts with a safety moment. Through the two phases of the project, nearly 800 injury free working days were worked with no lost time incidents. In the spring of 2020, as the project was nearing substantial completion, the world was impacted by the pandemic. Construction initially was halted and challenges with staffing were encountered. The College, Design Team, and Construction Team put protocols in place for the safe resumption of the work. Ultimately, the project was still completed on schedule allowing the Owner to move-in to a fully operational facility.

1. Accelerated Offseason Timelines. The Cubs World Series win was arguably the most exciting and most challenging time! The pace required to allow the Cubs to meet the Major League Baseball schedule and keep playing every year during The 1060 Project restoration was unprecedented. Depending on how the Cubs performed, Pepper had 20-26 weeks to complete each phase of construction in the offseason.

2. Comprehensive Restoration. Every part above, below and around Wrigley Field was touched during the restoration. As such, virtually every type of earth retention and deep foundation strategy was used to keep the ballpark and surrounding structures standing while the team completed the restoration of the 100-year-old Wrigley Field. Innovative thinking and a highly orchestrated effort between the engineers and construction team managed and anticipated unknown conditions every day. Despite having 500 workers on-site at times, the team maintained an outstanding safety record.

3. Next-Generation Fan Experience. The 1060 Project introduced game-changing premier experiences to Wrigley Field, dedicated to remaining one of the best places to catch a game and cherishing its historic, majestic charm. Populous designed three new ticketed premier clubs, including Maker’s Mark Barrel Room, American Airlines 1914 Club, the W Club and the Catalina Club and Patio, each offering distinct features and unique experiences that set them apart. Populous also modernized and expanded the suites to meet the grandeur of the Friendly Confines. Each suite features indoor and outdoor areas with a picturesque view of Wrigley Field and the Chicago skyline. Retractable glass walls allow fans to take in the sights and sounds of the ballpark or seek refuge from the notorious Chicago winds. The tailored finishes and modern amenities of these premier spaces keep Wrigley Field’s charm alive while adding to the friendly hospitality associated with the Cubs.

4. Integrated Wayfinding and Sponsorship Activation. With various architectural improvements at Wrigley Field, Populous integrated signage, wayfinding and the use of brand and sponsorship activation to create smaller, authentic stories while also preserving the heritage of the ballpark. These improvements create an incredible atmosphere at the ballpark where fans have increased ability to effortlessly roam concourses and upgraded seating and explore premier spaces and a wider variety of concessions.

5. Community Benefits. The impact of this modernization project on the community is enormous. The ballpark is uniquely inserted in an urban neighborhood diverse in its commercial and residential use. With the addition of the new building and park known as Gallagher Way designed by Stantec, a human-centered “campus” was created. This endeavor incorporates public policy and sustainable development practices and supports and invigorates a neighborhood diverse in use and population. The year-round social gathering space offers convenient access by foot, public and private transportation A mixed-use entertainment district was created that comes alive for 80+ home games and focuses on the surrounding neighborhood for the other 285 days a year. As a bonus, more than $90 million was awarded to M/WBE firms, with 35% minority tradespeople present in the workforce. Zero tax dollars were used and surrounding businesses were able to remain open throughout construction.

As Major League Baseball’s second oldest ballpark, history is woven deep into the ivy that covers Wrigley Field’s outfield walls. Features such as the hand-operated scoreboard and iconic red marquee have kept the ballpark in baseball fans’ hearts for more than 100 years.

Despite its lasting charm, the amenities and infrastructure had become outdated. In 2010, the Ricketts family, owner of the Chicago Cubs, set plans in motion for significant restoration and modernization efforts that touched every area of the park. Work was restricted to the 20 to 26 weeks of offseason per year over a five-year period. Efforts included new foundations and structure, new bleachers, boxes and clubs and a new plaza with an office building and an underground player’s clubhouse. As a result, Wrigley Field fans and visitors now have a unique next-generation experience rooted in the ballpark’s rich heritage and the Cub’s team spirit.

When the Ricketts family purchased the Wrigley Field ballpark and Chicago Cubs in 2009, they immediately began to consider how to best upgrade the deteriorating structure, expand the facility and enhance its amenities for future generations of Cubs’ fans. Stantec Architecture was engaged during the first year of the project, prior to the contractor selection, for significant design, scheduling and budgeting meetings. In 2010, the Ricketts brought Pepper Construction on board to conduct additional early estimating exercises to help the family further explore their options.
To ensure the Friendly Confines was maintained throughout all phases of the restoration, Populous visited numerous iconic ballparks and stadiums — including Fenway Park, Dodger Stadium and the Rose Bowl — that recently underwent major renovations. These site visits coupled with dedicated research on Wrigley Field and its history allowed Populous to create a design vision that preserved and protected the ballpark for generations to come, while improving the gameday experience for fans and providing the Cubs with the resources they needed to field a winning team.
Finally, after several years of additional collaboration and planning, the multiyear 1060 Project started at the conclusion of the 2014 baseball season. The assembled project team had a passion for the local Chicago community and experience designing and building world-class sports venues around the world. The following lists provide a season-by-season overview of the scope of work that had to be carefully coordinated. Originally an additional year of construction was anticipated, however, in 2018 the project team reorganized the remaining work and expediated the schedule by one year, which meant that nearly half of the overall project volume was completed in its last two years. The construction team collaborated with a vast team of architects, engineers, subcontractors and trades to establish zones of influence and communication protocols to identify potential pinch points and opportunities to improve efficiencies. There was constant communication about the duration and location of work as well as progress, plans and details.
2014-15 Season
• Ivy wall restoration
• Replacement and expansion of the Budweiser Bleachers, including new left- and right-field video boards and concessions
• Improvements to the core structure and foundations
• Begin concourse concessions and restrooms
• Continued abatement
• Green parking lot construction

2015-16 Season
• Budweiser Bar and Bleacher restrooms
• Addition of the Western Gate
• Begin seat replacement and seating bowl restoration
• Concourse concessions and restrooms
• Construction of Cubs Clubhouse and plaza basement
• Video Production Center and broadcast center building
• Begin facade restoration including marquee sign
• Begin Office Building and Gallagher Way
• Gold and Blue parking lots

2016-17 Season
• Relocation of home and visiting team bullpens
• Reconstruction of the lower seating bowl and seats behind home plate
• Structural work for bunker suites and the American Airlines 1914 Club
• Continued new concessions and restroom facilities in the concourse
• Continued facade restoration
• Gallagher Way and Western Gate completion

2017-18 Season
• Continued structural improvements
• Continued new concessions and restroom facilities in the concourse
• Continued work on the bowl restoration including reconstruction of left- and right-field seating bowl
• New home and visiting team dugouts and gameday facilities
• Structural work for the Maker’s Mark Barrel Room and the W Club
• Build-out of the American Airlines 1914 Club
• Begin suite reconstruction

2018-19 Season
• Continued structural improvements
• Build-out of the Maker’s Mark Barrel Room
• Build-out of the W Club
• Completed concessions and restrooms in concourse
• Left- and right-field corner additions
• Visiting team clubhouse
• Completed suite reconstruction
• Upper-level enhancements including a new outdoor concourse, concessions and restrooms
• Construction of the Catalina Club

Restoring a ballpark built in 1914 presented numerous challenges: preserving history, resolving surprises as they appeared, shoring structures, excavating up to more than 30 feet while inches from existing facilities, reinforcing existing foundations and structure, and adding underground facilities that sit below the water table. With each phase ending on Opening Day, activities had to happen simultaneously and often required more than 500 workers on-site. To keep work progressing seamlessly, the design and construction team would walk the site daily to discuss new conditions discovered the day before and hand-sketch solutions. Engineers followed a similar process to help ensure everything progressed according to plan.
A Firm Foundation
The most critical part of the project was strengthening the foundation to accommodate the planned expansion. Wrigley Field was essentially lifted onto stilts while the foundations and column supports were restored, increasing the ballpark’s foundation load capacity. Pepper sunk four micropiles at each of the “F” line major columns to a depth of 100 feet under each column before welding on a new zero-tolerance column base. Each micropile supports 500,000 pounds, which means that one alone could hold the Statue of Liberty. Today, more than 200 micropiles provide the required support throughout the ballpark. Soil stabilization was critical to protect the ballpark and the surrounding streets from collapsing during excavation and construction. In a true feat of engineering excellence, almost every possible earth retention and deep foundation system was used during this process.
If These Bleachers Could Talk
The bleachers are a cornerstone of the Wrigley Field experience and are a combination system of structural steel columns and girders at 30-foot intervals with cast-in-place risers. The video boards positioned behind them are supported by more than 1,000 tons of steel sourced from four different fabricators to achieve the schedule. Given Wrigley Field’s urban neighborhood location, special arrangements for material deliveries were required and are detailed in the Community Impact section.
During the bleacher renovation, it was critical to restore the outfield wall while protecting the historic ivy that was placed in 1937. The team worked with The Commission on Chicago Landmarks to carefully remove each vine from the wall and protect it during the winter. The original bricks were reintegrated into the restored wall and the original vines were then reattached. Today, the ivy flourishes, and the wall is again part of the gameday action.
Dancing in the Concourse
The concourse loops around Wrigley Field, beginning in the main grandstand and continuing through the bleachers. Working with the structural engineer, a detailed sequence was developed to restore and expand the 40,000-square-foot mezzanine across the ballpark and two serpentine ramps while simultaneously repairing the underbelly of the ballpark’s concrete structure. Multiple shifts ran concurrently, staggering work so that overhead tasks were completed at night while concrete and structural work was completed during the day. The highly efficient process was completed in one-third of the time it would normally take.
Technology Kept the Bases Loaded
The team used laser scanning to accurately document the exact geometry of existing conditions throughout Wrigley Field. The data from that scan was then used to create an as-built 3D model. As work progressed, new laser scans were laid over the model, which helped the team visualize the progress and confirm that everything was built correctly. Laser scanning also helped the structural engineers prepare the design details at each connection and mitigated the amount of field measuring required prior to construction.
Premier Clubs
Populous worked with the Cubs to add luxury to the list of what makes Wrigley Field so special. With four new ticketed premier clubs, fans are offered a space where they can experience a variety of brand stories with unique amenities before, during and after the game. Classically cool, the Maker’s Mark Barrel Room, located just beyond the visitors’ dugout on the first-base side, perfectly captures the allure of old-school Chicago. As Wrigley Field’s original speakeasy, members of this intimate underground club enjoy incomparable artisan menus, mixologist-crafted cocktails and access to a unique Maker’s Mark bourbon blend created exclusively for the club. Throughout the club, the history of the Cubs is intertwined with the Maker’s Mark brand and history for seamless integration — a large wall of framed photos displays black and white photography and the TVs above display the game feed in black and white to really set the tone. Inspired by the inaugural year of baseball’s most majestic ballpark, the American Airlines 1914 Club, located behind home plate, is all about the glamour. This club celebrates the 105-year history of the opening of Wrigley Field in 1914 with a seamless integration of Art Deco themes in the brass decorative railing, light fixtures and all signage, a nod to Chicago’s industrial history. Aligning with the vintage theme of the club, Cubs brandings from the 1914 era is integrated throughout the space. With picture-perfect views, the Catalina Club is located behind home plate in the upper level and boasts a panoramic view of Wrigley Field, shots of the Chicago skyline and a glimpse of Lake Michigan. Inspired by one of the Cubs’ early spring training homes, members of the Catalina Club enjoy indoor and outdoor patios and unique culinary experiences.
Gallagher Way Plaza
A new six-story, two-basement facility called the North Building at Gallagher Way was built outside the ballpark on a new plaza that gave the Cubs organization a new office while providing fans and local residents an improved “Wrigley” experience. The first floor provides retail space, the second and third floors house conference rooms and floors 4-6 serve as the Cubs offices. The office building basement projects underneath the plaza, creating a first level basement area that connects back to the ballpark through a tunnel at the southeast corner. This plaza space is activated year-round, hosting community events and other non-gameday programs.
Taking care of Chicago’s history, the original caretaker’s house, which is designated a historic landmark, also connects to the plaza building and to the ballpark at the northeast corner. The house was lifted from its foundation and moved across the street while the new basement and foundation were constructed. When completed, the house was moved back and set on new foundations. The building now serves as the new broadcast entrance to the ballpark and also houses an elevator shaft and stairwell connecting the ballpark to the office building.
A Better Clubhouse
A major goal of the 1060 Project was to give the players best-in-class, off-the-field facilities to train, rehabilitate injuries and prepare for games. The new clubhouse includes a locker room for players and coaches, a strength and conditioning center, training and hydrotherapy areas, a media center, offices and a player lounge. Located outside the ballpark and under the plaza, the subterranean design provides a more controlled environment with increased security for players and also allowed the Cubs to utilize more space inside the ballpark for enhanced fan amenities. The location did require an innovative solution to get the players from the clubhouse to the field. We creatively designed and constructed an underground tunnel, which required a meticulously devised excavation process. Batting tunnels were also added so hitters can warm up against live pitching before, during and after games. The visitors’ clubhouse was also expanded to provide a best-in-class experience for all the players at Wrigley Field.
Joe Maddon, manager of the Cubs 2016 World Series Championship team, told Forbes magazine, “What we’ve done here is spectacular. I love the concept of taking something old and rebuilding it in a way that you still have the vestiges of what it used to look like with all the amenities of today. That’s outstanding. It takes a lot of planning, foresight, vision, all that stuff. There’s nothing like it in all professional sports. I believe this is the best venue there is.”

GOING TO BAT FOR THE COMMUNITY
Wrigley Field is such a unique venue due to its location in an active, urban neighborhood. The scope of work included commitments to maintain the neighborhood’s character, enhance the quality of life for the surrounding community and serve as an economic and tourism driver for the local area as well as the city of Chicago. The team strove to ensure that local businesses were also involved and benefited whenever possible. For example, the team frequently rented space in neighborhood facilities for meetings and events designed to solicit minority trade partners and local employees. The project was also committed to employing minority- and women-owned businesses, and focused heavily on local, diverse hiring. Despite being privately funded and having no obligation to establish, track or achieve diversity goals, more than $90 million in contracts went to M/WBE partners and minority tradespeople represented approximately 35% of the workforce.
The methods adopted by the construction team reduced the community and economic disturbances that would have been virtually guaranteed without continuous planning and adjustments. Resident safety was always a top priority. Given the urban neighborhood location, delivery and concrete trucks could not park on the streets while making deliveries or providing services. The superintendent coordinated just-in-time deliveries, with trucks waiting at remote staging areas and flaggers on-site to minimize traffic disruptions.
In addition to allowing fans to enjoy America’s pastime, the new community spaces in the plaza area outside the ballpark provided additional spaces for year-round entertainment, including outdoor movies, fitness classes, concerts and other events.
The 1060 Project preserved Wrigley Field’s rich history while enhancing the existing fan experience with modern amenities, making the ballpark sustainable for the next century. One reporter wrote, “All in all, the renovation is a hit…Wrigley is still Wrigley — Paradise Changed, not Paradise Lost.” The construction and design teams considers that a home run.

KEEPING SAFETY PARAMOUNT
The 1060 Project required teamwork to ensure everyone went home safely each night. Since the work at Wrigley Field included reinforcing some structures at the same time others were removed, it was full of exposures and high-risk activities. At one point there were six cranes on the job, and the number of tradespeople reached upwards of 500, which included 140 iron workers. Scaffolding stretched from left to right field and went up four levels, plus around the exterior of the building. More than 90,000 square feet were covered with the shared system, which was constantly reconfigured — sometimes daily — as work progressed.
The site’s linear configuration required an hour-by-hour plan for the cranes, masonry scaffolding and steel erection schedule. With so much happening at once, it was important to enforce job-specific safety plans. Each morning, the team held meetings to address the work schedule for the day. In addition to job-specific safety plans and thousands of individual orientations, the team addressed planned work activities and areas to avoid, and workers were reminded to be proactive in planning. With so many workers attending these general meetings, they often required a loudspeaker system to ensure everyone could hear.
Due to Wrigley Field’s location in the Lakeview neighborhood and proximity to a fire station, a key concern was the safety of the public. The team successfully rerouted pedestrian walkways and installed fencing barriers around the site. Flaggers were posted at each of the jobsite entrances during construction hours to maintain the traffic flow of the surrounding area. The team also worked with Chicago Transit Authority and Chicago Department of Transportation to relocate the Addison bus stop from the east to the west side of Clark Street to further ensure pedestrian safety. Working with the Cubs, the neighbors remained informed about plans and any significant changes, and construction was paused during large-scale community events.
Project Fatality: 0
OSHA Recordable Incident Rate: 5.47
Lost Time Accident Rate: 1.78
Total Man Hours on Job: 3,250,000

+ FUNCTIONAL or INNOVATIVE DESIGN

+ 24’ tall all glass structural façade wall guides people along the circulation. The transparent wall maximizes daylight and opens up the inside to the outside creating a singe urban living room.

+ The white solid surface wall and ceiling surface becomes the ground level façade. It embraces the inside and outside as one continuous urban space. Lighting, HVAC, and all devices are integrated in the cove between the ‘petals’ of solid surface.

+ QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION – The glazing, fabricated in China, and the solid surface, fabricated in Spain, came together in Chicago with +/- 1/8” of tolerance.

+ IMPACT on the COMMUNITY – The repositioned ground plane offers un urban living room amenity to tens of thousands of people on the busy commuter streets.

+ SAFETY RECORD – The safety and well-being of both the workers and nearly 6,000 tenants plus daily visitors was the project team’s primary objective.

The full height glass façade undulates around the entire building blurring the lines between the inside and outside. The glass panels were installed utilizing a permanent monorail system that in conjunction performed as part of the lateral support system. The glass fins’ head connection was designed to resist lateral wind load and lateral stack effect but allows vertical and horizontal (in-plane) differential movements.

The glazing system’s goal was to create a truly transparent enclosure for the unitized solid surface system to signify the shared urban space under the existing building. The white solid surface is crafted out of recycled aluminum and acrylic, which embraces the now open space for people to circulate through and dwell in.

Both the glazing system as well as the solid surface façade system was developed through a delegated design process. We developed 3D geometries for the glazing and the solid surface facades, that were respectively and directly translated into fabrication geometries. Later, for the solid surface geometries, the fabricated ‘petals’ were laser-point-cloud scanned and brought back into the 3D model to compare with the original geometry as part of the Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QAQC) process.

The full height glass façade undulates around the entire building blurring the lines between the inside and outside. The glass panels were installed utilizing a permanent monorail system that in conjunction performed as part of the lateral support system. The glass fins’ head connection was designed to resist lateral wind load and lateral stack effect but allows vertical and horizontal (in-plane) differential movements.

The glazing system’s goal was to create a truly transparent enclosure for the unitized solid surface system to signify the shared urban space under the existing building. The white solid surface is crafted out of recycled aluminum and acrylic, which embraces the now open space for people to circulate through and dwell in.

Both the glazing system as well as the solid surface façade system was developed through a delegated design process. We developed 3D geometries for the glazing and the solid surface facades, that were respectively and directly translated into fabrication geometries. Later, for the solid surface geometries, the fabricated ‘petals’ were laser-point-cloud scanned and brought back into the 3D model to compare with the original geometry as part of the Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QAQC) process.

To improve circulation, the new curved façade line moves outward to flow around the building cores, providing uninterrupted and intuitive circulation between the buildings. The transparent envelope maximizes visual connection to the street. The undulating storefront glass is a direct result of signifying the entry points by curving the envelope inward. The transparent wall opens the entire ground plane inviting people to share the comfort and protection of the new urban oasis.

The safety and well-being of both the workers and nearly 6,000 tenants plus daily visitors was the project team’s primary objective. A phased logistics plan was developed by the team, which created robust temporary barriers fully enclosing the active work areas and separating the construction activities from the daily operation of the active building and adjacent public ways. Custom signage was developed to assist pedestrians with safe and efficient access into the building.

Within the construction area, all work was performed from lifts and scaffolding systems which eliminated the use of ladders throughout the project. Each lift was wrapped in safety netting to prevent the fall of equipment and material from each scissor lift. Finally, the team engineered a custom, steel monorail that was installed in the ceiling to the existing structure. These contoured structures mirrored the glass line and were utilized to safely lift and install each glass panel weighing approximately 4,000 lbs within the limited work area.