Illinois Institute of Technology
University Technology Park at IIT, Technology Business Center
Chicago, IL
Anchoring the University Technology Park at IIT, the 144,000 sf Technology Business Center was converted into state-of-the art wet labs and offices for the dynamic biotech market. The 1950s-era building exterior was fully restored in accordance with Illinois’s Historic Preservation Agency standards. A dramatic interior atrium, carved from the original structure, draws natural light deep within the 35,000 sf floorplates and functions as an organizing element for tenant amenity spaces. Multiple floor-by-floor fan rooms provide maximum flexibility for wet-lab and office configurations to suit individual tenant requirements. The complex offers approximately 140,000 sf of remodeled and newly constructed areas, with over 127,000 sf of rentable area consisting of wet and dry labs, lab and business office functions, shared tenant support areas, and a potential satellite animal facility. Innovative stormwater management solutions and the highly efficient building renovation qualified the project for LEED certification.
Converting some 300,000 sf of existing and unused engineering research facilities into state-of-the-art biomedical and chemical research laboratories, the first phase of Illinois Institute of Technology’s LEED certified University Technology Park preserves an architecturally and historically significant Mies van der Rohe-inspired building while replacing outdated, inefficient building systems. The extensively renovated and redesigned complex integrates three existing structures – the IITRI Life Science Research Center, Incubator Building, and Technology Business Center – into one sustainable facility.
Original single-pane wood windows, restored to meet the stringent requirements of historic preservation guidelines, were made more energy-efficient with an innovative secondary interior glazing and insulation system. Exterior facades were carefully restored and reused. The Technology Business Center is part of a LEED pilot program for shell and core construction, with tenant standards developed for subsequent tenant buildouts.
View LEED Points
- Renovation and reconstruction of incubator building and portions of Technology Business Center, IITRI Center, and vivarium and toxicology suites
- Wet and dry labs
- Office and major equipment shared tenant support spaces
- BSL-3 labs
- Analytical chemistry and molecular and cell biology labs
- Expanded offices and research archives
Distinctions
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Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design
Illuminating Engineering Society of North America
Credits
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Steinkamp Photography