Chicago Architect November/December 2012 : Page 40

2012 DIVINE DETAIL AWARDS AIA Chicago established the Divine Detail Award in 1991 to recognize an instance in which the expression of architectural theory becomes an artistic medium, deﬁ ning the relationship between architecture and craft. The detail should illustrate or illuminate the governing design concept of the building in which the detail is found, through material, design components or technology. Projects are eligible if they were completed between May 1, 2007 and May 1, 2012. Projects must be designed by Chicago-area architects or be located in Chicago. The winners and all submissions can be viewed at aiachicago.org. Photography by Tim Grifﬁ th HONOR AWARD THE ROCKER, POLY CORPORATION HEADQUARTERS BEIJING, CHINA ARCHITECT + STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS: Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP CLIENT: Beijing New Poly Plaza Real Estate Company GENERAL CONTRACTOR: China State Construction Engineering Corporation CONSULTANTS: Flack + Kurtz, SWA Group, Shen, Milsom & Wilke Inc., Edgett Williams Consulting Group Inc., CS Caulkins Co., CMS Collaborative The jurors praised The Rocker—a boldly engineered device that resolved the complex structural forces of a dramatically suspended eight-story, lantern-like museum and the world’s largest cable-net curtain wall. “This really is just a marvelous idea,” said one juror, while another stated that “as a detail, it’s pretty amazing.” On the northeast façade of a 22-story ofﬁ ce building, two large diagonal cables run along the faceted façade’s fold lines to support the 295-foot-high by 223-foot-wide glass wall, while the suspended museum acts as a counterweight. The Rocker acts as a “reverse pulley,” withstanding movement from wind and earthquakes without signiﬁ cantly increasing the forces in the cables. The space houses a museum, and the unobstructed openings created by The Rocker enhance daylighting and wonderful views while creating a deﬁ ning building detail. “It’s a great detail and it actually has a reason,” commented another juror. 40 Chicago Architect nov | dec 2012

Divine Detail Awards

AIA Chicago established the Divine Detail Award in 1991 to recognize an instance in which the expression of architectural theory becomes an artistic medium, defining the relationship between architecture and craft. The detail should illustrate or illuminate the governing design concept of the building in which the detail is found, through material, design components or technology. Projects are eligible if they were completed between May 1, 2007 and May 1, 2012. Projects must be designed by Chicago-area architects or be located in Chicago. The winners and all submissions can be viewed at aiachicago.org. HONOR AWARD THE ROCKER, POLY CORPORATION HEADQUARTERS BEIJING, CHINA ARCHITECT + STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS: Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP CLIENT: Beijing New Poly Plaza Real Estate Company GENERAL CONTRACTOR: China State Construction Engineering Corporation CONSULTANTS: Flack + Kurtz, SWA Group, Shen, Milsom & Wilke Inc., Edgett Williams Consulting Group Inc., CS Caulkins Co., CMS Collaborative The jurors praised The Rocker—a boldly engineered device that resolved the complex structural forces of a dramatically suspended eight-story, lantern-like museum and the world’s largest cable-net curtain wall. “This really is just a marvelous idea,” said one juror, while another stated that “as a detail, it’s pretty amazing.” On the northeast façade of a 22-story office building, two large diagonal cables run along the faceted façade’s fold lines to support the 295-foot-high by 223-foot-wide glass wall, while the suspended museum acts as a counterweight. The Rocker acts as a “reverse pulley,” withstanding movement from wind and earthquakes without significantly increasing the forces in the cables. The space houses a museum, and the unobstructed openings created by The Rocker enhance daylighting and wonderful views while creating a defining building detail. “It’s a great detail and it actually has a reason,” commented another juror. CITATION OF MERIT COBB GATE RENOVATION CHICAGO DESIGN ARCHITECT: LCM Architects CLIENT: University of Chicago CONTRACTOR: Berglund Construction CONSULTANTS: Rise Group, HOH Engineers Inc. Built in 1900, Cobb Gate was a gift to the University of Chicago from architect Henry Ives Cobb, FAIA, and is considered by many to be the university’s main entrance. The jury had high regard for the restoration, with one juror saying, “Somebody really rolled up [their] sleeves and figured out how to make something this important work.” A renovation was required because the walking slope through the gate exceeded permissible accessible slopes. Revising the path required lowering of the roof and floor of an underground tunnel, and detailed analysis of both north-south slopes and east-west slopes to meet requirements and existing walks. The restoration of the gate was completed with a redesign of the stone entry steps and iron handrails, restoration of the original iron gates, new limestone panels to cover rubble foundation and the detailing of new stonework. Another juror noted that “someone may pass through and not even notice” the restoration and that the firm was “elegant in their subtlety.” CITATION OF MERIT CHICAGO RIVERWALK CANOPY CHICAGO DESIGN ARCHITECT: Ross Barney Architects CLIENT: Chicago Department of Transportation CONTRACTOR: Walsh Construction CONSULTANTS: Rausch Construction, Colins Engineering The underbridge canopies of the Chicago Main Branch Riverwalk “essentially make you want to linger there a little more,” a juror said. “You usually don’t want to hang out under a bridge.” The canopies protect pedestrians on the path from overhead debris, funneling it to a catchment area accessible through blind panels in the cladding. Following the shape of the bascule bridges, the canopies catch the light from the river and offer a stunning reflection of the water and passing boats. The canopies are created from stainless steel tiles on a lightweight aluminum core substrate. Tiles are sanded with a multidirectional finish for protection from vandals and for easy repair on the lower portion of the canopy. Polished tiles that give the reflection of the river are placed at a higher level. “Something that is this simple and can do that much for you is ingenious,” said one of the jurors. CITATION OF MERIT LECTURE HALL F CHICAGO DESIGN ARCHITECT: Lothan Van Hook DeStefano Architecture LLC CLIENT: University of Illinois at Chicago CONTRACTOR: Joseph Construction Company CONSULTANTS: Matrix Engineering, CCJM Engineers Ltd. The original design of this 50-year-old lecture hall by Walter Netsch, FAIA, was updated to meet contemporary performance standards. The original concrete floors and ceilings, exposed concrete structure and brick walls made it difficult to understand speech and amplified audio-visual presentations. To improve the acoustics, a series of baffles were installed. This addition also added a colorful sculptural element to the rooms. A juror liked the way the baffles successfully added functional art to the space. And another juror commented that “they really respected the structure.” The baffles were computer modeled in 3D to provide both performance analytics and a fabrication model for installation. The components were then designed to be fabricated out of acoustic foam on a computer-driven milling machine from the 3D model. CITATION OF MERIT UNIVERSIDADE AGOSTINHO NETO ROOF TRELLIS LUANDA, ANGOLA DESIGN ARCHITECT: Perkins+Will CLIENT: Universidade Agostinho Neto CONTRACTOR: China Jiangsu International Economic Technical Cooperation Corporation CONSULTANTS: Dar Al-Handasah (Shair and Partners), Battle McCarthy Using high-tech analysis to produce a low-tech, low-energy building system, this roof trellis shades courtyards and buildings from the sun and promotes cross-ventilation. A computer fluid dynamic analysis was used to calibrate the shapes of the trellis to optimize pressure differentiation and promote natural ventilation. One juror commented that with this design, Perkins+Will is “taking technology and making it elegant and useful.” The trellis is made of paint-finished galvanized cold-formed steel components. Z-shaped blades form the shading elements, which sit within C-shaped channels bolted on-site to simplify transportation and erection. Courtyard screen shades incorporate bow-trusses that span 15.5 meters. The trusses are made up of turnbuckles, connections and struts acting in compression and tension. CITATION OF MERIT POETRY FOUNDATION SCREEN WALL CHICAGO DESIGN ARCHITECT: John Ronan Architects CLIENT: Poetry Foundation CONTRACTOR: Norcon Inc. CONSULTANTS: U.S. Equities Realty, Arup The Poetry Foundation’s home is conceived as a series of material layers—zinc, glass and wood—that visitors move through to experience the building. “It’s very elegant,” said a juror. When viewed obliquely, the oxidized zinc screen wall appears opaque and the building monolithic; when viewed frontally, the screen wall becomes more transparent. The screen wall is perforated where it borders the interior garden, inviting passers-by inside. At night, the wall dissolves and the garden becomes visually dominant. Another juror commented that “this screen is integral to the concept of the building.” SPECIAL RECOGNITION RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER NEW HOSPITAL TOWER TERRARIUM CHICAGO DESIGN ARCHITECT: Perkins+Will CLIENT: Rush University Medical Center CONTRACTOR: Power Jacobs Joint Venture CONSULTANTS: Environmental Systems Design, Thronton Tomasetti, Terra Engineering, Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects The focal point of the new Rush University Medical Center’s entry pavilion is an open-air terrarium. Laminated low-iron glass is curved to fit a freestanding steel pipe frame that spans 50 feet through an aperture in the roof to create a sculptural element inside and on the hospital’s Level 4 roof garden. The terrarium also brings significant daylight into the interior of the pavilion. “I found it appealing because I’ve been in so many of these spaces that are filled with artificial light,” said a juror. Though it brings light into the space, studies showed that it would not be sufficient for most plants. Inside the terrarium, the team developed a plant palette based on deep forest environments that changes with the seasons. SPECIAL RECOGNITION 1730 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE WASHINGTON, D.C. DESIGN ARCHITECT: Krueck + Sexton Architects ASSOCIATE ARCHITECT: KGD CLIENT: Tishman Speyer CONTRACTOR: HITT Contracting CONSULTANTS: Tadjer Cohen Edelson Associates Inc., Syska Hennessy This customized window unit was developed to address a range of issues in an aging 12-story building completed in 1972 that is located just steps away away from the White House. The failing façade exposed the structure to severe water damage and put pedestrians below at risk. The special design allowed the building to be occupied during renovation. When it was completed, the new façade increased daylight in the building by several times the old capacity. The façade performance was improved by decreasing air and water infiltration and reducing overall area and exterior joints considerably. A juror commented that with this new window unit, the firm was “able to recycle a major piece of architecture with a simple detail.” And another juror said that the added façade was a “new way of thinking.” DIVINE DETAIL AWARD JURY Lonn Frye, FAIA Frye Gillan Molinaro Architects Chicago Anne McGuire, AIA, LEED AP McGuire Igleski & Associates Evanston Enrique Suarez, AIA, LEED AP BD+C Harley Ellis Devereaux Chicago

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