VDTA Higher Education Experience

VALERIO DEWALT TRAIN ASSOCIATES

HigherEducationExperience

VALERIO DEWALT TRAIN ASSOCIATES

500 North Dearborn StreetFloor 9Chicago, IL 60654312.260.7300

424 Waverley StreetPalo Alto, California 94301 650.561.7000www.buildordie.com

BUILDORDIE.COM

RELEVANT QUALIFICATIONS

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

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CONTENTS

FIRM METRICS01

You have my personal commitment to get it right.”Joseph Valerio, FAIAFounding Principal of VDTA

01 FIRM METRICS

We bring the following mentality and qualifications to each project:

ENERGYOurs is a spirited practice of architecture that runs on design energy. Visitors to our office often comment on the energy of the place, the purposeful comings and goings, and displays of work in progress that fill every corner.

INNOVATIONWe are serial innovators, seeking the better solution for each project.

AGILITYWe live in a dynamic world, where events often outpace design. It is imperative that we retain a flexibility and openness to change during the entire life of a project.

FOCUSFor every project, we zero in on the client’s needs and apply a focused energy to finding the best solution. Then we execute the same focus.

INDUSTRYWe strive to produce complete, coordinated, correct and constructible documents. Our project teams stay with every job from conception through completion.

UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS

VALERIO DEWALT TRAIN ASSOCIATES

Valerio Dewalt Train is a 65 person national architectural practice with offices in Chicago, Illinois and Palo Alto, California. Since 1994, the firm has based its practice on the simple idea that whatever the question, design is the answer. But we also believe that before you can provide an answer, you have to do the research to make sure you understand the question.

As designers, we take a research-based approach to the design process; it is immersive, probing, and specific. We work with a wide range of clients: institutional, educational, corporate, retail, entertainment, hospitality, and developers, each client benefits from the cross-fertilization of ideas between these industries and as expressed by our URL, “build or die.com”.

The result of our energetic approach is a series of remarkable projects often produced on very tight budgets and schedules for many notable organizations; from University of Chicago, to the Kresge Foundation and the University of California San Diego.

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CLIENT MATRIX

NATIONWIDE EXPERIENCE

design excellence and affordability...”

Progressive Architecture

A sizeable structure, the architect introduced smaller, more liveable areas.AIA Chicago Award Jury Member on UCSD Rita Atkinson Residence

UCSD Rita Atkinson Residences

Architect Magazine, Top 50 Architecture Firms, Design, 2013

AIA Chicago, Interiors Award, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2007, 2006, 2004, 2002, 2001, 2000

AIA Illinois, Honor Award, 2013

AIA California Council, Distinguished Building Honor Award, 2012

AIA Chicago, Distinguished Building Award, 2012, 2006, 2004, 1993, 1991

National AIA, Committee on Education, Merit Award, 2011

Society of College and University Planners (SCUP), Merit Award, 2011

Center for the Built Environment, UC Berkeley, Highest User Satisfaction, 2010

AIA Chicago, Urban Design Award, 2009

ARCHITECTURAL RECORD, Best Managed Firms in America, 2008

CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION, Best of Office Building, 2008

AIA Chicago, Sustainable Design Award, 2007

Architect of the Year, Chicago Tribune, 2006

National AIA, Honor Award for Interiors, 2003, 1996, 1993

American Institute of Architects, Award for Interiors, 2003

AIA Chicago, Divine Detail Award, 2001

AIA Chicago, Firm Award, 1999

AIA Illinois, Firm Award, 1997

National AIA, Honor Award for Architecture, 1993, 1983

VDTA SELECT HONORS AND AWARDS

We believe that design adds immeasurable value to the investment of time and money that is made in a workplace. This is a core value, a value that is not practiced occasionally, but needs to be practiced morning – noon – and night. For this reason, a significant proportion of our work is recognized for its design achievement. Success is not the exception, but the rule.

Most recently, VDTA was recognized with the 2013 AIA Illinois Design Award, 2012 Distinguished Building Honor Award from AIA California, and the 2012 Distinguished Building Merit Award from AIA Chicago for their design of the UCSD Rita Atkinson Residences. The 226 unit graduate student housing development was completed on budget a full year ahead of the original schedule. These two awards are in addition to the project receiving a 2011 SCUP Merit Award and 2011 DBIA (Western Pacific Region) Environmental Merit Award.

DESIGN ACHIEVEMENTS

University of California San Diego, Rita Atkinson Residences

Every aspect of the design should support an experience that is unique and memorable.”

02 RELEVANT QUALIFICATIONS

University of Chicago Laboratory Schools

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VDTA was completely open to presenting and exploring various design options until we got it right” Steve Weisenthal, AIA, Campus Architect, University of Chicago

We are a proactive, creative and high energy firm. Our commitment to a general practice of architecture creates powerful design solutions that suit the specific needs of each client. We begin each project with an open mind, so we may best understand the values and needs of our client. We anticipate change on every project and plan for every contingency. We also respect your budget and schedule and will not view these as a constraint.

TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE

VDTA has completed a variety of academic environments for all levels of learning. Most recently, the firm has completed a study of best practices for education to inform our planning and design of the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools campus renovation and expansion plans.

Clear goals bring about clear outcomes. These targets become the initial focus for our study, and constantly inform the balance of the work, as they are continuously referenced during the design process. Beginning with the programming phase we have keyed in on the following:

o Environmental stewardshipo Enhancing the institutional imageo Maintaining Flexibilityo Creation of a living/learning environment

The creation of a facility program, and therefore meeting the stated goals, cannot be completed in a vacuum. Extensive research, completed via multiple avenues and techniques, informs the process, answers questions and produces new lines of inquiry. Our team utilizes a process that consistently investigates, past the first layer, seeking an understanding of the essence of the institution.

DESIGN EXCELLENCE

Context is shorthand for the history, scale, materiality and texture of any place. And the power of place can make any institution unique and memorable. By studying the context we can isolate the architectural issues that separate one institution from another. Our careful analysis of the university environment can be shared with stakeholders in order to verify that our findings are genuine; beginning the design with a shared understanding of the context insures success. There will be differences of opinion within any group. Our approach promotes a dialogue between people at universities with firmly held opinions, but there is a belief at most institutions, that open discussion and clearly organized argument can lead to eventual consensus. So, although there will be some who will support no

02 RELEVANT QUALIFICATIONS

VDTA Staff member, Elisa Dennis, sits and reads with students at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools.

At the start of the UCSD Rita Atkinson Residences design competition, VDTA staff immersed themselves in the campus environment to fully understand the needs of the students.

change in the nature of campus buildings, and there will be others who will demand complete invention with no continuity, most will agree in the end to a building that lies somewhere between these two extreme ideologies.

CASE STUDY: UCSDDespite winning the competition for the design of the Rita Atkinson Residences at UCSD, the project still faced the Board of Regents approval. Working with Boone Hellmann, we developed materials which lead to the approval of the design without any controversy. Success with the competition jury and with the Regents was based a process that we have used repeatedly; understand the views of the stakeholders, analyze the architectural issues that make every institution unique, and only then develop a design which is both innovative and fully responsive to the context, including the human context. Three initial concepts were presented to

the stakeholders at UCSD which eventually led to the final design solution.

INTEGRATED TEAM

We take great pride in our proven ability to effectively communicate our goals, process and vision to not only the client, but all parties within the design and project team. Our emphasis on research-based design will instill confidence with the University and incoming design and construction team that the set of bridging documents accurately represent the needs of the University. This is an important consideration so the team has a strong basis of design that is thoughtful, accurate and serves as the foundation for moving forward. Our experience in executing design build projects gives us this important perspective to know how much information is ‘just right’ for the basis of design. This perspective is currently reflected in our work on the $93M UCSF Mission Bay Faculty Office Building design build competition.

UCSF Faculty Office Building Schematic Section Drawing

We are happily on budget and on schedule, benefiting from the strong project design team collaboration”Steve Weisenthal, AIA, Campus Architect, University of Chicago

University of Chicago Laboratory Schools Early Childhood Center

TIGHT BUDGETS AND SCHEDULES

Time is money, and earlier project delivery allows for the institution to sooner achieve their mission and goals. To this end, schedule is paramount, but at the same time cannot be allowed to limit the functionality and design vision of the realized project. Coordination, clear design documents and effective project management are key components in maintaining and potentially improving on, project schedules

BUDGETSWe respect your budget. Our clients consistently tell us that they value our unique ability to produce signature design that is responsive to program and to budget. We know full well that you are in a highly competitive business and can’t afford to waste money on real estate or facilities. We also know that you compete for talent and that the work environment can be critical to attracting and retaining the best talent available. We don’t view budgets as a constraint, but as another project metric to be met. Through creative use of materials, collaborative interaction with our construction partners and an energetic design approach, we manage the budget and produce great design. We work with clients and builders to establish accurate project budgets as early in the design process as possible. If budgets become unbalanced during design, we can adjust constructively, by changing the design and finding better ways to accomplish the intended result at a lower cost. The key is constant communication and collaboration with our clients and team. This collaborative process has led to many of our most acclaimed projects for some our most cost-conscious clients.

SCHEDULEThe schedule control process will be structured to enable the project schedule to be effectively developed, monitored and evaluated throughout the project’s life cycle. The schedule development process will entail estimating and integrating the different work elements, which influence the project into the plan with achievable objectives and it will be based on the agreed-upon scope of work and a defined set of assumptions for duration of design activities.

MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS

Designing and developing an education institutional project that is integrated into the neighborhood fabric requires community interaction throughout the entire process for it to be a success. As a relevant stakeholder, community concerns need to be heard and addressed. Our team has significant experience in this process with demonstrated success at involving the community into the process. Through design presentations, interviews and working sessions, community concerns are voiced, discussed and addressed.

VDTA often holds a kick-off meeting with the community and stakeholders to set a collaborative vision from the start, as seen here with the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools community.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

VDTA is committed to the success and increased adoption of sustainable design and construction practices. We believe “Green” buildings are not only good for the environment, but are a core value for our companies. We believe that it is our responsibility to not only create sustainable and environmentally sensitive buildings, but also to act as environmental stewards by educating the community on how the built form can impact the environment – both positively and negatively. By integrating sustainable approaches and technology from the project conception, the ideas become intertwined with the design, creating a building that represents and performs as a sustainable facility.

VDTA has experience with projects utilizing several sustainability standards including the Energy Star Program, the Living Building Challenge and LEED. In addition, VDTA has 23 LEED accredited professionals and is an adoptee of the 2030 Challenge.

LIVING BUILDING CHALLENGEValerio Dewalt Train is an active member of the International Living Future Institute. Robert Webber, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is a co-founder of The Living Building Challenge Collaborative: Chicago, an organization affiliated with the Institute that promotes the Living Building Challenge through community connections and education. William Turner, AIA, LEED AP, is currently working with the Living Building Challenge Collaborative: San Francisco to promote connectivity between like-minded individuals in the Bay Area. VDTA recently completed a Living Building Challenge building design for the Cleveland Design Competition, utilizing the experimental forum of a competition to help educate ourselves through process.

ADOPTION OF THE 2030º CHALLENGEVDTA is an adoptee of the The 2030ºChallenge, a voluntary program that sets energy design targets aimed at reducing carbon emissions from the operations of buildings. VDTA’s adoption of the 2030 Challenge is a featured article in the Jan/Feb 2010 issue of Green Business Quarterly.

buildGREENordiebuildGREENordie is VDTA’s in-house sustainability group which promotes high levels of green design in all of the firm’s work. This group meets regularly to discuss green strategies and available resources. We are currently implementing the effort for all VDTA projects to go through an energy modeling process in the early stages to minimize the project’s Energy Use Intensity. This group also manages the green strategies that our offices implements in our day-to-day operations, including reduction in energy use, water use, and waste.

22 LEED CERTIFIED PROJECTSINCLUDING 3 PLATINUM

23 LEED ACCREDITEDSTAFF

CO-SPONSORLIVING BUILDING CHALLENGE COLLABORATIVE

ADOPTEEOF THE 2030ºCHALLENGE

It is our responsibility to act as environmental stewards”Robert Webber, AIA, LEED AP BD+CCo-Founder, Chicago Living Building Challenge Collaborative

eBay B-17 Fuel Cells

Highest User Satisfaction University of California - Berkeley, Center for the Built Environment

Kresge Foundation Headquarters

VDTA LEED PROJECTS

The Kresge Foundation, Platinum

Seneca Road Residences, Platinum

Adobe San Jose, Platinum

eBay Building 17, Gold

SunPower Headquarters, Gold

Takeda Building 3, Gold

UCSD Rita Atkinson Residences, Gold

US Bank Building, Gold

Walsh College Barry Center, Gold

Adobe New York, Silver

Adobe San Francisco, Silver

Adobe Seattle, Silver

Adobe Washington D.C, Silver

Blackhawk Halsted, Silver

Harris Bank - Chesterton, Silver

Harris Bank - Huntley South, Silver

Lab School - Early Childhood, Silver

Lab School - Arts Wing, Silver

EnV Chicago, Certified

Flashpoint Academy, Certified

Shedd Aquarium Office, Certified

Atrium Corporate Center, EB

CASE STUDY: KRESGE FOUNDATION HEADQUARTERSTROY, MICHIGAN - LEED PLATINUM

The Kresge Foundation headquarters integrates three design objectives: restoration of the landmarked 19th century farmhouse complex, creating a great workplace, and development of a sustainable strategy for the entire complex. The challenge was to create a visually integrated whole from these three disparate objectives.

The most ambitious sustainable strategy employed in the building is its geothermal well system. This system of 40 closed-loop wells each 400’ deep, is hidden beneath the parking lot. The geothermal wells are part of a larger strategy to reduce energy consumption. Other elements of this strategy include green roofs, a high performance building enclosure, daylighting control and an underfloor duct system. The building’s siting reduces the need for energy because much of the building is set into the landscape. The orientation of the building, is seasonally responsive, permitting more solar gain in the winter than in the summer.

The interiors are intended to be an extension of the restored prairie. Certified wood floors echo the natural grasses that surround the building, bringing the sense of the natural environment into the interior. The interior incorporates a number of sustainable strategies which are integrated into the whole, including a light harvesting system, energy saving system controls and raised floor air distribution.

PUBLIC LOW BID ENVIRONMENT

A good deal of work that we do is in the public, low-bid environment so we understand the required precision, accuracy and completeness of our construction and bid documents. These are lessons that we apply to all projects. Quality Assurance & Technical Experience Quality control is an ongoing activity at VDTA. We convene at an early meeting with the project technical advisors to develop criteria options as well as to identify a range of possible design schemes.

We supplement this initial meeting with ad-hoc meetings as required to refine the design approach. We hold formal in-house design reviews with the technical advisors at the mid-preliminary and mid-final design stages to review and discuss design progress as well as to consider opportunities for value engineering. A final technical review at the 90% design stage to evaluate for adherence to all design objectives. We subject all documents to an interdisciplinary coordination review detailed checklists. By employing the above project controls on our recent projects for clients, we routinely submitted on-time, under budget technically sound design documents that were successfully bid and constructed.

Louis Ray, VDTA Principal, at a design team meeting discussing the proposed project schedule.

Joe Valerio at two design team meetings reviewing the various design solutions.

UCSD Rita Atkinson Residences

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03 RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO RITA ATKINSON RESIDENCESLA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA

Webcor and VDTA were selected to construct and design this project through an invited design competition to deliver a 226 unit housing development on the University of California San Diego’s Medical Campus. The $59 million development is a nine-floor structure comprised of two bedroom units and amenity spaces. Through rigorous coordination and teamwork, the project was completed, on budget, in September of 2010, a full year ahead of the original schedule.

Located at the termination of the future academic mall on the medical campus, the Rita Atkinson Residences act as the focal point with an implied symmetry about the mall axis. Upon arrival, this symmetry is de-constructed and forms the basis for the two “L” shaped residential wings. A green roof, designed to act as a gathering space, aligns with the mall elevation, further reinforcing the connection. A large central courtyard provides recreation area for gathering and study. Both unit types are designed to emphasize views and connection to the exterior, and utilize natural ventilation for temperature mitigation. Certified LEED Gold, recycled materials were used throughout the project, and kiosks have been integrated into each floor highlighting the sustainable initiatives of the project and the University at large.

230,000 SFDESIGN - BUILD

LEED GOLD

CALIFORNIA HIGHER EDUCATION

AWARDS 2013 AIA ILLINOIS 2012 AIA CALIFORNIA 2011 SCUP MERIT2011 AIA EDUCATION 2011 AIA CHICAGO2011 DBIA MERIT

Views and natural lighting are abundant in the residential units at the Rita Atkinson Residences.

The finished product is exciting, vibrant and exemplary in all ways...M. Boone Hellman, FAIA, Vice Chancellor, UCSD

exceptional is the word that best describes this project...”Boone Hellmann, FAIA

EXCERPTS OF LETTER FROM BOONE HELLMANN, FAIAASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR, CAMPUS ARCHITECT, UCSD, 9.22.10

“The innovation that the Valerio Dewalt Train team brought to the project was instrumental in ensuring that the project would be a success. The excitement that was exhibited by you and your team was contagious. It is rare to have project hit a “grand slam home run” in all regards. Exceptional is the word that best describes the project . . . the design is exceptional, the construction quality is exceptional and the result is equally exceptional.”

“Without your leadership, it is hard to imagine that we would have attained the success we achieved. I am still amazed that the project was completed well ahead of schedule. Our client, Housing and Dining Administration, was able to make the housing available a full year in advance of the planned schedule. That is truly amazing. The positive financial impacts of this achievement are especially extraordinary.”

“During the competition phase, you set as your goal to create a building which would contribute to the unique experience of UCSD. We all share this goal and with the building now fully occupied I can report that you more than achieved this goal.”

Success with our projects is based a process that we use repeatedly; understand the views of the stakeholders, analyze the architectural issues that make every institution unique, and only then develop a design which is both innovative and fully responsive to the context, including the human context. Below is a letter from Boone Hellman, Vice Chancellor at UCSD, explaining VDTA’s capabilities responding and delivering to the project requirements.

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LABORATORY SCHOOLS CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Founded in 1896 by John Dewey, the Laboratory Schools at the University of Chicago, continues to be a leader of education excellence in the country. As the school’s campus and population grew over the years it became time again to re-evaluate the function, program and capacity of the campus for future students. In 2008, VDTA was engaged by the University to ensure the future built vision of Lab Schools would meet the diversity, creativity and critical thinking that embodies the schools DNA.

Utilizing VDTA‘s philosophy of research based design, the design process for the Laboratory Schools began with immersion. Design team members attended kindergarten class, middle school humanities and science classes, shadowed a high school student for the morning and attended a basketball game all seeking to understand the unique qualities of teaching at the school that would inform the design of future spaces. The overall project is separated into three phases to allow school to remain open and fully functional during construction. The phases includes a new 120,000 SF early childhood center, Earl Shapiro Hall; a new 80,000 SF Art Wing addition which includes and the renovation of the existing five buildings which range in date from 1903 to 1996. The first of the phases opened this fall for class, with the last two phases of the project scheduled for completion in 2016.

120,000 SF NEW CONSTRUCTION

80,000 SF ADDITION

300,000 SF RENOVATION

CAMPUS MASTER PLAN

LEED SILVER

ARCHITECTURAL RECORD FEATUREJANUARY 2014

All educators should see this building...it is well-attuned to the individual needs of its students.”

Blair Kamin, Architecture Record + Chicago Tribune

Arts Hall, Under Construction

VDTA is a large reason behind our capital fundraising exceeding expectations, and our neighboring community throwing their support solidly behind the project.”Steve Wiesenthal, FAIA, University Architect - University of Chicago

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO GRADUATE STUDENT HOUSINGCHICAGO, ILLINOIS

The residences for the University of Chicago are organized in a ten story tower with two wings to maximize views and natural daylight. The building massing is broken into two story modules to reduce the scale and blend with the neighboring context. The project is designed to enhance the student experience and foster collaboration amongst the building’s population. Two story social spaces, on alternating floors, are the focal point of the design offering the students an opportunity to freely gather and study. The ground level is a mix of retail spaces and residential entry to add to the vitality of the 53rd Street corridor. The two story parking garage is fronted by two story amenity spaces adding a 24 hour presence and activity overlooking Nichols Park.

400 BEDS

$62,000,000CONSTRUCTION TOTAL

TARGETING LEED GOLD

330,000 SF

210 CARParking Structure

HISTORICPRESERVATION

LEED PLATINUMGEO-THERMAL WELLS

SUSTAINABILITYHONOR AWARDCBE AWARD

26,000 SFCORPORATE HEADQUARTERS

20,000 SFADDITION, CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION

KRESGE FOUNDATION HEADQUARTERSTROY, MICHIGAN

The Kresge Foundation headquarters integrates three design objectives: restore a landmarked 19th century farmhouse complex, create a great workplace, and develop a sustainable strategy for the entire complex. The challenge was to create a visually integrated whole from these three disparate objectives. The complex connects the natural and the manmade, and the past and the future in an environment which is a model workplace for the staff and a model of sustainable design for the non-profit organizations that apply for a Kresge “Green Buildings Initiative” challenge grant. The building incorporates a number of sustainable strategies which are integrated into the whole, including a light harvesting system, geothermal wells in the parking lot, energy saving system controls, certified wood floors and raised floor air distribution.

The Kresge Foundation Headquarters building includes 20,000 SF of new construction. The existing farm structures, including the farmhouse, barn and sheds, which totaled some 6,000 SF, were extensively restored and made an integral part of the whole. VDTA is currently working on a 20,000 SF Addition to the campus. The project has been featured in numerous publications and has received the AIA Chicago Distinguished Building Honor Award, Interior Architecture Honor Award and the Sustainable Design Honor Award. A recently completed post occupancy evaluation by the University of California Berkeley found an 89% user satisfaction rating, one of the highest ratings recorded by the institution.

The foundation and its design team employed and integrated design process, considering the environment at every step. The green building combines cutting edge technology and low-tech solutions.” Green Buildings Journal

Phase 2, Under Construction

The building’s design offers Walsh College an image matching its status as a premier institution.” CAM Magazine

WALSH COLLEGE BARRY CENTERTROY, MICHIGAN - LEED GOLD

In 2005, Walsh College began an ambitious multi-phase building program to increase capacity and flexibility at its Troy, Michigan campus. The first phase, consists of a two-story 36,000 SF addition that houses a new library, lecture hall, classrooms, and seminar rooms. Sustainable strategies include on-site storm water cleaning and storage through bioswales and a constructed wetland, high performance thermal envelope, daylight harvesting, energy optimization for night occupancy, and improved indoor air quality. The second phase included 75,000 SF interior renovation of the existing building that provides coherence for a building that has grown by accretion over the past 50 years. The third phase, currently under construction includes 40,000 SF of collaboration space.

The challenge with this project was to design and construct an iconic addition on an existing building, respecting the original architecture while creating a statement building for the college. The solution was to use similar materials of the existing buildings in a new way with dynamic forms. The result is a high energy addition that respects the original building.

STUDENT LOUNGECOLLABORATION AREAS

LEED GOLD

36,000 SFPHASE I ADDITION

75,000 SFPHASE 2 RENOVATIONS

40,000 SFPHASE 3 ADDITION

With its angled planes and daring geometry, the building’s sculptural quality and sheer level of inventive design offers Walsh College an image matching its status as a premier institution of business education.”Mary E. Kremposky, Associate Editor, CAM Magazine

Phase 3, Under Construction

BRITISH SCHOOL OF CHICAGOCHICAGO, ILLINOIS - LEED SILVER

Located just a few blocks from the bustling North Avenue/Clybourn intersection on Chicago’s north side, this two-acre former factory site has been transformed into dynamic mixed-use neighborhood. The project was constructed in two phases. The first phase, completed in 2007, includes an 80,000 SF building with 10,000 SF of ground-floor retail and the private K-12 British School. The second phase, a 140,000 SF office/retail building and the 547 space parking structure, was completed in late 2008. The mixed-use building includes Chicago’s first REI store and, on the upper floors, medical offices for one of the North Side’s largest children’s clinics.

Our work included initial feasibility analysis, planning and design. We helped the developer obtain municipal approval through a Planned Development process with the City of Chicago. We also provided fit-planning for the leasing of the first phase to the British School. The development has been LEED Certified.

70,000 SF

LEEDCERTIFIED

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547 SPACEParking Structure

140,000 SFRETAIL / OFFICE

Elements such as street kiosks and super graphics in the building windows connect and identify the Columbia College Campus to the surrounding urban community.

Pre-design vision for the Student Center Building.

COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO MASTER PLANCHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Over its one hundred year history, Columbia College Chicago, has moved from a small commuter school to a nationally recognized arts and media college. In response to its academic stature, a master plan was commissioned to better understand how to improve the campus environment to match it. VDTA’s team included professionals from the fields of architecture, academic campus planning, real estate planning, and higher education.

Focus of the detailed planning study centered on current campus use, the challenges posed by continuing enrollment growth, and the desire to improve the quality of its learning facilities, connectedness and student experience. Although the College’s twelve academic buildings are scattered throughout the South Loop neighborhood, it was learned that the campus is no more spread-out than other area institutions and, in many cases, has a greater student population density.

The conclusions of the Master Plan were that the spatial needs were not being met – primary being more common spaces for interaction. Also, campus zones should be reinforced to inform future real estate acquisitions to further concentrate opportunities of encounter and collaboration outside the classroom; campus “hubs” should be developed to express the aspects of each academic specialty encouraging participation from students, faculty and the neighborhood community and, finally, Columbia’s identity should more clearly be projected at its buildings. Initial recommendations proposed three building projects; the first of which, the Media Arts Center was completed in 2010.

STUDENT CENTER

STUDENT PERFORMANCE SPACE

STUDENT ART GALLERY

A final report was prepared for the Columbia College Chicago master plan which illus-trated the research on the existing campus and a plan for future growth.

CAMPUS MASTER PLAN INCLUDING DESIGN FOR:

SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGOLEROY NEIMAN CENTER + CLASSROOMSCHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Looking to give a ‘home base’ for students, faculty and staff, the SAIC Campus Center combines spaces for meeting, studying, lounging and dining while offering a sense of corporate identity to the student body, which is currently segregated among several facilities in Chicago’s Loop. The LeRoy Neiman Student Center, and its small art gallery, is fully equipped with high-end technology, presenting endless opportunity for student interaction and presentation. During the process 22,000 SF of classroom space was created, providing four new learning spaces to support continued campus growth. Pri-vate graduate studios were also housed in the new construction. The new wing boasts exposed concrete floors and structure, generous ceiling heights and an eye-level view of the Chicago El tracks with very little of the noise.

40,000 SF STUDENT CENTER

CLASSROOMS & DIGITAL LABS

Views and natural lighting are abundant in the residential units at the Rita Atkinson Residences.

Walsh College, Barry Center - Troy, Michigan

The student experience is enhanced by the built environment.”

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