University of Chicago North Residential Commons

Chicago, IL
When the University of Chicago needed a three-building, multi-story addition to house 800 students on campus, the biggest challenge was to maintain the Gothic and neo-Gothic aesthetic of the campus. The design team needed a material that could mimic the look of carved stone, but could also be delivered on a tight timeline and within a limited budget, which led them to precast concrete.

The precast concrete panels allowed the design to emulate the collegiate Gothic tradition, as well as being an affordable option that could be produced near enough to help expedite the delivery schedule. The structures feature brilliant white precast concrete panels that have an added sparkle, playing off the coloration of the surrounding limestone architecture. Each panel has an acid-etched finish with subtle arcs that come to a point and twist up and down each of the three buildings in varying directions. The depth of the panels provide the sun shading and thermal mass necessary for the desired thermal performance. ICP created 156 custom molds to produce more than 1,000 panels. Due to the unique shape and the fact that the panels had to be stored and shipped facedown, special cradles were produced to keep the sharp points and arcs safe during transport. The cradles were later incorporated as benches in the campus garden. Precast erection was completed in nine months.

This project was a 2018 Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute Design Awards Winner.
Learn more >>

PRECAST ELEMENTS

1,033 Wall Panels (148,444 square feet)

PARTNERS

GC: Mortenson
Architect: Studio Gang
EOR: Magnusson Klemencic Associates