The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)

Opportunity: The SAIC required a multi-use facility which included student residences, art studio space, and retail to be constructed with a fast-track schedule.

Solution: Located on a prominent urban site in Chicago’s thriving theater district, a new 17-story building joins with a renovated adjacent building to house 295 student apartments with private bathrooms and individual kitchenettes, as well as ample studio space. The urban streetscape, which combines new and historic facades, is enlivened with a retail bookstore, film center, and repertory theatre.

Value: Student rooms, designed with loft sleeping/storage, higher ceilings and large window areas, are well suited as living/working environments for art students. The repetitive room module resulted in a structural grid and façade expression sympathetic to the surrounding, 19th century, Chicago School commercial buildings. Highly detailed, lightweight glass reinforced concrete panels allowed for a rich textured wall while dramatically lowering labor costs, speeding construction, and enhancing durability. A fast-tracked process allowed design and construction to be completed within 18 months.