Refurbishment IIT S.R. Crown Hall, Chicago, IL, USA

Climate concept in collaboration with atelier ten:
Mies van der Rohe's Crown Hall, home to the Architecture School at IIT, is one of the purest expressions of the late Modern Movement and a cherished icon of 20th Century architecture. atelier ten and Transsolar were hired by IIT to explore how the many comfort problems in the building can be addressed in the upcoming renovation without changing the appearance of this masterpiece. Furthermore the Architecture School wanted a solution that reduced energy consumption and would allow them to use the building's original mixed mode ventilation strategy. Through energy and daylight simulations atelier ten and Transsolar evaluated the effectiveness of these measures and developed a renovation concept that greatly improves comfort, reduces energy consumption by 50%, and leaves Crown Hall's architecture and details intact.
Refurbishment strategies based on detailed studies:
-Replace existing light fixtures and controls with efficient modern light fixtures with daylight sensors and dimmable ballasts, controlled by a scene setting controller to reduce electrical energy consumption for lighting by over 90% and to reduce cooling energy consumption by 30%
-Add floor cooling to the radiant floor to reduce energy consumption and air conditioning requirements. Upgrade controls and apply low-e ceiling paint to improve comfort
-Replace blinds with motorized concave reflective blinds to improve daylight penetration, reduce artificial lighting consumption and reduce cooling load
-Implement the proposed landscape plan to provide additional shading and recreate the original landscape design
-Continue testing of existing diffusers and evaluate changes based on findings of site testing and revised load calculations
-In the future, upgrade roof insulation and add ventilation heat recovery

2010 Patron of the Year, Chicago Architecture Foundation
2006 Honor Award, AIA Chicago Chapter
2005 Award for Preservation Excellence, Commission on Chicago Landmarks