University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago Envelope Assessment

Chicago, IL

In 2010, AltusWorks conducted a comprehensive building envelope assessment of the 1979 streel frame and precast panel hospital building designed by Bertrand Goldberg/A. Epstein as part of a larger infrastructure modernization and renovation project led by VOA, now StanTech. We were engaged to perform an up-close assessment of the walls and windows, coordinated non-destructive roof moisture testing, performed window water testing, and analyzed the performance of the air, vapor and thermal barriers. From this information, we developed a 10-year-plan to address the identified.

To guide improvements to the envelope as individual treatment units undergo renovations, AltusWorks developed a prototypical design for window replacement, new air/vapor barriers, and thermal improvements to the faceted precast concrete panel wall system. The prototypical designs were first successfully implemented at the 8th floor Bone Marrow Transplant Unit in 2012.