Legat Architects’ St. Paddy’s Day-themed ShareFest raises over $22,000 in buying power for Northern Illinois Food Bank to help solve hunger in 13-county region The St. Patrick’s Day spirit visited Legat Architects’ Gurnee, Illinois studio three days early this year, and with it came a determination to help feed hungry neighbors in northern Illinois. On […]
Community
FMC Natatorium at Ty Warner Park Poised to Advance Swimming in Illinois
Construction starts on DuPage County aquatic center designed to build swimming skills for all ages and create Chicago-area destination for major swim competitions [Westmont, IL] – For years, the Illinois Age Group State Championship meet has been held in Wisconsin, and this year in Indiana. Also, only two high school pools, both on Chicago’s North […]
Clarendon Hills Downtown Revitalization to Feature Community-sensitive Train Station
Design of Clarendon Hills train station emphasizes landscape and sets the tone for enhanced safety and community development Over the last 25 years, Clarendon Hills has undergone a renaissance: housing has shifted from post-war to modern, and new shops and restaurants have sprung up in the village’s vibrant downtown. Demographic research firm Niche named Clarendon […]
Achieve Hospitality Architecture That Impresses – Part 3: Give New Life to an Old Building with Adaptive Reuse
Retrofitting dated facilities offers sustainable and economic benefits for hospitality providers Finding an open site on which to build a new hotel has become increasingly difficult, especially in urban areas. However, many hospitality brands and developers might be surprised to learn that their next property might already be built. The transformation of older buildings into […]
Element Moline Wins “Best Hotel Focused Service” BDNY Gold Key Award for Excellence in Hospitality Design
Hospitality industry’s most prestigious awards program honors adaptive reuse project that transforms century-old warehouse/distribution facility into Element Moline, the eco-friendly Element brand’s Illinois debut On November 12, over 500 hotel industry moguls gathered at the sold-out BDNY Gold Key Awards Gala at Gotham Hall in Midtown Manhattan. The program, sponsored by Boutique Design magazine, “recognizes […]
Bank Transforms into Waukegan Park District Administrative Center
Waukegan Park District headquarters retrofit saves costs, ends congestion, and creates park-like setting Walking into Waukegan (Illinois) Park District’s new Administrative Center is much like walking into a park. Many Waukegan residents who attended the ribbon cutting and open house in early September found it hard to believe that this same space was once a […]
Police Station Architecture Design Tips: Part 4 (Ash Makes a Splash)
Ash trees that fell victim to invasive insect resurrected in new police station This series on police station design tips concludes with a case study that exemplifies how communities can overcome—and even use to their advantage—an unexpected setback. The classic “make lemonade out of lemons” proverb comes to mind. But in this case, the Village […]
Buffalo Grove Park District Opens Community Arts Center to Much Fanfare
Adaptive reuse project transforms synagogue into Community Arts Center where Buffalo Grove residents can “live out their dreams.” When Congregation Beth Am sold its synagogue in 2012, it wanted the building to continue to benefit the Buffalo Grove community. Six years later, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, over 200 residents gathered to the celebrate the […]
Pace Suburban Bus Chicago ADA Headquarters Renovation Improves Efficiency and Accessibility
Modernization transforms vacant floor in Metra’s 547 West Jackson building into light-filled, ADA accessible Pace offices Pace, the suburban bus division of the Regional Transportation Authority, ran its Chicago operations from the tenth floor of Metra commuter rail’s headquarters at 547 West Jackson Boulevard. Many interior walls and an inefficient layout gave the eighties-era office […]
Train station design: regaining the power of rail
Taking the train used to be an exciting experience. For many travelers, passing by beautiful train stations was an enjoyable part of their journey. However, in the ’60s and ’70s, the train station lost its power as a community focal point and a symbol of connection between towns. Speed of construction and saving dollars took […]
Moline Preservation Society Honors 5 & 15 Apartments and Element Moline Hotel
Adaptive reuse projects transform century-old buildings into modern dwelling places while preserving historic features The Chase Bank building and the O’Rourke Building have beautified downtown Moline for nearly a century. But this year, both buildings finished a conversion that completely changes how the buildings are used. The renovations celebrate, rather than cover up, the buildings’ […]
Police Station Architecture Design Tips: Part 3 (Respect the Budget)
Community-sensitive police station design strikes a careful balance between aesthetics and budget What’s it going to cost? This is one of the questions that architects get asked most often. It’s especially relevant to police stations, whose construction budgets face constant public scrutiny. The challenge for architects, therefore, is to design a station that is both […]
