University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Chemistry Annex

  • 03/01/19
university of illinois

TOP LEFT PHOTO © JAMES STEINKAMP PHOTOGRAPHY, TOP RIGHT AND BOTTOM PHOTOS © BAILEY EDWARD

Built in 1937, the Chemistry Annex on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s campus is an Art Moderne/Art Deco-style building housing classrooms and laboratories for its namesake field. The university wanted to preserve the historic fabric of the building while providing modern amenities and new, state-of-the-art teaching facilities through a sympathetic 9,000-square-foot addition designed by Harley Ellis Deveraux and restoration of the historic character defining elements, led by the preservation team at Bailey Edward.

The central staircase in the building features a uniquely vibrant colored terrazzo pattern characteristic of Art Moderne style. Over time, the terrazzo’s finish yellowed, dulling the color. The old polish was sensitively stripped, and the terrazzo refinished to bring the colors back to life and protected from future damage with a new sealant that won’t yellow.

On the exterior, repairs were made to the decorative concrete and brick masonry. However, the exterior wall system had to be thermally upgraded to increase the sustainability of the building. After careful study and coordination with the interior build-out, two inches of open-cell urethane insulation was included on the inside face of the walls. This insulation significantly contributed to the building reaching LEED Gold certification and allowed the exterior to remain historically intact.

Decorative cast-in-place concrete elements were restored by cleaning, patching, and matching the original color and composition of the concrete. The historic exterior light fixtures were replicated and restored. Each fixture was coated in the same hyblum alloy so that they would patina at the same rate.

The restoration of the Chemistry Annex won a preservation award from the Prairie Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and allows the university to modernize their facilities and attract students while remaining true to the character of historic building.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management March 2019 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • DLR Group Hires New Higher Education Business Development Leader

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has named a new Higher Education Business Development Leader who will serve out of the firm’s New York studio, according to a news release.

  • zSpace Imagine Learning Solution

    zSpace Introduces Headset-Free AR/VR System

    Immersive learning company zSpace has debuted the zSpace Imagine Learning Solution, a headset-free AR/VR laptop system designed for elementary education. The all-in-one platform integrates hardware, software, and hands-on lessons to create dynamic learning experiences for young students.

  • St. John’s University Dedicates New Health Sciences Center

    St. John’s University in New York, N.Y., recently held a dedication ceremony for the new St. Vincent Health Sciences Center, according to a news release. The fully-energy efficient, sustainable, and all-electric facility will serve as an academic building for the university’s healthcare students.

  • The Intersection of Education and Healthcare

    In the realm of modern medical education, the pursuit of excellence knows no bounds. Belmont University's latest endeavor, state-of-the-art Thomas F. Frist, Jr., College of Medicine and Center for Interprofessional Engagement & Simulation, epitomizes this relentless quest for an innovative approach to training future health care.

Digital Edition