Landmark Chicago Skyscraper Redevelopment Complete

Got a press release today stating that the major renovations at 330 North Wabash are now complete.  You may remember 330 as the Chicago's old IBM Building or One IBM Plaza, Mies Van Der Rohe's massive black slab along the Chicago river that used to loom so menacingly over the Sun-Times building before it was neutered by Donald Trump.

There have been complaints on the internet from people who think the treatment of the lobby has been rather ruthless, but for the 99% of Chicagoand who only see this building from afar, no damage has been done.

The building is interesting to watch at night because the top dozen floors form a black hole in the city's skyline while office lights tinkle and burn in other buildings around them.  It's because that section of the building is being redeveloped as a luxury hotel.  There is no opening date for that hotel yet.  At a public event about six months ago, the developer said he was in no hurry to complete the project, especially considering the state of the economy.

You can see more than a thousand Chicago architecture landmarks at Chicago Architecture Info (our sister site).

The full press release about the redevelopment of 330 North Wabash follows:

330 North Wabash Gets LEED Gold

Chicago architecture firm DeStefano Partners is celebrating LEED Gold status for one of its latest projects -- its office at 330 North Wabash Street (formerly I.B.M. Plaza).  You can read more about 330 North Wabash at Chicago Architecture Info.  Here's the press release it sent over:

February 17, 2010 (Chicago IL) – DeStefano Partners (DP) announced that its new office at 330 North Wabash in Chicago IL has been awarded LEED® Gold certification for Commercial Interiors. Established by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED® is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

                The office earned credits for such features as regional materials, high recycled content in materials, furniture re-use, light sensor controls, reduced-flow water fixtures, material installation methods, high levels of daylighting and views for 90% of the spaces, and downtown location with proximity to public transit.

                Scott Sarver, AIA, DeStefano Partners’ Chief Executive Officer, noted that “DeStefano Partners is committed to sustainable building technology, emphasizing transit-oriented development and design elements that respond to local climate, culture and context.  We selected the location and designed our offices to reflect this commitment.”

As a component of this commitment, DP’s Materials and Technologies Research Group includes a Specifications Writer and a Materials Research Specialist specializing in sustainable design; they work closely with the firm’s design and technical architects to research and identify products and technology that are legitimately “green” and durable.

                The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) developed LEED® as an internationally recognized rating system to evaluate sustainable and environmentally-friendly design.  LEED® provides building owners, operators, designers, and contractors with guidelines for building in practical and measurable ways to reduce environmental impact.  The rating system applies to all kinds of construction projects and covers the many stages of a building’s life cycle, including design, construction, maintenance, and tenant use.  The Commercial Interiors category was created to allow building tenants who may not have control over an entire building to make sustainable choices in improving their workplaces.

About DeStefano Partners (www.dpdesigns.com)

    Established in 1988, DeStefano Partners is an internationally acclaimed architecture, urban planning and interior design firm serving both public and private sector clients in the United States, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and Europe.  Inspired by the cultural, geographic and organizational diversity of its clients, the firm’s mission is to realize environments that are conducive to daily living, supportive of commercial enterprise and engaging to the human spirit.  DeStefano Partners’ teams respond creatively and professionally to a challenging array of design, planning, programming and assessment needs in new construction and renovation in commercial, mixed-use and multifamily residential sectors.  For more information, please visit the DeStefano Partners web site, www.dpdesigns.com.