The University of Chicago

Overview

Status: Construction

Estimated Completion Date: Winter 2015

The William Eckhardt Research Center will be a 277,000 gross square foot building with a basement, sub-basement and five floors above grade. Built along Ellis Avenue between 56^th and 57^th Street, the project required the demolition of the Research Institute Building and connected Low Temperature and Astronomy & Astrophysics Buildings.  Program assigned to the Astronomy and Astrophysics Department, the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Studies and the Enrico Fermi Institute includes offices, conference rooms and laboratories.  Additional offices, conference rooms, clean room and specialized laboratory and imaging facilities are designed for Molecular Engineering.  The project has a sustainable design target of LEED silver. 

Exterior work includes landscaping, paving, lighting and security and will create a new “North Science Quadrangle” in the interstitial space to the west of the building. Steam and chilled water would be provided through new direct buried lines from the existing vault west of the new West Campus Combined Utility Plant.

Project webcam: http://shaker.uchicago.edu/shaker

Related feature article: http://news.uchicago.edu/article/2010/12/13/new-eckhardt-center-building-provide-home-precision-science

Project Team

Project Director: John Ekholm
Senior PM: David Rift
PM Assist: Joyce Griffin, Jennifer Fifield
Architect/Engineer: HOK with James Carpenter Design Associates
Construction Manager: W.E. O’Neil

Project contact: John Ekholm, jekholm@uchicago.edu

Project Updates

Past Milestones:

• Summer 2010: Program relocation renovations began
• Winter 2011: Completion of program relocations; start of abatement and demolition
• Spring 2012: Demolition of on-site buildings
• Summer 2012: Begin construction

Upcoming Milestones:

• Spring 2013: Complete site excavation
• Fall 2014: Complete building enclosure.
• Winter 2015: Target for occupancy.

Photos