Atelier Ten developed an environmental renovation strategy with the design team that not only reduces the building’s energy consumption by 50% while greatly improving occupant comfort, but also restores many of Mies van der Rohe’s original design concepts.
Crown Hall, home to the Architecture School at IIT, is a cherished icon of 20th century architecture. Atelier Ten and Transsolar explored how comfort and conditioning problems could be addressed in upcoming renovations. The challenge was to develop a design which allowed continued use of the building’s original mixed-mode ventilation strategy without changing the appearance of this masterpiece while improving comfort and energy efficiency. Some proposed measures restore elements of the original design, such as replanting trees along the south and west facades, while others focus on upgrading technical systems, such as upgrading the lighting system, restoring the natural ventilation panels, adding modern controls, and improving the radiant floor system.
