Our client
Located in the heart of Chicago, Illinois, DePaul University is a distinguished private university with over 300 undergraduate and graduate programs. With accolades in the Princeton Review, Forbes magazine, and U.S. News & World Report, DePaul particularly excels in business, communication, fine arts, and game design. The school also puts a special emphasis on teaching as a discipline, and with a 15:1 student teacher ratio, the school offers students an excellent standard of academic engagement and rigor.
Project highlights
Their challenge
The DePaul Art Museum (DPAM) was planned as a learning resource and exhibition venue for national and international modern and contemporary art. The building was designed by Antunovich Associates, and its distinct exterior reflects the design of surrounding historic buildings of the Lincoln Park neighborhood. The university and architect needed a trustworthy engineering partner during the design of this building, and they turned to Salas O’Brien.
Our solution
Salas O’Brien designed mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems and provided energy modeling services for this three-story, 15,000-square-foot property. The project included sustainable features such as energy efficient HVAC and lighting systems, storm-water collection, retention and filtering systems, water-efficient landscaping, a partial green roof, and reflective roof coatings, which reduced energy consumption by 17.6%.
The results
The museum was awarded LEED Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for its sustainable design and construction. The finished museum is open to both students and the community, and it features a permanent collection of over 3,500 objects and four to nine temporary exhibits each year.
